16 word games the whole family can play

Guess the five-letter word in six tries. Solve it as a family and talk through each guess. It teaches letter patterns and smart guessing in about five minutes a day.

Watch for: Free; an account saves streaks.

Sort 16 words into four hidden groups. Great for arguing happily about what links 'bass', 'sole' and 'pike'. It is a great after-dinner puzzle. It is free every day.

Watch for: Free to play; an NYT account saves streaks.

Make words from seven letters, always using the center one. Everyone can find at least a few words. Kids can aim for a rank, not perfection.

Watch for: Full play needs an NYT Games subscription; check current terms.

A themed word search where letters connect in any direction. Hints help younger players. A new themed puzzle arrives every day, and finding the theme word is a family group effort.

Watch for: Free to play; an NYT account saves streaks.

A five-by-five crossword that takes a couple of minutes. A gentle first crossword for kids. Clues are short and modern, so kids often know answers adults miss.

Watch for: Free to play; the full crossword needs a subscription.

Four Wordles at once, in nine guesses. Good teamwork: one person tracks each board. It is free and runs in any browser, with a practice mode for people who want more than one game a day.

Watch for: Ad-supported; ads show around the boards.

Swap letters to fix six crossing words in as few moves as possible. A puzzle about spelling patterns. There is one new puzzle a day.

Watch for: Ad-supported; ads show around the puzzle.

Find words in a daily letter grid, Boggle style. Young kids find short words, adults hunt the long ones. It has a hint system for stuck players.

Watch for: Ad-supported; ads show below the puzzle.

Guess the secret word; each guess is ranked by how close its meaning is. Uses AI-style word similarity, which makes a good talking point. Play it in teams.

Watch for: Ad-supported; rankings can feel odd.

Race to build your own crossword grid. Give younger players a head start of tiles to even it out. There is no board, and a round takes about 15 minutes.

Two teams give one-word clues to find their secret agents on a grid. Builds vocabulary and word association. It is a favorite at parties and family nights.

Watch for: Box says 14+, but many families play with 10-year-olds.

Cooperative: you can see everyone's letter but yours, and clue each other with words. It plays two to six people, and everyone wins or loses together, which is easy on younger players.

The classic board game. Let kids use a dictionary and count their own scores; it doubles as math practice. There is also a junior version.

Watch for: Scrabble apps often carry ads and chat with strangers; the board is simpler.

Shake the cube and find words in three minutes. Short rounds suit restless kids. There is a junior version for younger kids that uses pictures and simple words.

Name things in categories that start with a rolled letter. Creative and silly arguments guaranteed. Teens and adults usually love it, and younger kids can play on a team with a grown-up.

A Scrabble-like game you can play with relatives far away. Good for grandparents and teens. Turns can wait for days, so busy families can keep a game going all week.

Watch for: Ads, in-app purchases and chat with strangers; play only with people you know.