BananagramsWhich one by age
Updated September 4, 2026 · 2 min read
The age marks on the boxes range from 5 up to 14, but each game asks for completely different skills. Some require fast anagramming in a simultaneous race, others run on taking turns, some use memory, and several involve no spelling whatsoever.
The short version
- Choose Appletters for players from age 5 who want to take turns building one shared word track.
- Pick Gurms or The Furglars if you want a game that involves zero spelling.
- Start with 21 tiles each in the classic racing games when playing with 1 to 4 people.
- Look at Party Edition or Halloween Party for ages 10 and up to add special action tiles to the race.
Appletters is marked for ages 5 and up, seating 1 to 4 players for about 20 minutes. Players take turns adding letters to the head or tail of a single continuous word worm on the table. At age 6 and up, Word-a-Melon pairs spelling with memory as 2 to 4 players flip face-down tiles, while Gurms skips spelling entirely so players can match colors and symbols to complete creatures.
The classic racing games are marked for ages 7 and up. Bananagrams, Big Letter Bananagrams, WildTiles, Winter Wonderland, and Stars & Stripes all run with no turns, no clock, and no scoring, seating 1 to 8 players. In these editions, players race at the exact same time to build connected grids until one player uses their tiles. WildTiles adds 6 wild monkey tiles, while Winter Wonderland and Stars & Stripes each include 8 wild tiles.
Other titles for older groups add extra friction or eliminate words. The Furglars is marked for ages 7 and up, seating 2 to 6 players to roll furry dice and collect gold with no spelling. Party Edition and Halloween Party are marked for ages 10 and up, adding action tiles into the speed race. Spiky Dastards is marked for ages 14 and up, running as a pure grab race with no turns and no letters.
The mistake to avoid
The mistake is to assume every game on the shelf is a speed race without turns or scoring. Four games (Word-a-Melon, Appletters, Gurms, and The Furglars) are played in turns, and four games (Word-a-Melon, Gurms, The Furglars, and Spiky Dastards) count items or points at the end to determine who wins.
Questions that keep coming up
Which game on the shelf has the lowest starting age?
Appletters has the lowest starting age, marked for ages 5 and up. It plays with 1 to 4 players in about 20 minutes.
How many tiles do players take at the start of a classic Bananagrams game?
With 1 to 4 players, each player takes 21 tiles. With 5 to 6 players, each takes 15 tiles. With 7 to 8 players, each takes 11 tiles.
Are there games on the shelf that do not require any spelling?
Yes. Gurms, The Furglars, and Spiky Dastards do not use spelling at all.