The finals of the 2009 World Scrabble Championship are set. Reigning world champion Nigel Richards of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, will face Pakorn Nemitrmansuk of Bangkok, Thailand, in the best-of-five final round. Both players finished the three-day, 24-round preliminaries with identical 18-6 records. With a spread of +1854, Richards is ranked first. Nemitrmansuk's spread is +1388.

Rounding out the top five finishers were Dave Wiegand of Portland, Oregon; Marut Siriwangso of Samutprakarn, Thailand; and Komol Panyasophonlert of Bangkok, Thailand. Other countries represented in the top 10 of the 2009 World Scrabble Championship include Australia, Canada, England, and Scotland.

Wellington Jighere of Benin, Edo, Nigeria, who led at the end of the first day, finished in 11th place (15-9). Nemitrmansuk led at the end of day two. Richards went 7-1 on day three to earn his spot in the finals.

A new edition of Betrayal at House on the Hill is in the works and could be available by the fall of 2010. According to game designer Bruce Glassco, the second edition will feature a number of changes, including new haunts (along with revised haunts from the first edition), new item and event cards, and a new mechanic: hidden traitors.

The original Betrayal at House on the Hill was my pick as the #3 board game of 2004, so I am very much looking forward to the second edition.

Mattel's new Mindflex game, in which players are attached to a headset and use their brainwaves to move a ball through an obstacle course, is one of the season's most popular gifts. Many online and offline retailers are out of stock, and some copies are being offered for $50 or more above the list price of $99.95.

A similar game, also introduced this year, is the Star Wars: Force Trainer Set from Hasbro. It only allows players to move a ball up and down inside a tube -- but it is powered by the same kind of brainwave energy.

All across the U.S., families are gathering to celebrate Thanksgiving. If you're looking for some great games to play with your family today, Smilebox has some good suggestions. As they say, "Making sure everyone is happy and well-fed is no small feat, so when it comes to choosing after-dinner activities that everyone will enjoy, you'd better know what you're doing."

More Family Game Ideas:

• Top 10 Games for Family Gatherings
• Top 8 Games for 7 or More Players
• Top 10 Free Board Games
• Top 5 Family Card Games