Number of Players: 2-8 players (some variations accommodate more)

Objective: Be the first player to use all the letters on your tile rack to create a valid word grid and call "Bananas!"

Components:

• 144 letter tiles (including blank tiles)

• Bag for shuffling the tiles
  

Setup:

1. Place the Tiles:  Put all the letter tiles face down in the bag and mix them thoroughly.

2. Draw Your Tiles:  Depending on the number of players, each player draws a specific number of tiles face down (usually 21 for 2-4 players, 15 for 5-6 players, and 11 for 7-8 players). Keep your tiles hidden from other players.
   

Gameplay:

The game is played simultaneously, with no turns or set order. Here's what happens:

1. All Players Start Together:  On a pre-determined signal (like a shout of "Split!"), all players simultaneously turn their tiles face up and begin arranging them to form words on their playing surface (which can be a flat surface or a special Bananagrams tray).

2. Building Your Grid:  Words can be formed horizontally (left to right) or vertically (top to bottom). They must connect to other words in your grid (like a crossword puzzle) by sharing a common letter at the intersection. You can rearrange your words on your playing surface as often as you like during the game.

3. Using Blank Tiles:  The blank tiles can represent any letter you want in your word. Just remember what letter you assigned to the blank tile for future reference.
   

Winning the Game:

1. Shouting "Bananas!":  Once you have used all your letter tiles to create a valid word grid with no spelling errors, be the first player to shout "Bananas!"

2. Verification:  All other players stop building their grids and check the winner's grid for any spelling mistakes. You can use a dictionary to verify if necessary.

3. Valid Grid Wins:  If the winner's grid has no errors, they win the game!
   

Additional Notes:

• Fast and Furious:  The game can get quite competitive as everyone races to use their tiles.

• Proper Nouns & Abbreviations:  These are not allowed in your word grid. Only build words found in a standard dictionary.

• Simultaneous Play:  There are no turns in Bananagrams. Everyone plays independently until someone shouts "Bananas!"

• Multiple Winners:  If two or more players call "Bananas!" simultaneously, the player with the longest word in their grid wins (optional rule, you can establish a different tie-breaker beforehand if desired).

• Playing with Fewer Tiles:  For a shorter game, you can draw fewer tiles per player at the beginning.