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The League of the Lexicon is a Superb Choice for Word Lovers and Trivia Fiends Alike

Box of "League of the Lexicon", a word quiz game. Navy and neon green colors with patterns. Text includes game's description and a quote.

Growing up I was a huge fan of trivia board games that featured huge stacks of question cards like Mindtrap or my favorite: Trivial Pursuit. But it’s been a while since I sat down and played a trivia game. I’m not sure why that is, honestly.


Maybe I was too drawn away by the allure of murder mysteries in a box or board games that had complicated character stats and many-sided dice rolls. League of the Lexicon taught me how much fun trivia can be all over again.


To be fair: I’m biased. Words are fun. Not only have I been a writer my whole life, I have a lot of fun butchering the English language with my wife. I’m not above terrible puns or doubling an entendre or two.


So here’s me thinking that League of the Lexicon will be a breeze, and I’ll crush my foes, see them driven before me and all that. But League of the Lexicon is fun not only because it has a fun mixture of categories with clever questions, but also because it's challenging even for those who have spent a lifetime playing with the English language. 


Blue sign with white text: "Word Sauce" and "From the sidelines and leylines of language." "Never lost for words." Ornate border.
League of the Lexicon via Facebook

Let’s get right to the most important thing: the questions. What separates good trivia games from bad trivia games are the questions. Questions have to be fair–or unfair in a fun, clever way. They have to be difficult–but not too obscure or nitpicky. And they have to be fun while also giving explanations that might teach the player something they might not have known. Questions in League of the Lexicon run the gamut from etymology and spelling to pure trivia and grammar, and even when you've answered, are full of interesting tidbits that just enhance the experience.


League of the Lexicon does all of these things. But unlike games like Mind Trap, where I’ll eschew the entire game aspect just to read off trivia to my unsuspecting friends and family (sorry!) League of the Lexicon has compelling gameplay, and reminds me of the collecting aspect of Trivial Pursuit while removing the need for a board, and thus eliminating one of the aspects of that game I found tedious.


League of the Lexicon can be played between 2-6 players, or between teams of players. But if Jackbox Games taught me anything, it’s that any game can be turned into a large scale party game if you’re clever enough. However, I digress. The object of the game is for one player (or team) to collect 5 Artefacts and then answer one additional question to win the game. The rules are pretty much that simple. The artefacts’ symbols must match the symbols on your character card. Doubles don’t count, though they can be exchanged for a chance at a new artefact OR you can put together three unmatched artefacts to create one artefact that can match any symbol.  


The simplicity of League of the Lexicon makes it super easy to pick up even for board game novices, making it an ideal party game. There are even two difficulties: “Ticklish” and “Tricksy.” While you might think that an easier difficulty level would make League of the Lexicon too easy, you’d be wrong. These are definitely not so easy as to make the game unplayable. And you could even play against someone playing with the easier deck without feeling like they were at a huge advantage. 


Poster with bold text inviting lexicographers, etymologists, and word-lovers to join a linguistic board game by League of the Lexicon.
League of the Lexicon via Facebook.

The rules also have a few official variations, though I’m sure clever players can come up with their own house rules. Even though I’m usually a person with a co-op oriented mind, I found myself actually having more fun with the player-versus-player version. Winning feels great, but there’s just enough of an element of chance involved that it doesn’t sting to lose. However, you can up the ante with a variation of the rules that allows you to take other players’ artefacts–so if you have a gaming group that’s a little bit more player-versus-player oriented, you might find this great.


The artefact cards themselves are fun. Despite really only being as important as the artefact symbol, they're filled with beautiful illustrations of cheeky artifacts like Charlotte Bronte’s pet dodo (deceased) and Charles Dickens’ brain in a jar. 



League of the Lexicon deserves the hype that preceded it. It’s easily my favorite trivia game this decade. If you play it obsessively like we do, you’ll be happy to know that there are three expansion sets that released this week along with the base game, extending your word trivia possibilities substantially. 














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