Games that don’t need a battle royale mode getting a battle royale mode is one of my favourite things in the world. The trend that kicked off with PUBG and Fortnite has now spread to Tetris 99 and Forza Horizon 5. But my new favourite entry into the weird battle royale category is Babble Royale, a last-man-standing mode for Scrabble.
Yes, your grandma’s favourite board game now has a battle royale mode from indie developers Everybody House Games that sees 16 players dropped into an online game of Scrabble to fight for the last word. Babble Royale has all the trademark features of a battle royale: players parachute their first title onto the game board and have to build their words inwards to stay inside a shrinking circle. Each word you play earns you money, which you can use to purchase upgrades, and you can pick up powerups by placing letters in the right tiles. You’re also trying to eliminate the other players by intersecting their words on the board. And, of course, there are skins you can purchase to customise the tile you parachute in on.
Babble Royale changes a few of the classic Scrabble rules to make it fit the fast-paced battle royale format. You can only play letters off the last word you spelled, which means you really have to plan ahead to avoid getting stuck halfway through a game. The goal here is quantity over quality — you’re better off spelling a few small words to position yourself in a way that lets you intersect another player’s tile. It’s a fun new take on a classic board game and feels like the natural evolution of games like Words With Friends. It’s also perhaps the most creative battle royale game we’ve seen — at least until the next one comes out that turns, I don’t know, Animal Crossing into a battle royale.
And the best part is, Babble Royale is free to play. Grab it here and have fun out-spelling your opponents.
