Quiddler
$11.95

Quiddler: The Short Word Game

Quiddler, is a beautiful word game with naturally smooth gameplay that plays fast. These are essentials for a successful game that few word games have. Using special cards, Quiddler draws on one's ability to combine letters into words. Players must combine their entire hand into words trying to use the highest point value letters. Quiddler challenges you to do this first with three cards (round one), then with four, on up to ten cards in the last round. A bonus is given for both the longest word, and the most words made by a player in each round. The average game takes 20-40 minutes.

The game works well for both beginning readers and accomplished word game players. Youngsters can enjoy Quiddler because players can win using short words. This results from the bonus for getting the most words in any round, which, of course, is obtained using short words i.e., zoo, is, of. On the other hand, accomplished word lovers are challenged because of the bonus given for the longest word in any round, as well as the aspects noted above.

Although it may appear that the person who knows the most words would consistently win, this is not the case when playing Quiddler. There is a visual perception aspect that draws on combining the cards with the highest points into the words rather than the first words a player recognizes. There is also an element of strategy. Players who win often don't go out at their first opportunity; on the other hand, sometimes they go out as soon as possible. Their actions are aimed at increasing their odds of getting either the long-word or the most-words bonus.

The solitaire rules included with Quiddler result in endless hours of word challenges for the single player. Although each game is quick to play (about 15-20 minutes), people have tended to play game after game.

Instructions

Ages: 8 to adult

Players: 1 to 8

Object: To obtain the highest number of points by combining the cards in your hand into words. The words must use two or more cards.

The Deck: The game consists of a 118 card deck. It contains cards from A to Z with special double-letter cards -- QU, IN, ER, TH and CL. Each card has a point value.

The Deal: Before each hand is dealt, the cards are shuffled. In the first hand of the game, 3 cards are dealt one at a time in clockwise rotation to the players. In each following hand, one additional card is dealt to each player; thus, the second hand has four cards; the third hand, five cards, etc. In the last hand of the game, each player is dealt ten cards. The complete game has eight hands. After each deal, the remaining cards are placed in the center as a stockpile, and the top card is turned over to start the discard pile.

The Play: The player to the dealer's left goes first. Play continues clockwise. Each turn starts with either drawing a card from the stockpile or picking up the top discard. The turn is completed by discarding one card. A player can only lay cards on the table when going out or, in turn, after another player has gone out.

When a player is able to go out (see below), the remaining players each have one last turn. Each remaining player, in turn, will either draw from the deck or pick up the top discard. The player will then lay down his/her words, and discard one card. He/she will count the points on the cards used to build words. Points on the unused cards as points against the player's total. A player cannot play on another player's words. The scorekeeper records the points and keeps a running tally.

The deal passes to the player on the dealer's left and the next hand is dealt, continuing until the eighth hand when there are ten cards in the hand. High score wins.

Going Out: A player can only go out during his/her turn. To go out, a player must be able to arrange all the cards in his/her hand into words of two or more cards with one card remaining. He/she lays the cards down and discards one card to go out.

Challenges: If any player does not believe that a word played is a bonafide word, then he/she may challenge the word. If the word is in the agreed upon dictionary and is an allowable word (see below), then the challenger must subtract the number of points in the word from his/her score. If the word is not in the dictionary, then the player must subtract the number of points in the word against his/her score. He/she does not get to rearrange the cards into other words.

Allowable Words: A dictionary should be chosen before the game starts. No proper nouns, prefixes, suffixes, abbreviated, or hyphenated words can be used. All words must use at least two cards.

Scoring: Each card is worth the value shown. In each hand, cards that are combined into allowable words count for the player; unused cards count against the player. In addition, there are two bonuses. The player with the most words in each round receives 10 additional points, and the player with the longest word receives 10 additional points. Both bonuses can go to the same player. When two or more players tie for a bonus, no bonus is given. Note: The bonus for the goes to the word that uses the most letters - not the most cards.

Solitare: Deal eight stacks of five cards face down. Then deal one card face up on each stack. Make a word from the eight cards showing. Remove the word. Then turn over the card on top of the stacks which have had cards removed. When all of the cards in a stack have been used, move a card from the top of any remaining stack to bring the number of stacks back to eight. The player wins if all 48 of the cards dealt are used in words. Allowable words are as stated above.

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