Literati : Redefining the world of online word games!

If you are a lover of word games, then you surely need to play Literati at Yahoo Games! You can play Literati for free at Yahoo Games. What you need are only a Yahoo ID and a Java-enabled browser.

Literati is a word game which closely resembles Scrabble. In this game, players use a set of 7 letter tiles to make intersecting words on a board. Points for each player are based on letter values and bonus squares. Literati differ in certain ways from Scrabble; especially the game board and the tile values. Although both boards are 15x15, the bonus squares or intersections are in various places. Letter tile point values in Literati range from 0-5, while in Scrabble there are letters which are worth 10 points.

To play the game, log on to Yahoo first and arrive at the Literati section. Here, rooms have been categorized on the basis of skill level. Choose a particular skill level and then select a room, which will bring up a lobby window from where you can join, watch, or start a game. Games could be played in public or private, and can involve up to 5 players. The player can even control the game options, set time limits, rate his play, and boot other players.

With the help of a simple drag and drop operation, tiles could be placed on the board. Upon finishing, the player can click "submit" and the word is automatically checked by a dictionary prior to permanently placing it on the board. If it's not a valid word, the tiles are placed back into the player's tray and he must either try again or pass it to his co-players. The optional "challenge" mode, allows players to challenge each other's words. Players can also juggle tiles in their tray for constructing words. Letters for wild tiles are chosen with the help of the keyboard.

To avoid chances of being cheated, always ensure that a scrabble solver is kept running in another window. A scrabble solver chooses a set of letters and generates all the words that could be made with those letters.

The player must focus on those words which would win him more points and bonuses rather than going in for attractive words. Offensive players concentrate on words with high point scores, although they might most possibly create opportunities for other players. Defensive players focus on words that are difficult to construct and try to restrain their rival's chances of attaining bonus squares. Always try to ‘balance the rack' or keep an approximately equal number of vowels and consonants in your tray. Letters that are still left in your rack at the end of the game are deducted from your score. If you wish to become an expert in Literati to compete with the top-rated players on Yahoo, memorize lots& lots of words!