An intellectually based game has become popular amongst Roseville High School students and faculty. The game “Words with Friends” is based on the classic game of Scrabble, but with a twist. Players play one-on-one wirelessly via the cell phone app.
     “It’s been used by many people,” said senior Taylor Cahalan. “It just seems like recently a lot more people have been picking it up.”

     “Words with Friends” first emerged on the I-phone app store, created by Zynga. The company recently released their app on the Android market place.

     Now that the game is applicable to many cell phones, a lot of the student body is playing.
     “I think that when the droid got their own version it added to the amount of people playing it,” said Cahalan.

     Aside from being a fun way to play with friends, students feel that the game is benefiting them academically. However, a lot of students put in random letters in the hope of getting big points.

     The game has many features, such as a separate folder where you can write messages back and forth to communicate with one another. It is also untimed so both players can play at their own paces.

     “I like it because I like the competition that I can have with people and it’s just a fun game,” said Cahalan. “You want to beat the other person.”

     The fact that many students have begun playing the academically focused game in class has drawn mixed responses from teachers.
     “While it’s clearly superior to other types of games, it’s still playing a game on your phone,” said English teacher Amy Mowrer.

     Most recently, Words with Friends has started to extend its reach outside of the student population. Some students use the game to connect with their families and friends.
     “Words with Friends allows us the opportunity to connect and have family night on the go,” said freshman Hayley Barnes. “With my family’s busy schedules we don’t get a change to sit down and play a traditional game of Scrabble.”
      The popularity of Words with Friends does not seem to be losing momentum any time soon.
     “I will play for a while,” said Cahalan.