Gift Words rules (no images)
Use your hand of 12 cards to make words of three or more letters in the same color.
Score points for yourself and an opponent when you add letters to their words!
Contents
100 letter cards split into:
30 each in red, green, and blue.
1 each for the rare, high-point consonants. These can be placed with any color
4 Silent E cards for younger players to use.
The following are rules for a basic game, recommended for your first play. See alterations for younger players, advanced rules and a solo game in those sections.
How to play
Remove the Silent E cards.
Shuffle the remaining deck, and deal 12 cards to each player.
Leave a space in front of each player for the words they make.
Put the deck face own in the middle. Leave room for a separate discard pile for each player.
Give each player something to track their score.
Agree on a game length (typically 4 rounds but you can agree to play a longer or shorter game)
The player on the dealer's left goes first. Play proceeds clockwise.
Taking a turn
Each turn consists of 4 phases:
1. Draw a card.
2. Extend a word (optional)
3. Make a word (optional)
4. Discard a card
You may choose to both make a word AND extend a word in the same turn.
1. Draw one card:
Take the top card from the deck, or from any discard pile.
2. Extend a word (optional)
Add letters to one existing word, including one of your own:
Cards must be the same color as the existing word, or black.
You may add letters anywhere in an existing word, but cannot change the order of cards already played. For example: CARE can become SCARE, CARVE, CARET, or SCARLET, but not CAPER.
Both you and the player who made the existing word score:
- 1 point per card added, PLUS
- The points on the added cards.
For example: CARE → SCARLET = 3 letters added (3 points) + card values S(2), L(2), T(2) = 9 points total
3. Make a new word (optional)
Make a word with at least 3 cards of the same color (or black) and place them on the table in front of you so that each letter can be seen.
Score the total of the points on the cards. Only one new word may be made per turn.
4. Discard a card:
Place a card face up on your discard pile.
Discarding is optional if you have three cards or fewer before discarding.
Round End
A round is over when:
· A player finishes a turn with no cards, or
· A player takes the last card from the deck and after that player ends their turn.
The player to the dealer's left deals the next round.
Winning
The winner is the player with the highest total score after the agreed number of rounds.
Note
The "Qu" card may be used as two letters, or by itself - either with a "U" from another card, or in the rare words where "Q" is not followed by "U".
Advanced Rules
Race to make 4 words to win!
Play as per the basic rules, with these exceptions:
· If you extend a word, draw a replacement card, for each card you added. Do this before making a new word.
· If you create a word using four or more cards, draw a replacement card for each card over three that you played.
Replacement cards may be taken from the top of the deck or any discard pile, including your own. If you need two or more, you may draw one and look at it before choosing where to draw the next.
You should always end your turn with 3, 6, 9, or 12 cards.
More words are made and changed in this variation. It can be more interesting, but it is more complicated. It will be easier to understand if you play the basic game first.
For Younger Players
Choose simple or mathematical scoring before play and remember to give each player something to keep track of points throughout their turn.
Set Up (2-3 players)
Give each player all 30 cards in one colour. Divide the cards of each player into vowels (AEIOU) and consonants. Shuffle each deck separately, then place them face up/down in front of their player. (You may choose to add one black card to the consonants.)
Each player draws 2 vowels and 4 consonants from their respective decks.
Set Up (4+ players)
Place the Silent E cards to one side face up/down. Shuffle each deck separately, then place them face up/down. (You may add any number of black cards to the consonants).
Deal 2 vowels and 4 consonants to each player.
Taking a Turn
You may do any number of the following, once per turn, in any order:
· Make a word with at least 3 cards of the same color and place them on the table in front of you so that each letter can be seen.
· Change a word by placing one card over any old letter, For example: BIG to DIG, BAG, or BIT
(INSERT EXAMPLE IMAGE)
· Add one or more cards to an existing word to make it longer. For example: PAT into SPAT, PART, or PATH.
(INSERT EXAMPLE IMAGE)
· Take a "Silent E" card from the deck and add it to the end of any word (including a word you just made or changed). It must change the sound of the word. For example: CAN to CANE, or STAR to STARE.
(INSERT EXAMPLE IMAGE)
To end your turn, discard any cards you didn’t use and draw 2 new vowels and 4 new consonants.
Simple Scoring
When you make a new word, score the total of the points on each card you played.
When you change or add to an existing word, only the player whose turn it is scores the points on the cards they played. Do not include the points from the existing cards in the word.
Mathematical Scoring
A new word scores the sum of the points on the cards, multiplied by the number of cards.
For example:C3A1T2 scores 3 + 1 + 2 = 6, multiplied by 3 letters for a total of 18
A changed word scores the points on only the new card(s), multiplied by the number of cards in the new word.
For example: Changing CAT to RAT scores 2 (for the R), multiplied by 3 letters for a total of 6.
Changing CAT to CHAT scores 3 (for the H), multiplied by 4 letters for a total of 12.
End of Round
With 2 or 3 players, a round is over when all players have had 5 turns.
With 4 or more players, a round is over when the last cards are drawn from the vowel deck and each player has had the same number of turns. If necessary, shuffle and add extra cards to both decks for remaining players to finish their turns.
Ending the Game
Play until each player has started a round, then add the score from each round, for each player, to find their total score. The player with the most total points from all rounds is the winner.
Solo Game
Remove the Silent E cards and shuffle the remaining deck.
Divide the deck in half, returning one half to the box.
Deal a hand of twelve cards from the remaining deck and another nine cards face down to make your reward stack.
Place the rest of the deck face down in front of you to form a draw pile.
Taking a Turn
Using the rules for a standard game, you may do ONE of the following on each turn. You do not need to keep score:
· Make a word, then refill your hand to twelve cards from the draw pile.
· Extend a word, then refill your hand to twelve cards from the reward stack.
· Discard one card face up, and draw another card from the draw pile.
Game End and Winning
The game ends when either the draw pile or the reward stack runs out. If you draw the last card from the reward stack before the draw pile is empty, you win!
Extra Challenges
Increase difficulty with any combination of the below! You must still draw the last reward card before the draw pile is empty, and, in addition:
· Play with as many as twelve cards in the reward stack.
· Have at least one word in each color, and have added a letter to at least one word in each color.
· Play at least one word that contains a black letter.
· If you discard without making a new word, draw another card from the draw pile and transfer one card from the draw pile to the reward stack.
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