Melee - Word Search Game

As a programming librarian, this summer I needed to come up with a way to make our adult library program have different types of virtual offerings, and one thing I did was build a virtual Boggle-style word search game. Patrons could play once per week for a secret code for a Beanstack grand prize drawing ticket.

I decided to get staff involved by asking them for 16 letters with vowels at standard intervals. However, if I were to do this again, I would create letter blocks with more common letters and more vowels! It must be ingrained in humanity to not repeat letters and to use the more obscure letters when asked for a letter chain...for instance, I had one librarian give me a letter chain with three Js and only two vowels at the end!

Welcome to Melee!

This was my first time using Inkscape, because I was determined to make a Boggle-style logo with falling dice.

Welcome to Melee!, the virtual game from Bellevue Public Library where you get a ticket for the Imagine Your Story adult library program grand prize drawing basket of your choice, just for searching for words hidden in the Melee board.

ENTER THE CONTEST!

Give yourself 60 seconds to search for words from these 16 letter strings--how many can YOU find? (Thank you to BPL staff for providing lists of 16 random letters used in these Melee boards!)

HOW TO PLAY:

* Set a timer for 60 seconds.

* Write down as many words as you can find--the letters must touch: horizontally, vertically, and/or diagonally.

* Words can flow in any direction, but a single tile can only be used once per word.

* Type your list here.

* Hit submit!

* Note the secret code on the screen after you submit.

* Go to Bellevue.Beanstack.org and enter the code in the correct activity to receive a virtual "grand prize ticket".

* You will have from Tuesday, August 18 to Monday, August 24 to enter using this board. There will be a new board each Tuesday throughout the adult library program.

WINNING:

At the end of the game, you will find a Secret Code to enter into our new adult library program tracking software. Note the code, then enter it into your Beanstack account to get a ticket, then choose which Grand Prize Basket you would like a chance to win. This Melee board expires Aug 24 at midnight-ish.

Thanks for playing--we hope you had fun! The boards are provided by asking library staff for a random string of letters, so each week the level of difficulty will vary.

ELIGIBILITY:

You do need to have a Bellevue Library Card in order to win (but feel free to play for fun even if you are out of the area!).

Library staff and board members may also play but are ineligible to win a prize (other than bragging rights!).

The Melee game board blank!

The Melee example from a librarian who refused to give me vowels