This challenging game taps into the public’s passion for all things wordy. The success of Wordle, our love of crosswords and other word puzzles and the popularity of lexicographers like Susie Dent reflect a love of words and a curiosity about language shared by many people. This is a game that will test the intellect, broaden your knowledge and inspire a deeper appreciation of all things wordy. League of the Lexicon is a beautifully designed game about words and language, ideal for language lovers, quiz fiends and the incurably curious.

I can’t verify the statistics, but I would guess Trivial Pursuit was one of the two or three most-played board games of my childhood. The 1981 blue Genus Edition, as I recall, was the mainstay. It was my mom’s favorite game. She read incessantly and was a dominant force navigating the pie. Of course, as wee little ones, my sister and I would play along using the cards from Trivia for Kids, a 1984 release from Whitehall Games. The six categories matched and the subject matter gave us a fighting chance until we were old enough to engage the real deal. We never won, but it was fun to stand at the foot of the mountain and dream. League of the Lexicon boasts an impressive roster of celebrity endorsements, with Stephen Fry hailing it as “a logophile’s dream” and Susie Dent deeming it “a fiendish delight for all word lovers.” This accolade-rich game offers much more than mere entertainment—it’s an immersive exploration of words and language that transcends traditional gaming experiences.I’ve not challenged my mom to revisit her old stomping grounds in years. After a few decades reading on my own, I just don’t find myself particularly drawn to trivia games. Maybe it was all the losing. Who knows? Maybe my entire reading adulthood has been fueled on a psychological level by repeatedly staring at those missing slices of trivia pie before I was ten years old. League of the Lexicon is more than a game—it’s an opportunity to delve into the intricacies of language while enjoying quality time with friends and family. The engaging questions cover etymology, archaic words, grammar, origin stories, and definitions, catering to both casual and serious word enthusiasts. It’s not just a game; it’s a journey of linguistic exploration.

Whilst these different games are all fundamentally similar to each other, they nevertheless offer a great amount of replay-ability. The game possibilities don’t end there either. Previous editions have included rules for as many as 20 additional variant rule sets, ranging from games of patience to Lexicon Bridge and more, so for the inquisitive there’s more to discover. Final Thoughts on Lexicon The possible actions may seem limited. However, they allow for a sophisticated and surprisingly tactical game that rewards inventiveness, lateral thinking and critical reasoning. When a player chooses to add letters to an existing word, they aren’t restricted to placing them at the beginning or end. Instead, unlike Scrabble, they can insert letters anywhere in the word. Swapping letters out from an existing word for those in your hand allows you to gain the cards you need for a word you intend to play on a subsequent turn. However, by not getting rid of any cards you run the risk of running out of time to play that word.

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The gameplay is elegantly simple yet intellectually stimulating. Players select a ‘Character’ card and answer questions to collect ‘Artefact’ cards, with the goal of amassing five that match their ‘Character.’ A deciding question awaits those who achieve this feat, leading to victory. The game’s appeal lies in its ability to ignite curiosity and spark conversations about language, etymology, and more. If this sounds old fashioned, it’s in keeping with the game. The beautifully illustrated character cards feature an eccentric cast of ‘adventurer lexicographers’ (the eponymous League of the Lexicon), best described as ‘Indiana Jones meets Doctor Johnson’. Even the game’s box, with its dusty vintage colours, features the symbols of bygone languages. I wanted the game to feel unlike anything else, although I know I’ve driven designers mad in the process. The visual world created within the game is exotic yet steeped in the history of language. With a seductive 1930s aesthetic and graphic motifs that draw on the history of writing, players are drawn into a game world that is rich with detail and unlike any other quiz game.

At home with his two young sons, Joshua, Sonny and Jude made language games to avoid doing English homework. There was WordSplat, Word War, the fiendish Dojo and finally League of the Lexicon, which became an obsession. Simple to learn but challenging to win, the game is for two to six players, but with six rule variations it accommodates both solo play and large parties. The game also offers two levels of difficulty so younger or less confident players can join in. I share this mildly unsettling context because I recently found myself instantly and inexplicably attracted to League of the Lexicon, a 2022 release from Two Brothers Games. Deemed a game “by word lovers, for word lovers,” this particular title glories in its linguistic supremacy. Whilst these different games are all fundamentally similar to each other, they nevertheless offer a great amount of replay-ability. The game possibilities don't end there either. Previous editions have included rules for as many as 20 additional variant rule sets, ranging from games of patience to Lexicon Bridge and more, so for the inquisitive there’s more to discover. Final Thoughts on Lexicon The simple, elegant design of the Lexicon cards allows for several other gaming possibilities. The modern edition of the game comes with rules for two variant games – Lexicon Riddance and Lexicon Criss Cross. The former involves players taking it in turns to form a word using the cards in their hand and one single exposed card on the table. The aim is to get rid of all their cards before their rivals. Criss Cross requires players to draw cards in turn and then write the revealed letters in a 25 square grid hoping to form complete words that will score points.With such a long history it is no surprise that Lexicon has undergone a number of transformations. It has also been marketed in a variety of ways during its life. At one point it was sold as ‘The Wonder Game’ and was envisaged as a rival for more establish social games like Bridge, Whist and Canasta. Rulebooks even came with instructions on how to arrange a Lexicon drive. By contrast, it’s now presented as a light travel or filler game aimed at a more causal gaming market, although the amount of table space it takes up may preclude its actual use as a travel game. The Game The object of Lexicon is simply to have played all of your cards, so that you have none left in your hand. At the end of a round, players add up the score of the cards remaining in their hand. When someone reaches a total of 100, they are eliminated from the game. Making the game has been a labour of love. I researched and wrote over 2,000 questions, including everything for the new Junior Edition. Now, every time I hear something curious about what a word means or where it’s come from, my brain turns it into a question. It’s become a compulsion. But despite countless suggestions, I’ve resisted the temptation to create an online edition.

There are many iconic word games like Wordle, Scrabble Boggle or Bananagrams but this is different. League of the Lexicon is a highly entertaining board game about words, made by word lovers, for word lovers. For those seeking the perfect gift for their bookish companions, the captivating quiz game, League of the Lexicon, promises an exciting journey into the realm of words and language. Crafted by London-based Two Brothers Games, this ingenious game has garnered praise from renowned UK word enthusiasts like Stephen Fry and Susie Dent, making it a must-have for anyone who loves the magic of language. League of the Lexicon, the game I invented, is a quiz game about words and language. And if you’ll forgive some trumpet blowing, it’s pretty special. At least, that’s what Susie Dent and Stephen Fry said, as did Waterstones, who made it their Game of the Month. But it’s strange to think that something so successful started life as a way of distracting my kids, bored of home-schooling during the dark days of Covid. I was fairly certain of two things when I set out to review this game. First, I was sure that I would have a hard time getting a group on board to play a game according to the rules. Trivia games, as I said, are not common visitors to our table. But second, and more importantly, I was sure that everyone I know would enjoy exploring the questions casually. I was correct on both counts.There will be a global edition, written by Gaston Dorren, a lexicographer who has written two books on language; and a slang edition, written by Jonathon Green, the world’s foremost slang lexicographer, which includes numerous questions relating to Hebrew and Yiddish.