Objective

The goal of Qwirkle is to score the most points by creating and extending lines of tiles with matching colors or shapes.

Components

• 108 Tiles: These are wooden tiles in six different shapes and six different colors, with three tiles for each color and shape combination.

• Score Pad and Pencil: Used to track players' scores.

• Tile Bag: Used to hold the tiles for drawing.
  

Setup

1. Tile Bag: Place all 108 tiles into the bag and mix them thoroughly.

2. Draw Tiles: Each player draws six tiles from the bag without showing them to the other players.

3. Starting Player: The player with the most tiles sharing a common attribute (color or shape) goes first. If there is a tie, the youngest player goes first.
   

Gameplay

Qwirkle is played in turns, and the game continues until all tiles have been played. The player with the highest score at the end wins.

On Your Turn

1. Play Tiles:

   • You may play one or more tiles from your hand to the board to form or extend a line.

   • A line can either be made of tiles of the same color with different shapes or tiles of the same shape with different colors.

   • All tiles played in a single turn must be part of the same line, although they can add to multiple lines.

   • Tiles must be placed adjacent to at least one existing tile on the board, following the matching rules (same color or shape).

2. Score Points:

   • You score 1 point for each tile in the line(s) you create or extend.

   • If your move completes a line of all six tiles (a "Qwirkle"), you score 6 additional points (12 points total for that line).

3. Draw Tiles:

   • After scoring, draw tiles from the bag until you have six tiles in your hand again.

4. End of Turn:

   • Your turn ends, and play passes to the next player clockwise.
     

Special Rules

• Creating Multiple Lines: If a tile you play is part of more than one line, you score points for each line separately.

• No Duplicate Tiles: No line may contain two tiles that are identical (same shape and color).

• Exchanging Tiles: On your turn, instead of playing tiles, you may choose to exchange any number of tiles from your hand with new ones from the bag. To do this, set aside the tiles you want to exchange, draw an equal number from the bag, and then return the set-aside tiles to the bag. Your turn then ends without placing any tiles on the board.
  

Game End

The game ends when the tile bag is empty, and one player uses all the tiles in their hand. This player earns a 6-point bonus. After the final scores are tallied, the player with the highest score wins the game.

Strategy Tips

1. Maximize Points: Aim to complete Qwirkles, but don’t give your opponents easy opportunities to do so.

2. Block Opponents: Try to place tiles that limit your opponents' options to form Qwirkles.

3. Tile Management: Keep a balanced hand with a variety of shapes and colors to give yourself more options.