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THE GAME REQUIRES STRATEGY, IMAGINATION, VOCABULARY, AND, SPELLING.
A dozen special wild (asterisk) tiles may represent one letter or a string of letters
Special Turn-To-Wild board squares transform ordinary letter tiles into wild tiles
Long words – words a dozen letters long or longer – become possible
Players are never without P*SIB*IES to consider
Opportunities for a high scoring play abound from start to finish
Even a bad tray of letters can be parlayed into a good score using the board’s Turn-To-Wild squares
Players may trade all their letters each turn
The bluff adds a whole new level of *RPL*ITY.
Asterisk tiles are not spelled out unless an opponent challenges
Any play incorporating asterisk tiles or Turn-To-Wild squares is a puzzle your opponent must solve or accept on good faith.
Players who rely on good faith too often, usually lose!
(Notes: Memorizing lists of short or odd words that no one uses is of little help. Please allow yourself 10 or more games to get reasonably good. It takes awhile for the mind to adjust its searching procedures to the ambiguities of the asterisk and to understand the complexitites of the tray/board relationship.)
CONVERT TO WILDWORDS!
If you would like to receive a complete, fully converted set, send a check for $75 instead.
If you have a question, ask
For a custom, super-nice board (WildWords or Scrabble), check out
Note: Scrabble is a registered trademark of the Milton Bradley Co., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. WildWords is in no way affiliated with Scrabble or Milton Bradley or Hasbro. WildWords is a different game created by Peter Roizen who reserves all rights to the game. Copyright (c) 2001.
The kit includes full instructions and rules, colored sheets to overlay the back of your Scrabble (tm) board insert, and precut, easy-peel, labels to attach to the Scrabble (tm) tiles. If you have a spare set of tiles (or attach the new letters to the back of the Scrabble (tm) tiles--not recommended), you can continue to play Scrabble (tm) by flipping the board. You can also get a complete set of Scrabble (tm) tiles from Hasbro for about $6.
(Note: a female friend of mine played the board version with some girlfriends adding the rule that the word must somehow be related to sex. She said it was very funny.)
GETTING
GOING
Played by two players though you may practice against yourself by pulling down the Play Menu and click on Start Practice.
TO RUN THE GAME -- Use your Windows Run Command.
Players operate under an overall Time Limit set by pulling down the Options Menu and typing the desired time limit.
Both players must be connected to the Internet. One player is designated the Host and the other is the Guest..
TO LAUNCH A GAME AGAINST AN OPPONENT:
Both players run the game
Decide together who will be the Host and who the Guest
If you are the Host:
(A) Pull down the Connection Menu,
(B) Select Connect,
(C) Write in your first name,
(D) Make a note of your IP Address (it's in the "Your IP Address" space),
(E) Press the Be Host button,
(F) Send an e-mail to your Guest, telling him/her your IP Address.(You're done! After sending that email, go back to the game and wait for word in the chat box that your Guest has made contact with you.)
If you are the Guest:
(A) Pull down the Connection Menu,
(B) Select Connect,
(C) Write in your first name,
(D) Paste or type the Host's IP Address into the "Host IP Address" space,
(E) Press the Connect to Host button.(You're done! Almost instantaneously, "Connected!" will appear in both players' chat areas.)
If you cannot connect, try reversing who is the host and who is the guest. Some anti-virus software and some networks prevent computers from serving as a Host--this is the more difficult task. Also, consider asking your service provider about why a Guest (or Client) cannot find and connect to your IP Host (or Server) Address..
When Host & Guest have successfully connected, the Host pulls down the Play Menu and selects Start Game vs. Connected Opponent. The computer gives you your first set of letter tiles and flips a virtual coin to determine who plays first.
GOOD LUCK TO BOTH OF YOU!
(Note: When two persons have connected, a few others may connect to the Host as guests to watch the game and use the chat feature. This is not perfectly implemented, but it is fun all the same.)
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PLAYING THE GAME
The Scoreboard indicates whose turn it is.
Asterisk Tiles:
The asterisk tile plays like a wildcard, It can stand for one letter or a string of continuous letters. The board also has 20 Turn To Wild squares. Any tile played on such a square becomes an asterisk tile.
An asterisk tile at the intersection of vertical and horizontal words can stand or one letter or string in the horizontal word and a completely different letter or string in the vertical word.
An asterisk tile can represent different letters on different plays. In short, the asterisk tile does not represent one or more specific letters except in relation to a single play.
Asterisk tiles have a point value of zero.
Trading Letters:
A player can trade all letters every turn, but a player can trade only when it actually becomes his/her turn and only one trade per turn is allowed. (Caution: when letters are traded the computer first puts all your letters back into the pot and then draws your new letters, so you may get one or more of your old letters back again.)
The Play:
When it is a player's turn, the player may play (by making a word on the board) or pass (press Pass button)...
To play (i.e., to make a word):
Click-and-hold on a letter in your tray, drag the letter to a square on the board, and release the mouse button. Repeat the process for all letters in your word.
Press the Play button to install the word on the board. The computer now asks you whether you wish to complete the play and displays the score this play will make.
If you press Yes, the computer will install your word on the board and give your opponent the opportunity to challenge your play.
If you press No, you can continue to look for the best play to make.
40 addition points are awarded to a player who uses all 7 tiles in a single play.
Challenges:
When a word is played, the computer asks the opponent if he/she would like to challenge.
If opponent presses No, the computer adds the word's score to the total score of the player who played it, and it becomes the opponent's turn to play.
If opponent presses Yes, the computer informs the player who played the word that a challenge has been made.
If the challenged words (there may be more than one) contain one or more asterisks, the player who played the word must at this point reveal what letter or letter strings asterisks represent in the words. The player need not reveal the content of asterisks tiles before a challenge has been made.
Use the chat utility to convey the letter content of asterisks. BTW, write chat messages in the field at the bottom of the chat board and the press the Send button. Messages will appear on the chat board.
Once the merit of the challenge has been determined, the player who challenged will click on whether the challenge succeeded or failed.
If the challenge succeeded, letters are removed from the board, and it becomes the challenger's turn. The word's player loses a turn.
If the challenge failed, the play remains on board, the score is awarded to the player, and it remains the player's turn. The challenger loses a turn.
Game End:
The game is over when one player uses the last of his/her tiles and none remain in the pot.
The total point value of the tiles held by the opponent is tripled and added to the score of the player who went out.
If both players repeatedly pass, the total point value of each player's remaining tiles is added to the other player's score.
SCORING
The computer automatically scores all plays and adds them to a player's total score.
The board is made up of regular and special squares.
Special squares may increase or decrease the score for a play. DOUBLE- and TRIPLE-letter squares increase the value of a letter played on them. DOUBLE- and TRIPLE-word squares increase the value of a word played on them.
Twenty Squares convert any tile played on them to an asterisk -- reducing the tile played to zero point value but allowing that tile to represent any letter or string of letters.
Finally, four special squares subtract from the value of a play as a whole.
The first play must cover the centermost square..
The program's scoring procedure is as follows:
1. Find all new words made
2. Figure the value of each new word made
3. Add those values
4. Make special adjustments for the play as a whole
For example:
The first player plays:
Only one word is played here -- FEND. It's not possible to make more than one word on the first play since all plays must be a contiguous string of tiles laid down in either a horizontal or a vertical direction. The first play is also the game's only play that need not attach to tiles already on the board.
The "F" is played on a Double The Letter square. Thus the initial score for the word is 2X5 (F) + 1(E)+ 1(N) + 2(D), which totals 14.
The "D" covers the centermost square which is a Double The Word square.
Thus the value for the play is 2X14, which totals 28.
The second player plays:
This player has made two words, DEFEND and STAINING.
DEFEND is worth 0 + 5 + 1 + 1 + 2, which totals 9 points. Since the FEND tiles were previously played, the second player is neither benefited nor penalized by special squares under FEND's letters.
To make STAINING the player took advantage of 2 squares that turn a tile into an asterisk -- thus also losing the point value for those letters.
The points for the word are 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 0 + 0 + 0, which totals 4.
Since the player placed the "T" on a Double The Word square, the value of the word is 2 * 4, which is 8.
Thus the combined value for the two words the player made is 9 + 8, which totals 17.
However, the player also covered a Lose 20 On Play square, which brings the total score to 17 - 20, or minus 3.
Of course, the player did this because it allowed him to collect the 40 bonus points for using all seven tiles in the same play.
The score for the play is thus -3 + 40, which totals 37.
The first player now plays:
This player has made 4 new words -- SO, TO, AX, and FOX.
SO is worth 1 point.
TO is worth 3 points. (The T was already played, so the Double The Word square under it does not count.)
AX is worth 8 points, but the X was placed on a Double The Word Square, which makes that word 16 points.
FOX is worth 9 points, but again the X is on a Double The Word Square, which makes that word 18 points.
The total score for the play is the total of all the new words made, 1 + 3 + 16 + 18, which totals 38 points.
There are no adjustments to this total since the player neither covered a Lose 20 On Play square nor used seven tiles in the play.
Of course when an asterisk is involved in a play you may never know exactly what word your opponent is actually making unless you challenge.
Bluffing
is an important part of playing WildW*rds. .
OTHER
Tile Distribution
There are 94 tiles in total ranging in point value from zero to nine.
The Dictionary and Allowable Words
Players may agree on one or more dictionaries prior to the start of the game. Generally, capitalized words, strictly foreign words, and abbreviations are not allowed.
A challenged player must always spell all words formed completely including all letters represented by asterisk tiles in all directions.
If the spelling offered by the player for any of the words formed is not in any of the dictionaries agreed upon (applying their conventions for regular endings), a challenge made against the word is deemed to be successful. It does not matter if the word was found at some other time in some other dictionary. It also does not matter if the same tile play could have corresponded to the correct spelling. What you spell is what you played, except as noted below.
If a player provides a spelling that does not correspond to the tiles he/she played (this can happen), that, too, is deemed to be a successful challenge.
Having some idea of the breadth of the Dictionary you are playing with—Encyclopedic versus Collegiate—is another factor that makes a game of WildWords interesting.
Accepted Terminology
THE BOMB – using all seven tiles in a play
HIPSWOP – High Point Short Word Opportunity (often played in the corners)
TD or TOUCHDOWN – a play incorporating both a TRIPLE-THE-WORD and DOUBLE-THE-WORD square thus yielding 6 times the word played
BLT – Bad Letter Trade (a problem for players who trade letters too often)
Some Tips
THE ASTERISK: The asterisk is the glue that holds a play together. Don't concentrate on the asterisk and what it might represent. There are just too many possibilities. Concentrate on the other letters and words that have those letters in the sequence you see.
STUPID MISTAKES: Always check your opponent's play and your intended play for a stupid mistake. Be especially careful when making a small adjustment to a play at the last second.
DON'T CHAT: In serious competition, never tell your opponent anything about a play until the game is over. It can only come back to haunt you.
PATIENCE: Just before you challenge, blink a few times, scratch your head, shake your head, anything, and then give yourself one more five second, fresh look at your opponent's play.
WORKS IN PROGRESS: Look at words on the board as works in progress and not completed words. Always consider the possibility of putting something ahead of or after a word already on the board (no matter how long it may be).
END GAME: Watch the number of tiles remaining in the pot. Leaving your opponent the chance to go out with you holding significant value in your tray is high risk in a close game. Remember, the value of your tiles is tripled and added to the opponent's score. Many a game has been won on the last play. Leaving one tile in the pot is generally a great idea though, obviously, only one player will be able to achieve it.
DEFENSE: Plays of over 100 points or more are not uncommon. Placing an asterisk on the outside edge and offering your opponent the chance to hit both the TRIPLE-THE-WORD and DOUBLE-THE-WORD is a move that is often quickly regretted. If you are going to put a tile on the outside edge, try to make it a tough one to use and try to cover the TRIPLE-THE-LETTER square. This will eliminate the chance your opponent can achieve 18 times the point value of a letter by putting it on the TRIPLE-THE-LETTER while spanning the TRIPLE-THE-WORD and DOUBLE-THE-WORD squares.
QUICK TRAY ASSESSMENT: Learn to quickly assess the quality of your tray in conjunction with the opportunities on the board. It's not just about the tray, it's also about the board. For example, there are a lot of points available in the corners by forming multiple words with high point letters--especially with an asterisk adjacent to a TRIPLE-THE-WORD. If you don't have a high-point letter, a trade might be justified. Thinking about your tray for 2 minutes and then deciding to trade letters will always bring a smile to your opponent's face.
BEHIND OR AHEAD: Play the game differently when you are behind by a significant amount versus when you are ahead by a significant amount. When behind, you have to push the envelope and try to chip away at the lead. Your opponent will be hesitant to challenge and risk losing a turn. Also, choose HIPSWOPS over BOMBS to conserve tiles in the pot and thus lengthen the game. When ahead, you have to be conservative, but your opponent knows that and will try to exploit it. When ahead, definitely close out high point areas available on the board. Also, don't concern yourself with the margin of victory. That is an ego trip that can cost you the game. Many comebacks of 200 points or more would not have happened if the eventual loser had just played to win without trying to show-off.
WASTE YOUR OPPONENT'S TIME: All things equal, make words with odd combinations of letters in them that are difficult to guess. Most players like to recognize an opponent's play as a valid word before turning their attention to their next play. You may even draw a challenge if you are lucky. Also, it is sometimes good strategy to make a quick play and shift the clock back to your opponent. Clock management is extremely important, because more time makes for greater points. Having six or seven minutes more than your opponent will pay off down the line.
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT: Some players never bluff. Some players hardly ever challenge. As far as your own play is concerned, vary it. Don't get figured out. Also, understand the game situation and your opponent's psyche. No player, for example, feels like following a failed challenge with another challenge.
TEMPO: The game sometimes has a positional tempo to it. You may find yourself consistently opening up a good spot for your opponent which he then closes off for more points than you achieved. In such cases, you should consider a defensive play to break the tempo and hopefully turn it in your favor.
Credits
I would like to thank my brother and current World Champion, Ron Roizen, for help in developing and testing the game, and for advancing the science of WildWords with incredible insights into how best to play it.
I would like to thank my sister, Heidi Roizen, for casting the deciding vote on the Tahoe Cup Competition Committee that allowed WildWords to replace the game we previously played at our family championship. She also introduced the straight-faced bluff as a winning strategy in conjunction with relying on the abilities of her opponent to find the word that she could not.
I would also like to thank my nephew and Internet Winter Cup Champion, Ezra Roizen, who completely pooh-poohed the whole idea. His total turnaround in terms of enthusiasm for WildWords has been a source of great satisfaction.
Editorial
I don't play Scrabble anymore. I have nothing against the game. When played by excellent players, the board can be a thing of beauty even if it looks to me like the game was played in a foreign language.
Memorizing lists and studying is not, however, something I enjoy--especially not in support of a leisure time activity. When I played a lot of chess, I did not bother to study the openings either. That seemed more like work than fun.
WildWords is about giving an undisciplined enthusiast the chance to make a creative and brilliant play even if he or she has not done their homework.
I also believe a great word game should include the chance to play every word in our rich language.
I hope some of you will find the same sense of challenge and joy that I do in playing this game.
Peter Roizen
Related Keywords: WildWords Wildw*rds Crossword Game Play Online Internet Fun Free Dictionary Vocabulary Puzzle Anagram Networdz