Scrabble is about grabbing points by placing words on a 15 by 15 square grid board. Two to four players can play this game. Each one tries to score more points than the other, by making words on the scrabble board. Let’s learn more!

100 tiles constitute the letters bank. Out of these, 98 of them contain letters and 2 are blank which can be used as a substitute for any alphabet. Once played, the blank tile remains that alphabet until the end of the game.

Each alphabet carries certain points depending on its rarity and difficulty in using it.

Some squares on scrabble are premium squares. When a tile is placed on these squares, then the value multiplies by a factor or 2x or 3x. Certain squares multiply the value of only that tile and some others multiply the value of the whole word.

Double letter scores are light blue squares on the board. The value of the alphabet placed on this square stands doubled on play. Similarly, Triple letter scores are dark blue squares where the value of the letter on that square is tripled.

The light red cells are Double word scores. The points of the entire word are doubled when a player plays on any of these squares. Same applies for the dark red squares which are Triple word scores. Here, the points for the entire word are tripled.

Most importantly, the extra points that come while using these premium squares apply only once. The next time this tile is used by another player to make a word, the points will not be multiplied.

Starting the Game

Shuffle the tile bag and without looking, each player picks a tile each. The player who picks a tile closest to beginning of the alphabets plays first. A blank tile will be considered letter ‘A’. After the order of players is decided, replace the tiles in the bag.

Each player now draws 7 tiles each from the bag. When it is a players turn, he/she can play a word, exchange a tile or pass the turn onto the next player. A player can exchange one or all of the tiles in the rack. If this option is taken, the player cannot do anything else on that turn. He can choose to play a word only in the next turn. A player may also pass a turn but passing twice in a row ends the game.

First Move

A first player places a word on the centre star square of the board. This star acts as a double word score only for the first time. When the star square is used subsequently, it does not act as a double word score.

After the word is placed, the player draws new tiles from the tile bag until his tile rack reaches the number seven. In other words, draw new tiles equal to the number of tiles used from your in making the word. Play until all tiles from the bag are taken by the players and when one of the players finishes all tiles from his rack.

Fifty Point Bonus

When all 7 tiles in the rack are used in making a word, the player receives an additional 50 points bonus. Towards the end, when a player has less than 7 tiles in his/her rack, this rule does not apply.

Tallying Scores

At the end of the game, count the number of points from the remaining tiles on the rack. Deduct this number of the total score. The net score of after deduction of these points is the final score.

The person who finishes all his letters first has no deduction from his score. Instead, he is given a bonus, equaling the points from the remaining tiles on the rack of the other players. The player with the highest score wins!

Any word found in a standard English dictionary can be used. There are official scrabble dictionaries available online. Abbreviations, prefix and suffixes cannot be used. Words that require a hyphen, apostrophe or those that are spelled with capital letters cannot be used.

Intriguing indeed, don’t you thinking! Happy scrabble-ing!