Bananagrams
Patriotic edition with wild tiles
Stars & Stripes
Eight liberty bonus tiles stand in for any letter when your hand gets stuck.
$12.95
Rated 4.8 out of 5 by 29 players
Inside this yellow pouch sits a navy star-print lining holding white tiles with navy letters. The race runs on the standard rules, but eight picture tiles act as wilds to rescue stubborn grids.
Players reach into the bunch at the same time and build connected words across the table. When your last tile lands, a call of Peel sends another tile to everyone.
| Players | 1–8 |
| Ages | 7 and up |
| A game runs | About 15 minutes |
| In the box | 144 letter tiles plus 8 liberty bonus tiles, in a banana pouch |
| You also need | A table, and the same agreement about what a bonus tile may become. |
| The feel | Everyone plays at once |
How a game unfolds
The race itself is unchanged from Bananagrams; the eight liberty tiles are the whole difference.
Split once
Turn all the tiles face down in the middle. That pile is the bunch. Each player draws their opening hand and flips it on the call.
Build all at once
Every player builds their own crossword grid at the same time. There are no turns to wait for.
Peel repeats
Empty your hand and say so. Everyone draws one more, and the bunch shrinks by one per player.
Bananas ends it
When the bunch runs below the number of players, the next grid to go clean wins the check and the game.
The bonus tiles
Eight tiles that can be any letter. The same rule and the same effect as the winter set, in a different color scheme.
What makes it its own game
- Eight picture tiles step into your word grid as whichever letter you need.
- Calling Dump swaps one unwanted letter for three from the bunch.
- Navy letters on white tiles replace our traditional black print.
- The call of Bananas opens the moment the bunch holds fewer tiles than seated players.
Worth knowing before you open the box
Because both themed sets carry wilds, they are the gentler way into the classic race for a player who freezes when a hand goes stubborn.
Who it suits
Households with the standard race find this set helpful when mixed age groups sit together. The eight wild tiles soften the scramble for younger players. Fast spellers will still set the pace across the table. It is less suited to purists who prefer solving a hand without any help from wilds.
Before your first game
Start a nervous speller with this edition before trying the classic tile mix. Point out the eight liberty tiles before the call of Split so they know help is in the bunch. Remind them that a wild tile can change identity if they rebuild a section of their grid. That flexibility takes the pressure off the opening minutes.
Elsewhere on the shelf
Still reading? That is usually a yes.
The same race in stars and stripes, also with eight bonus tiles that stand in for any letter.
$12.95