Wordish

WORDISH (ΜΠΙΡΙΜΠΟΛΕΞΟ [Biribolexo] in Greek) is a word formation card game, in which sighted and visually impaired players can play together.

The aim of the game is to create as many words as you can and gain the most points.

First, shuffle the cards well, because they come in alphabetical order.

The dealer hands out 11 cards to each player.

He then prepares a biribaki (stack of 11 cards) for each player, or team of players (if there are 4). The biribaki are put to one side for the time being, and the remaining cards are placed in the middle of the table facing down. They are the ‘closed cards’.

To begin the game, the dealer draws a card from the stack of ‘closed cards’.

The letter of this card will receive double points throughout the game.

Each word can only contain one atout card.

A word must contain at least three letters.

The Atout cards represent any letter of your choosing, but have zero value.

Thereon, the player has a choice:

take one card from the stack of ‘closed cards’, or

Collect all the disposed cards, which face upwards and are visible; the ‘open cards’, but only if s/he can use at least one of these cards, (to either form a word or add letters to already formed words).

The player will form as many words as s/he can, which are deposited on the table.

Then, she/he deposits a card onto the stack of ‘open cards’ (or forms a stack of ‘open cards’ if there are none). This marks the end of his/her turn and the beginning of the next player’s turn.

The letters in the words created are ‘locked’ and cannot be used to form other words. It is however possible to add letters at the beginning or end of a word.

In teams of two, the players must sit opposite each other. One player is in possession of the team’s cards, whereas the formed words are placed in front of him/her.

It is only possible to move onto the second round and receive a biribaki, once the player or team has used all other cards and has completed a word consisting of 7 letters.

At the end of all the rounds, the players sum up the points they earned from the words they created, including any bonuses, and they deduct points lost from the cards they were unable to use, including any penalties.