BananagramsHow it compares
Updated September 4, 2026 · 2 min read
This is not Scrabble in a pouch. Both games use crossword grids to interlock letters, but this racing game has no board, assigns no scores to letters, and does away with player turns entirely.
The short version
- Build your own separate crossword grid on the table without using a board.
- Play simultaneously with other players instead of taking turns in sequence.
- Ignore letter scores because winning does not involve counting points.
- Pull apart and rebuild your existing grid whenever a new letter does not fit.
Abraham Nathanson began designing the game in 2005 at age 76 after losing patience with a slow game of Scrabble against his grandson. He wanted an anagrams game fast enough to drive players bananas. The resulting design drew from Take Two, an older variant of Scrabble that works on similar principles.
The core mechanics differ completely from standard board word games. You do not place words onto a shared board or tally points for individual letters. Players build their own separate grids directly on the table, working simultaneously rather than waiting for turns. The object is simply to place every tile in your possession.
Because there are no point values, high scoring letter placements do not matter. The challenge comes from keeping your arrangement open to new arrivals. When an incoming letter does not fit your existing layout, you must pull parts of your grid apart and rebuild it right away.
The shelf also holds other related games, including Anagrams, Dabble, Perquackey, Quiddler, Syzygy from 1997, and Double Quick from 1999. Other published editions include My First Bananagrams, Double Bananagrams with double the tiles, Bananagrams Duel for 2 players, and Countaloupe which uses numbers instead of letters.
The mistake to avoid
The mistake is to assume you must wait for other players or count point values on tiles. The game runs simultaneously without turn order, and letters carry no scores.
Questions that keep coming up
Does this game use a board like Scrabble?
No, it does not use a board. Players arrange their tiles into individual crossword grids directly on the table surface.
Do letters have point values to calculate scores?
No, letters carry no score values. The goal is to place all the tiles you hold into your grid rather than accumulating points.
How does simultaneous play compare to Boggle?
Both games have everyone playing at the same time without waiting for turns, but here you construct a connected tile grid instead of finding words in a fixed dice square.