It's the game we've all played at least once. It ebbs and flows in popularity like a tide washing ashore.

It has remained a constant as the others -- Words with Friends, Lexulous -- seem to fade away over time.

Listen to Big Chuck and Dan debate:

Scrabble was borne from the brain of Alfred Mosher Butts during the Great Depression. The name was trademarked in 1948, and it soon became a household fixture, spawning numerous wannabes.

But there's something nice about dusting off that old board that's been in the closet for years to play a fun game with friends or family. The imposters only reaffirm what we already knew: Scrabble is still the best.

Words with Friends
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Words with Friends must be played digitally. A physical presence it does not have. It is popular because one can compete despite discrepancies in vocabulary from one's opponent. This is because Words with Friends doesn't offer a challenge option. It simply allows only acceptable words. One does not lose one's turn if a word is misspelled or, worse, not even a word at all.

Lexulous
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Lexulous presents another dilemma. Not only does it exist only in the digital realm, but its flaws are exacerbated by its eight-tile format. Bingos are commonplace here as only seven letters are needed for the 50-point bonus. There's no special feeling to a bingo. However, if one wants massive points and games where each player reaches 400 points, Lexulous is yours.

But the die-hards, the traditionalists, they prefer blowing the dust off that old standby. The smell of the wood tiles, the clicking sound they make in the bag. The board, with its seam bisecting it, the tiles askew as fingers slip and nudge.

The pencil to a pad of paper, counting and announcing big scores. And of course the look on the opponent's face when he knows he's beat. There's little better than that.

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