Word Skill — Game Play & Rules
Word Skill is a round-based word game played on a 15×15 board, similar to Scrabble®. Every round, all players receive the same 7 letters simultaneously and compete to form the highest-scoring word. The winning play is placed permanently on the board, building a shared crossword over time.
Each Round
- The game starts as soon as it's created, so the creator can play round 1 right away. Invited players can join any time until the game ends, starting with 0 points, and round 1 waits up to 24 hours for pending invitations.
- Each round, everyone sees the same Start Round n button. Tap it when you're ready — your 7-letter tray appears and your personal timer starts immediately. Each move is timed: you get 2 minutes 30 seconds.
- Play your word (or pass) before your timer ends. Other players may still be on their own clocks.
- When the last player finishes (or the whole-round deadline passes), scores are compared for that tray and the winning word is placed on the board.
- When different plays tie for the most points, the play made in the least time stays on the board, but all of them get the same score.
- The next tray is dealt right away; everyone gets Start Round n+1 again. Push notifications when a round is ready are planned.
The Board
The first play of the game must cross the center ★ square. After that, every word must connect to at least one tile already on the board.
Words are validated against the NSWL 2023 Scrabble® dictionary — the same list used in competitive Scrabble® tournaments.
Bonus Squares
- 3W Triple Word — multiply the entire word's score by 3.
- 2W Double Word — multiply the entire word's score by 2.
- 3L Triple Letter — multiply that letter's value by 3.
- 2L Double Letter — multiply that letter's value by 2.
- ★ Center — doubles the word's score for the first play of the game.
Bonus squares only apply to newly placed tiles — tiles already on the board score at face value.
Scoring
- Look up the value of each letter in the word.
- Apply any letter multipliers (2L or 3L) to the relevant tiles.
- Sum all the letter values to get the word's base score.
- Apply any word multipliers (2W, 3W, or ★). Multiple word multipliers stack multiplicatively.
- If you used all 7 tiles, add a 50-point Bingo bonus.
Example: QUIZ on a Double Word square with Q on a Triple Letter square — Q(10×3) + U(3) + I(1) + Z(10) = 44, then ×2 = 88 points.
Blank Tiles
A blank tile (shown as ★ in your tray) can stand in for any letter but scores 0 points. When you place a blank on the board you'll be asked which letter it represents. There are 4 blank tiles in the game.
Playing vs. Gramma Ana
Gramma Ana plays as soon as each round opens, submitting her move before you do without ever seeing yours. As you get better, she gets better, ensuring every match is a tight, competitive battle tuned right to your level. Sometimes she'll play a solid everyday word, sometimes a clever high-scorer, and now and then, she'll pull out the single best move available. The more you play her, the more she'll understand your level, resulting in better and better games.
A tie always goes to you, for a round and for the game.
Ending the Game
The game ends when the letter supply runs low (fewer than 7 letters remain in the pool) or the board is full. The player with the highest total score wins.
Letter Values
There are 100 tiles in total.
| Tile | Value | Per game |
|---|---|---|
| A 1 | 1 pt | × 12 |
| B 3 | 3 pts | × 4 |
| C 5 | 5 pts | × 3 |
| D 2 | 2 pts | × 6 |
| E 1 | 1 pt | × 15 |
| F 4 | 4 pts | × 3 |
| G 2 | 2 pts | × 4 |
| H 4 | 4 pts | × 4 |
| I 1 | 1 pt | × 11 |
| J 10 | 10 pts | × 2 |
| K 5 | 5 pts | × 2 |
| L 2 | 2 pts | × 5 |
| M 3 | 3 pts | × 3 |
| N 1 | 1 pt | × 8 |
| O 1 | 1 pt | × 10 |
| P 3 | 3 pts | × 3 |
| Q 10 | 10 pts | × 2 |
| R 1 | 1 pt | × 8 |
| S 1 | 1 pt | × 7 |
| T 1 | 1 pt | × 9 |
| U 3 | 3 pts | × 5 |
| V 5 | 5 pts | × 3 |
| W 4 | 4 pts | × 3 |
| X 10 | 10 pts | × 2 |
| Y 4 | 4 pts | × 3 |
| Z 10 | 10 pts | × 1 |
| ★ 0 | 0 pts | × 4 |
Tips
- Look for high-value letters (J, Q, X, Z = 10 pts) on Triple Letter squares.
- Extend words already on the board to land on bonus squares.
- Using all 7 letters earns 50 extra points — always worth checking for.
- You can shuffle your tray letters to see them in a fresh order.
Your Rating
Your rating is two numbers: your average game score and your average word score, shown as "game / word".
- It counts your last 20 games played to the end, with friends or with Gramma Ana. Games that ended because players left don't count.
- Your two lowest-scoring games of those 20 are dropped.
- Recent games count more than older ones.
- Until you finish a game, you're unrated.
Dispute a Word
Think a word should be allowed that isn't, or shouldn't be allowed that is? Dispute a word and we'll review it.
About
Word Skill was originally designed by David Dunn and Nat Dunn. Read the Hamilton College feature.