I received a copy of the electronic word game Scrabble Flash this week, and it is just as fun and addictive as I thought it would be after trying it out at this year's American International Toy Fair. The game is made up of five electronic blocks, each of which displays one letter. Using advanced "SmartLink" technology, the blocks recognize when a word has been formed.

Three games are programmed into the blocks of Scrabble Flash. In the first, players race to form as many words as possible in 75 seconds, sliding the blocks into position. The blocks also keep the time and score, telling players at the end of each round how many words they formed and how many were possible.

In the second game, players rush to find a five-letter word that uses all of the letters shown on the blocks. When a word is formed, new letters are displayed. In the third game, players to take turns forming five-letter words.

I was playing Scrabble flash within five minutes of opening the box and glancing over the rules. About an hour later, I let my wife take a turn. This is a simple, addictive game that fans of Boggle are very likely to obsess over. (In fact, outside of North America, it's known as Boggle Flash.) Scrabble Flash is available now; the suggested retail price is $29.99.

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The nominations for the 2010 International Gamers Awards' general strategy categories, have been announced. Games released from July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010, were eligible for consideration. The IGA is meant to recognize outstanding games, designers and publishers. Nominated games tend to be moderately heavy to heavy in terms of strategy, and they will generally appeal to more serious gamers.

This year's nominees are:

Charles S. Roberts, a pioneer in the game industry and the founder of Avalon Hill, has passed away. The 80-year-old died on Aug. 20 from complications of emphysema and pneumonia, according to an obituary in The Baltimore Sun. Roberts founded The Avalon Game Company in 1954; the company became Avalon Hill in 1958, the same year he published the war games Tactics II and Gettysburg.

Avalon Hill became one of the most significant game publishers in the world, and it is now owned by Hasbro. Since 1974, Roberts' name has been given to the Charles S. Roberts Awards, presented each year for excellence in historical war games.

Roberts also was a renowned railroad historian and the author of numerous books.

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In 2004, Avalon Hill / Hasbro published the semi-cooperative game Betrayal at House on the Hill. (You can read my interview with game designer Bruce Glassco here.) Now, much to my delight, we are on the verge of seeing a new edition released. And Matt J. Carlson, a columnist for BoardgameNews.com and GamerDad, recently unveiled what is in the new Betrayal box.

Betrayal at House on the Hill, which I ranked as the #3 game of 2004, is truly unique. Three to six players explore a haunted house, which is revealed by adding a new tile for each room you go into. Each player takes on the role of a specific character, and each character has specific strengths and weaknesses, physical and mental. Initially, the players work together as the house is revealed. But one of the characters betrays the rest of the party, and the innocent players must then defeat the traitor before it's too late.

In addition to the variable board, the game is different each time its played because of the 50 "Haunts" that are included. Which Haunt is used in a particular game depends on how the board develops and when the Haunt begins. The Haunts are the most unique part of the game, and they lead to some extremely memorable games.

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