Objective

The objective of Scrabble is to score the most points by forming words on the game board using letter tiles.

Components

• 1 game board

• 100 letter tiles

• 4 tile racks

• 1 tile bag
  

Setup

1. Place the Game Board:

   • Lay out the game board on a flat surface.

2. Draw Letter Tiles:

   • Place all 100 letter tiles face down in the tile bag.

   • Each player draws seven tiles from the bag and places them on their tile rack.

3. Determine First Player:

   • Players can agree on a method to determine who goes first, such as drawing letters from the bag. The player with the letter closest to "A" goes first.
     

Gameplay

1. Forming Words:

   • Players take turns forming words on the board.

   • The first word must be placed so that one of its letters covers the center star square.

   • Subsequent words must connect to existing words on the board.

2. Placing Tiles:

   • Words can be placed horizontally or vertically.

   • Diagonal words are not allowed.

   • Each tile must be placed adjacent to an existing tile, forming a continuous word.

3. Scoring:

   • Each letter has a point value. The score for a word is the sum of the point values of its letters.

   • Some board squares have special point values:

     • Double Letter Score (DL): Doubles the score of the letter placed on it.

     • Triple Letter Score (TL): Triples the score of the letter placed on it.

     • Double Word Score (DW): Doubles the score of the entire word.

     • Triple Word Score (TW): Triples the score of the entire word.

   • If a player uses all seven tiles in one turn (a "bingo"), they receive a 50-point bonus.

4. Exchanging Tiles:

   • On their turn, a player may choose to exchange any number of their tiles instead of forming a word.

   • They place the tiles face down, draw the same number of new tiles, and mix the exchanged tiles back into the bag.

   • This ends their turn.

5. Passing:

   • A player may choose to pass their turn without playing or exchanging tiles.

6. Challenging:

   • If a player doubts the validity of a word, they may challenge it.

   • The challenged word is checked in a standard dictionary or agreed-upon word list.

   • If the word is valid, the challenger loses their turn. If invalid, the word is removed, and the player who placed it loses their turn.
     

Ending the Game

1. Game End:

   • The game ends when all tiles have been drawn, and one player uses their last tile, or when all players pass twice consecutively.

2. Final Scoring:

   • Players add up the points of their tiles.

   • If a player has no tiles left, they add the sum of the other players' tiles to their score.

   • If tiles remain on a player's rack, that sum is subtracted from their score.
     

Strategy Tips

1. Maximize Premium Squares:

   • Aim to place high-value letters on Double or Triple Letter Score squares.

   • Try to form words that use Double or Triple Word Score squares.

2. Use Common Prefixes and Suffixes:

   • Adding common prefixes (e.g., "re-", "un-") or suffixes (e.g., "-ing", "-ed") to existing words can increase your score.

3. Balance Your Tiles:

   • Try to keep a mix of vowels and consonants on your rack to make it easier to form words.

4. Defensive Play:

   • Place tiles in a way that limits your opponent's ability to use premium squares.

5. Keep High-Value Letters:

   • Save high-value letters like Q, Z, X, and J for opportunities to score big points.