In this TAS, I play Scrabble against an AI on Grandmaster difficulty and win by a score of 1504 to 383. The actual score if calculated correctly was 2145 to 383, but the software can’t properly score a word that spans all three triple-word-score spaces.

No temporary encode available right now because I couldn’t get Bizhawk to make one with the correct 4:3 aspect ratio.

I use an elaborate setup to play OXYPHENBUTAZONE across three triple-word-score tiles, with the Z on a double-letter-score tile, which should give me 1562 points but only scores 914 because of a bug. Either way, this is more than the record for any human playing an entire game of Scrabble, which was 850 points by Toh Weibin. I also play FIREWORM across two triple-word-score tiles for 230 points, and have four other bingos with RAVENED, OOPHYTES, COENAMOR, and OBEDIENT.

I needed to use luck-manipulation to draw seven tiles that could put an E on the 12th column to set up my next play. Playing all seven tiles during one turn is called a bingo, it scores 50 bonus points, and it will be used often during this run. I play RAVENED (ate ravenously) for 74 points, placing the second E just where I need it. After the first turn, I can finagle the tiles to pick up precisely the letters I want, provided they’re still available. I can’t control exactly what tiles my AI opponent will draw, but I can luck-manipulate them to make sure my opponent won’t block my plans or draw any of the rare letters I need. This is the only video game adaptation of Scrabble I found where the tiles drawn can be manipulated, it uses a proper dictionary, and it can somewhat accurately calculate the score when a word spans three triple-word-score tiles.

The AI responds with VROUW (a Dutch woman) for 16 points. Strangely, the US Scrabble dictionary allows European ladies like Vrouw, Madame, Senora, Senhora, and Signora, but not the similar German word Frau. Scrabble can be arbitrary as to what is and isn’t considered a real word.

I play OOPHYTES (stages of development in certain plants) for 76 points. There are only two Ps in the game and the AI started with one of them, so I use a blank to replace the other. I’ll need a real P later. After my play, the Grandmaster AI sees the potential play of Z to play “zoophytes” and create a four-letter Z-word into the triple word score. It would like to block that square. However, I luck-manipulated it to draw the letter J, so it prefers to score 36 points by playing JULEP (a type of sweet drink) with the J on a triple-letter score.

My next play is COENAMOR (to fall mutually in love) for 70 points. This is one of few words compatible with the massive play I’m trying to set up along the top row. Another option is “hoosegow”, but the AI could easily respond by playing on one of the triple-word tiles I need. After this word, I draw the rare letters I want for my big play – X, Z, P, and H – to stop the AI from drawing them. I manipulated the AI so that its next three turns will score a lot of points at a safe distance from the top row of the board. It scores a bingo with KAURIES (a type of New Zealand tree) for 92 points.

I play UTA (a genus of lizard found in Utah) for 11 points to set up the top row further, while blocking easy access to the central triple-word-score tile. The AI uses the bottom left triple-word tile and plays KATA (a martial arts routine) for 24 points.

I play ECRU (a shade of beige) for 6 points. The AI plays FINAGLE (to achieve something by devious methods) for 81 points. Normally it would try to block my setup on the top row, but it opts to play a high-scoring bingo instead.

I play ON for 4 points. The AI plays AGLITTER (glittering) for 59 points, its third consecutive bingo.

I play HEN for 8 points, and my setup is almost complete. The AI completes my setup for me by adding two letters to the end of an existing word, forming COENAMORED for 34 points.

I play OXYPHENBUTAZONE (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that has been withdrawn for forty years because of severe side effects) for 914 points, the highest-scoring word available in Scrabble. It spans all three triple-word-score tiles, with the Z on a double letter score to also form ZOOPHYTES (invertebrate animals resembling plants). Instead of multiplying my score for oxyphenbutazone by 27, the game only multiplies it by 15, so it awards me a total of 914 points for this play when I should have received 1562.

I no longer had to feed the Grandmaster AI good letters to keep it away from my improbable setup. It meekly plays RADII (the distances from the centres of circles to their outsides) for 21 points.

I play FIREWORM (a venomous marine worm) for 230 points, using the one available triple-triple spot for a 9x multiplier. The AI responds with SCAG (slang for heroin) for 35 points, and now there are no letters left in the bag. The next player to use all of his letters will end the game.

I play OBEDIENT (willing to follow authority) for 96 points. It should score only 89, but a bug makes the words “double word score” appear for no reason and give me an extra 7 points. I’ve played all my tiles, so the game ends and I get extra points equal to the value of my opponent’s remaining tiles. The AI was holding onto Q, I, I, L, O, S, giving me 15 more points. The game briefly displays a trophy for my win and then rolls credits.

Screenshot suggestion: Frame 14630