Cooperative Play Reduces Anxiety In Spelling Games

The greatest strength of spelling games is that they rely on language. Each of us has a powerful built-in pattern-matching module. By leveraging this, spelling games offer more options than other genres. But this wealth of options is also their greatest weakness. Many players cannot cope with the number of possibilities. A common criticism is that spelling mechanics make players feel stupid for not thinking of a word. Making spelling games cooperative rather than competitive largely solves this problem.

Letter Jam is a good example of why cooperation solves the biggest problem of spelling games. Each player has a secret word they are trying to guess but don't know. You give clues by spelling words containing hidden letters others can't see. Because everyone is trying to help each other, it doesn't matter if you struggle to find a clever word. The table's efforts will average out; nothing depends on you alone.

Players who struggle to come up with words often feel anxious because they think everyone is waiting on them to move. The spotlight becomes a source of frustration and embarrassment. Cooperative games combat this by spreading responsibility. In Jibber Jabble, everyone spells a clue together by taking turns saying a letter, in exquisite corpse style. If you choose a letter that does not match what the previous player intended, it is often funny. By diffusing mistakes like this, you reduce the anxiety of the spotlight.

I enjoy spelling games and have designed several, though all were competitive. I have seen the difficulty many players have with them and know they are not for everybody. Making them cooperative might be the way to broaden their appeal.