Overview

SCRABBLE® is a classic word game for 2 to 4 players. The goal is to form interlocking words in a crossword style on the game board using letter tiles of varying point values. The objective is to score the highest total points by strategically placing tiles and taking advantage of premium squares. Total scores typically range between 400 and 800 points, depending on players' skill levels.

Game Components

• 100 Letter Tiles:

  • 98 alphabet tiles with assigned point values.

  • 2 blank tiles, which are wild cards with no point value. Players must declare the letter a blank represents when played, and it cannot be changed afterward.

• 4 Magnetic Tile Racks

• Magnetic Playing Board

• Tile Bag: Used for shuffling and storing tiles during the game.
  

Setup

1. Prepare the Tiles: Place all tiles in the bag and shuffle thoroughly.

2. Determine First Player: Each player draws one tile. The player with the tile closest to “A” goes first, with blanks counting as before “A.” Return the tiles to the bag and reshuffle.

3. Draw Tiles: Each player draws seven tiles and places them on their rack without revealing them to other players.
   

Gameplay Rules

Keeping Score

• Use three scoring markers for units, tens, and hundreds to track scores up to 799 points.

• Scores are updated after each turn.

Tile Exchange

• Players may forfeit their turn to exchange any or all tiles in their rack. Discarded tiles are placed face down, replaced with new tiles, and shuffled back into the bag.

Passing a Turn

• A player may skip their turn if unable to make a valid play.

• If all players pass twice consecutively, the game ends.

Placing the First Word

• The first player creates a word of two or more letters, placing one tile on the center star square.

• Words can be formed horizontally or vertically but not diagonally.

Forming Words

• Tiles must connect to previously placed tiles and form valid words according to the agreed-upon dictionary.

• Words may not include proper nouns, abbreviations, prefixes, suffixes, or those requiring hyphens or apostrophes.

Challenges

• Words can be challenged before the next turn begins. If a word is invalid, the player takes back their tiles and forfeits their turn. If the word is valid, the challenger loses their next turn.
  

Premium Squares

The board contains premium squares that increase point values:

1. Double Letter (light blue): Doubles the value of a letter placed on the square.

2. Triple Letter (dark blue): Triples the value of a letter placed on the square.

3. Double Word (light red): Doubles the total word score.

4. Triple Word (dark red): Triples the total word score.

Bonus points apply only on the turn the tiles are placed.

Scoring

1. Add up the point values of all letters in the word, including bonuses for premium squares.

2. If the word covers multiple premium squares, calculate letter bonuses first, then apply word multipliers.

3. Playing all seven tiles in one turn earns a 50-point bonus.
   

Ending the Game

The game ends when:

• One player uses all their tiles, and the tile bag is empty.

• No players can make a valid move.

• All players pass twice consecutively.

Final Scoring:

• Deduct the point value of unplayed tiles from each player’s score.

• The player who uses all their tiles adds the sum of all other players' unplayed tiles to their score.
  

Variants and Optional Rules

Recycling Blanks

• Allow players to replace blank tiles with the corresponding letter tile and reuse the blank.

Open Dictionary

• Players can consult a dictionary before making a play to learn new words.

Thematic Play

• Add extra points for words related to a chosen theme (e.g., Christmas or sports).

Double Bag SCRABBLE®

• Separate consonants and vowels into two bags, allowing players to choose which to draw from.
  

Solitaire SCRABBLE®

Try playing alone by:

• Competing against your previous scores.

• Using deliberate tile selection to achieve the highest score.
  

Duplicate SCRABBLE®

• In this variation, players all use the same tiles but compete to find the highest-scoring word in each round. Points are awarded based on individual boards.