Actually Friendly Words with Friends (or Serene Scrabble)

I have to say up front that really love Scrabble-type games, and I feel like the competitive aspect did help me become a better player.

That said, the cooperative version(s) bring out a different kind of creativity and skill-set which is nice. Plus, it engages younger children more, which gives them the benefit of learning new words without having to feel bored or "always losing".

Option 1 - stick to a theme:

Lay out all the letters. For each player's turn, they can choose tiles from the pile to make a total of 7 to work with. The idea is to keep to a certain theme. (Probably best to pick something fairly broad, like "Christmas".) The players need to try to set up the board so that everyone can easily place their words. All plays can be open to discussion.

Option 2 - try to get the highest total score possible:

The idea here is to play Scrabble the normal way (no players can see the others' tiles). However, since you want to help the other person as much as possible, you have to re-think the normal strategy. (This idea got me wondering what the highest possible joint score in Scrabble could possibly be.)

Option 3 - (Suggested by Bill) Similar to Option 2, you try to get the highest total score possible. In this one, each player rolls a 6-sided die at the beginning of their turn. The number on the die indicates how many letters you can choose from your wooden holder and place down in front for everyone to see. Then, each other player (going clockwise) has the opportunity to add one or two letters they think could help. When it gets back to the player whose turn it is, that person must make the best play they can out of the letters provided. The nice thing about this particular version is that all players are engaged all the time. It's easier to play with beginners too, without making them feel discouraged.

I bet there are other possibilities. I'll add them if/when I think of any.

[Cooperative Scrabble]