WYPS
WYPS Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
Board
Game is played on triangular board with hexagonal spaces. The board has 13 spaces to a side. For quicker game is possible play on smaller triangle – ten or seven spaces to a side. Rules are the same for all sizes of game board.
Size of board determine length of game. Game on size seven has only 10-15 moves and lasts 5-10 minutes. Game on size 13 can have more than 40 moves – more than 30 minutes.
Stones
There are 91 stones with letters. Stones have two distinct sides, each side representing one player. On every stone is exactly one letter.
Letter distributions: 12xE, 7xA, 7xR, 7xS, 6xI, 6xT, 5xL, 5xN, 5xO, 4xD, 3xC, 3xG, 3xU, 2xF, 2xH, 2xM, 2xP, 2xY, 1xB, 1xJ, 1xK, 1xQ, 1xV, 1xW, 1xX, 1xZ
Game Preparation
Without looking into the bag, each of the players takes one stone out of the stone bag. Whichever player has the letter closest to the beginning of the alphabet will be have black stones. These stones are placed into the bag again.
Starting the game, each player begins their turn by drawing seven stones from the bag.
Example: The black player has letters O,A,C,S,S,F,L and white player has N,G,R,E,T,I,E.
Swap Move
The black player can now swap stones between players. Always must be swap all letters.
Example: Black decide to swap stones. Black has N,G,R,E,T,I,E and white has O,A,C,S,S,F,L now.
Game Play
Players create words from their letters and from letters on board. If player uses opponent's letters on board, she turns one letter from those stones on own side. Instead of create word is possibly put on board only one letter from rack. In move must be used at least one letter from rack. After move, letters are drawn to rack up to seven if bag is not empty. The first move makes the white player. If player create the word in straight line, she turn all used opponent's letters to own side.
Example: Position after white's first move CALF.
Game continues with the next player.
Example: Position after black's move INTEGRAL. Black used six letters from rack and two opponent's letters. She can turn letter L or A to black side. She decides to turn letter L to black.
Example: Position after white's move INTENSE. Because word INTENSE is created in straight line, all used four black stones are turned to white side.
Aim of the Game
Aim of the game is create group of stones connected to all three sides of game board.
Example: White played GAZE and connects all three sides of board. This move is called atari (attack). Black on move must break off this connection.
Example: Black's move DECAY break off white's atari.
End of Game
Game continues, while one player's group is not connected to all three sided of game board and opponent on move is unable break off it. Note, the corners are considered to belong to both adjacent sides.
Example: Black's move THIRD. After this move, white is not able to find next move. White resigns game and black is winner.
WYPS Variants
Quick Variant
The quick version is finished when first player connect all three sides of board. Game is played with six letters in racks.
Example: in the position shown, black player could play TEENAGER and won game.
Small Variant
WYPS is possible to play on any size of board, for example on size ten or seven.
Number Variant
This variant is not possible to play with standard English set of WYPS.
WYPS can be played in any language with proper distribution of stones. The number version is the version played with numbers instead of letters. Game is played on board with size ten and with six stones in rack. In game is 55 stones: 10x0, 9x1, 8x2, 7x3, 6x4, 5x5, 4x6, 3x7, 2x8, 1x9. Valid sequences are straights or sets of equal letters. For example: 0-1-2-3, 7-8-9, 5-5-5-5.