Game Folio Scrabble
by Hasbro
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List Price: Our Price: $23.98 You Save: $1.01 (4%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $12.99 (click here) Category: Toy See more product details |
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Toys and Games Reviews of Game Folio Scrabble
Customer Review: fuTILE losses
Summary: 4 Stars
First off, I love this game. It has usurped my cat from my lap many a time....at first she liked the little clicking noises but now she hears them and curls up close but not on me.
Right away I noticed one 'O' tile that would not click into place unless it was turned on its side. Since it was a manufacturer's error, I figured it would be a simple thing to replace it. Nope. The game store could not help me and the 800 number was literally always suspiciously busy.
Ah, well, I can live with a lazy 'O'.
Then - I went camping and popped an 'N' after dark at Mt. Rainier. The next morning's search was, you got it, futile. Perhaps the chipmunks at Ohanapecosh are still marveling over their find.
Ah, well, it's easy enough to use a placer and stick the 'N' back in the bag after it is drawn once.
9 months have passed and more tiles have jumped ship. I'm getting very good at counting letters after every 5 games or so. Although I've found most errant tiles, right now I am using various little Lego pieces for an 'N, L, C and P'. I did find the Milton-Bradley website and discovered I can not replace the tiles unless I buy a whole set for $7.95....which I know in this day and age is not all that much to most people, but to me it is. And there is the principle of the thing, the man who made the game was out of work and counting his pennies, and I think he would understand my hesitancy to buy tiles I do not need.
I'll do it, though...and partially rationalize the purchase by estimating that at my rate of losses, I will need to replace and, therefore, use the full set of 100 tiles in 20 to 25 years. I expect to still be alive - I'll take a chance on still being able to see.
My suggestion: Put a cute little bag of , say, 5 blank tiles in with every game. They can be trainer tiles. Then a black marker pen could readily resolve any angst over futile losses.
PS I love my own personal game...it has character., it has color. Maybe I'll wait a bit to order that new set of tiles....
Customer Review: Great game! quality question
Summary: 5 Stars
After trying magnetic and other 'travel' versions of Scrabble, we have used this folio version for over three years. It's compact size and good design has made it a constant companion every time we travel. Moreover, its versatility has advantages that facilitate our passion for Scrabble: we can start a game at home, take it to another room or the back yard, finish it later, or complete a game after we return home that we began on an airplane, in a waiting room or airport terminal. Many happy hours!
However, we just bought two new sets in July 2009 -- as gifts. We've used one of them several times and, much to our chagrin, find that the engineering of the pieces in the new sets is inferior. Our original set bought 3 years ago has perfect molding of the pieces so they pop in/out of place --no chance of loss or interruption of an on-going game. The new set has a few flaws in at least 8-10 pieces; the 'fit' of these letters isn't snug -- letters can fall out.
We just returned from a trip, and intend to register a complaint to Hasbro about the quality glitch. We don't know if we got a couple new 'lemons' or perhaps Hasbro's quality control of outsourcing just ain't what it used to be.
So, overall, we rate the game very highly.
And BTW, we got a very good price through Amazon that compares favorably with prices at game stores, travel shops, and other dealers.
But our recent experience is an annoying development in the product, and we think that too should be shared.
Enjoy, but with a word of caution!
Customer Review: Everything But the Tiles!!!
Summary: 4 Stars
The concept behind this version of Scrabble is fantastic. I would give it five stars, but for the tiles. Every other quality makes it near perfect.
The problem with the tiles is that they are *supposed* to stick in place on the board where you put them. But the reality is that they are difficult to manipulate and often pop out of their places as you try to press down on them. Also, the fold in the folio sometimes pushes the board slightly which can pop out tiles or make it difficult to press them firmly into place. Finally, after several games, one of my letters no longer fits snugly into place. So, this may mean that the tiles may be a little fragile in that respect. Clumsy people shouldn't be able to break them easily.
That said, the game is perfect for playing on a bumpy train-- as long as the tiles don't pop off the board, they don't move easily. I havn't made use yet of the option to continue the game at a later time, but the security of the tiles while on a boat or train made playing, well, possible! :-)
Also, the outside folio case is durable and the zipper handy. When closed, the folio is more like a small piece of luggage and is easier to manage than its plastic casing predecessor. You don't have to worry about making sure that all of the tiles are flat when you close it and you don't risk breaking it by closing it "wrong."
If a new version comes out with tiles that don't jump and still fit snug into the board after hundreds of games, I'll up my rating to five stars.
Customer Review: The UK Travel Scrabble is much better.
Summary: 1 Stars
Spending time in Spring last year playing travel scrabble on the road with friends renewed my love of the game and they bought me a set for at home when they left.
Heading out on travels in the last few weeks I decided I needed my own travel version and found this folio edition.
On the positive side it is scrabble.
On the negative side
* Tiles are badly printed - the printing is not centered
* Tiles pop out of the board when other tiles are put in alongside them. Sometimes this means you have to put letters in at right angles to stop them popping out.
* The letters do not stay in the board well, I often find games that need to be scrapped as enough letters have fallen out of place to make the game impossible to fix.
* Scoring is pen and paper based. Fine until you run out of pen or paper.
Compare this to the UK version I played on my travels in the Spring.
* The letters stayed firmly in place - whatever we were doing - we never scrapped a game as letters fell out.
* Scoring is by slides on the sides of the board for 1/10/100 points, you don't need to remember or find a pen and paper.
Why these simple things cannot be available on the US version I do not know.
My US version is being returned and family in the UK are sending me the UK version. It is more expensive due to the exchange rate but I know I will be less frustrated with it. Check it out on Amazon.co.uk
Customer Review: Mini Scrabble Game Challenges More Than your Brain
Summary: 5 Stars
I got this game because I love Scrabble, but didn't want to take up a lot of space with the full-size version when packing for vacation. I recently took the game for a test run at home, and was glad that I did, because I found out some things that may save me from having to track down lost pieces when I use the game in a car, plane, or train. The letters are extremely tiny, and just getting them out of the bag and onto the holders is an exercise in patience. Also, the design of the holders is such that they tend to collapse if you touch the tops of them when putting the letters on them. The letters clamp down onto the board, which is good for using the game if you are traveling or want to put the game on hold, but presents another challenge for those less dexterous. Placing the letters on the board is not so bad, but removing them is the real challenge; if you have extremely short fingernails, fugedaboudit, and if you are able to pry the letters up, they tend to go airborne. When storing the game away, everything must go neatly into place to fit in the zippered case -- especially the letter holders, which must slide into their slots precisely, and this takes a little practice. Despite its shortcomings, as a true Scrabble fan, I think it is ultimately worth taking a little extra time and care with this version's miniature pieces in order have Scrabble with me at all times.