How to Play Upwords

Upwords is a simple Scrabble-like board game, in which players use stacking tiles to spell words. You build words by playing letters across or down, like a crossword puzzle with the advantage of being able to stack letters on top of each other. It is the three-dimensional play that makes Upwords interesting and fun. Read on to learn how to play Upwords.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Two to four players
• Sixty or more minutes
• Pencil and paper for keeping score
• Dictionary for checking challenged words

Set up the Game

1. Divide the racks. Each player gets one.

2. Mix up the tiles. Place the tiles letter-side down and stir them, to mix well.

3. Draw a tile. Each player draws a tile. The player who chooses the letter closest to the letter A will go first. Then return your tile, face down, to the pile.

4. Pick more tiles. Each player pulls seven tiles from the pile.

Play the Game

1. Form the first word. This word must be made up of two or more letters and must cover at least one of the special game squares in the center of the board.

2. Place one or more letter tiles on the Upwords game board to make a new word. Your word must connect to the word already on the board, or it must change the word on the board to a new word.

3. Take turns. The game is played by working your way clockwise around the circle of players, creating and changing words on the game board.

4. End the game when all the Upwords letters have been played, or when none of the players can create any more words.

Win the Game

1. Add two points per letter tile for any word that is only one tile high.

2. Score one point per letter tile for any word that contains letters stacked two or more tiles high.

3. Use the "Qu" combination tile for two extra bonus points.

4. Win 20 bonus points for any word that uses all seven of your tiles.

5. Subtract five points for each tile that you do not play in the game.

6. Earn the most points to win the game.

Tips & Warnings

• You may challenge an opponent's word if you think it is misspelled or illegal. You must make your challenge before the next player takes his turn. Check the dictionary to decide if the word is legal or illegal. An illegal word must be removed from the Upwords gameboard, but the player may place a different word for his turn.

• There are a variety of illegal words in Upwords. They include: proper nouns, words using hyphens, words using apostrophes, abbreviations, prefixes, suffixes and foreign words.