Created by a Romanian player named Florin Gheorghe, according to the site’s Wikipedia page, the Internet Scrabble Club focuses entirely on the game – no ads, no in-app purchases, and no distractions. While there is a premium option for those who want more advanced features, everyone can play for free. It's a nostalgic throwback to how the Internet used to be and the best place I’ve found to play online Scrabble.

The Scrabble Apps

There are plenty of apps and websites that let you play Scrabble online — though many avoid using the actual name due to intellectual property concerns.

One officially licensed app is Scrabble Go, available on both iOS and Android, but it’s a nightmare in terms of user experience. Constant pop-ups and promotions bombard you as you try to play, pushing you to connect social media accounts or buy virtual currency to unlock pointless extras like decorative tiles. Playing feels less like a word game and more like gambling.

Then there’s Classic Words With Friends, which offers a similar experience, filled with prompts to try various features, along with unavoidable full-screen video ads after each move.

Some websites offer a better experience. PlayScrabble.com lets you jump right into a game without requiring registration and keeps advertising to a minimum. However, because players don’t need to register, many anonymous users will quit mid-game if they’re losing badly. Also, the site has some unusual features — for example, it shows all remaining unused letters, including your opponent’s tiles once the bag is empty. That feels like cheating.

Another decent option is the oddly named Woogles.io. This non-profit site is funded through donations, allowing it to remain ad-free. My only complaint is that finding someone waiting to play in the lobby can be tough, especially outside U.S. time zones.

The Internet Scrabble Club

The Internet Scrabble Club doesn't make a great first impression. The design looks like it was frozen in time around the early 2000s, complete with outdated visuals and little regard for modern web aesthetics. But don’t let that discourage you — the gameplay is excellent.

It has a small yet dedicated player base. You’ll usually find an online match anytime of day, and most players treat the game seriously. I’ve played nearly 40 games on the site and only had one abandoned mid-match.

Players are polite, but not overly talkative. It’s typical to exchange good luck messages before a game starts, and landing a seven-letter bingo often earns a “wp” (short for “well played”).

Getting used to the site’s terminology and acronyms might take some time. The number in parentheses next to a player’s name is their rating. Anything above 1,000 means they're highly skilled, while 800 is considered average (as per the site’s help documentation). Beating a much higher-ranked player can significantly boost your score, but it’s wiser to start with opponents near your own level and improve gradually.

Most players use the CSW (Collins Scrabble Words) dictionary, which accepts both U.S. and U.K. English spellings and includes more two-letter words than other dictionaries. Most games are played in a mode where only valid dictionary words are allowed, although some prefer “Challenge” mode, where your opponent can question a word’s validity, costing you a turn or points if proven wrong.

You’ll also find a variety of game lengths, from three minutes per player up to twenty. If you're new, I recommend starting at ten minutes or longer. The fast-paced “blitz” games demand lightning-fast thinking.

Although it seems built for desktop, it works fine on tablets too. There may be occasional glitches when dragging tiles onto the board, but it plays smoothly enough on iPads and Android tablets. It even works on smartphones, though personally I find the interface a bit cramped and awkward.

So if you're looking for a solid game of online Scrabble and don’t mind joining a friendly, old-school community, the Internet Scrabble Club is definitely worth checking out.

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