Objective
To find the longest words on the board creating the highest score.
Letters must join in sequence, in any shape or direction, to form a word – letters may touch other letters in the word. The same letter cannot be used more than once for the word in play. Only one word per turn.
The Layout
The player is presented with a board of 104-tiles, each containing a letter of the alphabet or a blank tile which can be used for any letter. Tiles are distributed across 11 rows alternating between 9 and 10 tiles in each row. See example (Game #001) below:
Letter Frequency
(Tiles) x Per Letter
(12) E
(9) A; I
(8) O
(6) N; R; T; Blank (indicated as an asterisk)
(4) D; L; S; U
(3) G
(2) B; C; F; H; M; P; V; W; Y
(1) J; K; Q; X; Z
Game Card Number
Each official Shukuma© game created using a random-letter generator receives a game card number. The example in this document is Game #001. This enables players to compete and compare scores simply by referencing this number.
Grid Reference
The grid reference A-K, 1-19 (In the Example A2 = U; A4 = A; B1 = R; etc…) enables players to compare or check words based on the game number and grid reference. This allows for quick identification within competition environments.
Players
1-many of all agesPrepared puzzles can be played for fun by oneself or as a game with many opponents. Players can be individuals or teams.
How to Play
PUZZLE
1. Single or Multi-Player
When playing on your own or with others, each player is to keep track of their own score. Each player must be playing from the same game card. See ‘Scoring’ for details on how to score.
2. Game Variation (Determining End of Play)
The game variation is agreed by all players before the game commences.
Standard Play
All players continue until each player is unable to make any new words.
Time Limit
All players to agree on a time limit – e.g. 20-minutes.
Word Limit
All players to agree on a word limit – e.g. 20-words.
Score Limit
All players to agree on a score limit – e.g. 1,000-points.
Longest Word
All players agree to a time limit – e.g. 20-minutes.
ELECTRONIC GAME PLAY
As per Puzzle game play except acceptable words and scoring are determine automatically.
BOARD GAME
1. Elect the scorer
One person must be elected to keep score. See ‘Scoring’ for details on how to score.
2. Set-up board
Each player participates in laying out the tiles on the board. Tiles are first turned upside-down and shuffled. Then players each pick up a tile and place it on the board the right way up and so that all tiles are orientated the same. It is recommended that players take turns in placing the tiles down one next to another in a row. This will avoid any potential for cheating – e.g. attempting to make up words by strategically placing letters to a players advantage.
3. Choosing a player to start
The person or team who identifies the longest word at the start of play begins. Players can use the time during set-up of the tiles to consider their first word but should not disclose it. Once it has been determined who has the longest word that player must now disclose their word, pointing it out on the board. If the word is accepted by all players this is the first play.
4. Taking turns and determining end of play
Play is moved clockwise (next player is to your left) with each player or team taking turns to find a word.
If a player cannot find a new word, player must declare that they cannot find a word and miss a turn.
If all players can no longer find a new word then the game ends.
A time limit (E.g. 60-minutes) or maximum word count (20-words each) can be applied to determined end of play.
Scoring
The longer the word the more points you collect. Each letter doubles the points, with your first letter equaling 2-points: 2; 4; 8; 16; 32; 64; 128; 256; 512; 1024… therefore “STAR” would earn you 16-points - Example below <).
Find the same word more than once in the same turn to double your points (therefore “STAR” found twice in the same go would earn you 32-points - Example below <, three times would earn you 64-points, and so on).
Once play has moved to another player the same word cannot be used again during the same game, even if found in another place. This does not apply when playing alone.
Note down the grid reference of the first letter, the word, the score for this word and total points for the game so far.
For example:
Player 1
B9 STAR 16 / 16
If the word is found twice in the same play, it is recorded twice:
Player 1
B9 STAR 16 / 16
E14 STAR 16 / 32
The scorer must ensure that once a word has been played that it is not used again within the game.
Plurals of words cannot be played if the change is only 1-letter e.g. BOAT cannot be played again as BOATS; HELICOPTER cannot be played again as HELICOPTERS.
Plurals where the majority of the word is altered or extended can be played – e.g. GOOSE can be played again as GEESE; DIARY can be played as DIARIES, etc.
Acceptable Words
Depending on where the game is being played the official or recognized dictionary for that country determines acceptable words. Other acceptable words include names and places as written in your country’s official language.
Acceptable words for International games (players are not in the same country during game play) played in English must use the Oxford English Dictionary or an agreed alternative (to be agreed before play commences). It must be agreed before play commences to whether or not to allow Americanisms – e.g. COLOR (American) in place of COLOUR (English).
Winner
Generally the winner is the player with the highest score at the end of the game. Where age or ability varies considerably between players – e.g. Adults and children playing as a family – winning is based on how much an individual player’s score has improved since the last time they played as a percentage.
PUZZLE & ELECTRONIC GAME
The winner is dependent on the game variation played.
Standard Play
When each player concedes to not being able to make any new words, the game has come to an end and the player with the highest score wins.
Time Limit
At the end of the agreed time limit, the player with the highest score wins.
Word Limit
Once all players have reached the agreed word limit each, the player with the highest score wins.
Score Limit
Once all players have reached the agreed number of points each, the player with the least amount of words wins.
Longest Word
At the end of the agreed time limit, the player with the longest single word wins.
BOARD GAME
Play continues until each player cannot make any new words from the letters in play, the game has reached the maximum time allowed or each player has played the maximum number of words for the game.
The winner is the one that has the highest score at the end of the game.
© Copyright 2007, Matt Jones – shukuma@cranialscratch.com All Rights Reserved.
Recent Game Plays