Alfapet
Alfapet Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Setup
Decide how many tiles will be used during the game: six, seven or eight. Six tiles is a bit harder and eight a bit easier. Put all the letter tiles into the cloth bag and shake them. Each player draws the number of tiles you have agreed on and places them on their tile racks. If you want to play without special tiles, these should be sorted out.
Decide who will keep the score record.
Agree which inflected forms of words are allowed, for example whether you will use plural forms and the like. (See page 6, "Which words can I play?")
Each player draws one tile – the player who gets the highest score starts the game. Play then proceeds clockwise.
Starting the Game
On the first move of the game, player 1 must lay their word, either vertically or horizontally, so that the middle square of the board is covered. The points for the word are added together and entered in the score record. When this is done, the player takes as many tiles from the bag as they placed on the board. There must always be six, seven or eight tiles on the tile rack, depending on what you agreed at the start.
The next player must lay a word that is joined to the first one, either vertically or horizontally. (See the example on page 4.) The new letter tiles must form a complete word together with those already on the board.
The points for the word are added together and entered in the score record.
The first word is placed over the middle square.
Your Turn
Each time it is your turn you must:
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Lay out a word on the board using the letter tiles on your tile rack. You may only lay out one word, but several words may be formed at the same time.
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Calculate the score for the word or words that have been formed. Write the score in the score record.
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Draw new tiles so that you always have six, seven or eight on your tile rack.
How to Count Points
The value of each letter is printed at the bottom of each letter tile. (Blank tiles, black tiles and arrows give no points.) If the word does not cover any of the score squares below, the points for each letter are added together and the sum is noted in the score record. If the word laid out covers any of the squares below, the scoring is affected as follows:
Letter points: The value of the letter tile placed on these squares is multiplied by 2, 3 or 4, depending on which square is covered. These points are added to the other letter points for the word.
Letter points x -2: The value of the letter tile placed here is doubled and these points are then subtracted from the other letter points for the word.
Word points: Before you calculate the word points, any letter points must first have been added or subtracted. The value of the word covering these squares is multiplied by 2, 3 or 4, depending on which square is covered.
The letter and word point squares can only be used the first time a word is laid out. In the same way, you only subtract the minus points the first time the word is laid out.
If you lay out a letter that is part of two words, the points for that letter are counted in both words. This also applies if the letter lies on a score square (letter points x 2, 3, 4 or letter points x -2).
If you manage to lay out all your tiles at once, you receive an extra bonus. If you are playing with six tiles the bonus is 40 points, seven tiles give 50 points and eight tiles 60 points. The bonus is added last, after any letter and word points, or minus points, have been calculated.
Ways to Form New Words
New words can be formed in different ways:
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The new word LÅTA is laid at right angles to an existing word and uses only one letter of that word. This gives 7 points.
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An existing word (KABEL) is built upon with more letters so that a new word is formed (ELKABEL). This gives 12 points.
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A new word (ORO) is laid parallel to an existing word, so that the tiles next to each other form several new words. This gives 18 points: 5 for ORO, 5 for KO, 2 for AR and 6 for BO. As the example shows, new words must also be formed vertically for the move to be approved.
Special Tiles
You decide for yourselves whether you want to play with the black tiles and the arrows – they do not need to be included, but the variation possibilities are greater if you use them.
Arrows give you the opportunity to turn a word if you do not have room for it, or if you want to reach a score square. The arrow must be placed underneath, i.e. where the word changes direction there is both an arrow and a letter tile.
The arrow lies underneath where the word turns.
Blank tiles can be used as any letter you like. When you use a blank tile, you say which letter it is to be, and this then applies for the whole game. Blank tiles give no points.
Black tiles function as stop tiles. Begin your turn by laying a black tile after a word on the board. Then lay a new word, which is then separated from the other word. Choose between laying the word horizontally after the black tile or vertically below it. This may give you the opportunity to reach score squares. After your turn, no new word may start from the stop tile that has been laid.
The black tile separates your word from another word.
If You Get Stuck
You may exchange one or more of the tiles on your tile rack. How many you exchange is optional. Place the letter tiles to be exchanged into the bag, mix them up and then draw the same number of tiles as you put in. This counts as a turn and you may not lay out any word.
You may not move or exchange tiles on the board once they have been laid.
You may pass, i.e. miss a turn, even if you could lay out a word. If you want, you can agree that the game ends when all players have passed twice in a row.
Which Words Can I Play?
Most words are allowed except proper names, abbreviations and one-letter words. Use the Swedish Academy's word list (Svenska Akademiens Ordlista) if you are unsure – if a word is not included there, it is not approved in the game. Do not use the word list to get ideas for new words, only as a check on words already laid.
When Does the Game End?
The game ends when there are no more letter tiles, when no one can lay out any new words, or when all players have passed twice in a row.
Who Wins?
When all the letter tiles are gone and no one can lay out any more words, the points are added together. The point value of the letter tiles remaining on each player's tile rack is subtracted from that player's final score. The player with the highest score when the game ends has won.
Score Record
The back of the score record shows a picture of the game board. Here you can write down your game rounds, or note how far you have got if you want to interrupt the game. Real Alfapet enthusiasts may want to keep track of how many letter tiles of each kind have been used, and the record can be helpful for this.
Variants
Simplest variant: Alfapet can be played in many different ways. In the simplest variant only the letter tiles are used. The minus-point squares on the board function as ordinary squares without points.
More variation is gained when the special tiles are used. Together with the minus-point squares, Alfapet becomes more exciting than ever!
Theme variant: You can invent your own variation possibilities to enrich the game. For example, you can decide that the words laid out must concern a certain theme. You can also make a list of words to be laid out during the course of the game. The player who succeeds in laying out a word receives extra points.
Solo variant: Solo Alfapet is played, as the name suggests, by just one player. You play with one tile rack and try to beat your points from previous games. You can also play with two tile racks and act as opponents to yourself. Here it really is chance that decides which "player" wins, since you are working out the words for both of them. The rules are the same as for ordinary Alfapet. If you use a dictionary at the same time, you can try to lay the words that give the highest score.
Alfapet is a game you get better at the more you play. There are endless variation possibilities, and just as two crosswords are never the same, two Alfapet games never turn out the same. Just make sure everyone agrees on the rules from the start!
We hope Alfapet will give you many fun hours of play!