Duplicate Ad-Lib Crossword Cubes Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• To Prepare the Game
• Object
• Play and Scoring
• Figure 1

To Prepare the Game

1. Each player takes a set of differently colored Ad Lib Cubes (13 to a set), an Ad Lib playing box, and a score sheet.
2. The timer should be placed in a convenient place so both players can see it.
3. The players play facing each other.

Object

Beat your opponent at his own game, using the same letters.

1. Each player opens his playing box so the lids are back to back; this will prevent opponents from peeking at each other's words.
2. Each player, in turn, takes the cup, puts his cubes into it, and rolls them into his playing box.
3. Before play begins, each player should check (√) the letters on his score sheet for the letters on the top faces of the cubes he rolled. If more than one of a letter was rolled, put a like number of checks beside the letter. By checking off the letters in this manner, the players can verify they were playing with the same cube facings at the end of the game.
4. When both players are ready, one says "go" and turns the timer over.
5. Both players now form words up and down in crossword fashion before the timer runs out.
6. Only words found in a standard dictionary are allowed. Proper nouns, people's names, abbreviations, slang and foreign words are not allowed.
7. There are two jokers (or wild faces) which are marked with a symbol printed as a diamond inside a small square. The joker can be substituted for any letter; however, it does not have any point value. If a joker is a common letter for two words, it must be the same letter in both words.

Play and Scoring

8. Only one grouping of crosswords is allowed. You cannot start an independent group that does not interconnect in some way with the master pattern. See Fig. 1.

9. A player may arrange his cubes in any way he wishes (except turning a cube over) while the timer is running. When the timer stops, both players must stop.

10. SCORING—Each player writes his crossword pattern with letter values on his score sheet without disclosing it to his opponent. He can now total the horizontal and vertical scores on the score sheet. Letters not used are deducted from the score.

    NOTE: letters used in common with vertical and horizontal words are counted twice in scoring—once across and once down.

11. When both players are ready, each closes his playing box, shakes it and passes it to his opponent. Shaking the box in this manner will mix up the cubes, but his opponent will have the same letters to work with.

12. "Go" is said again, the timer turned over and play continues as before until the timer runs out.

13. For the second round, the score is recorded on the reverse side of the score sheet and scored as before.

14. Carry over the total from the first side and the grand total of both rounds is your score for the game.

15. The player with the highest score wins.

Figure 1

Figure 1 shows the two patterns side by side, captioned "This ..." and "but not this". Only one grouping of crosswords is allowed (rule 8).

This ... (allowed; every word interconnects with the master pattern):

      P
  W   O
V A L E
  R   M
      S E A
          N

Words in this pattern: VALE and SEA across; WAR, POEMS and AN down.

but not this (not allowed; the group SEA with N below it does not interconnect with the master pattern):

      P
  W   O
V A L E
  R   M

        S E A
            N