Boggle

01Discover the game

Boggle transforms a square of letters into a word hunt. All players look at the same grid and write simultaneously, but only the words that they are the only ones who have scored points for them. So you have to search quickly, check the paths and try to see what others will not have noticed.

We follow Boggle Classic French Hasbro C2187, 2017 notice: sixteen cubes in a grid 4 × 4, 90 seconds rounds and scale according to the length of the words. The commercial description sometimes summarizes the score differently; the scale of the booklet here makes reference. The traditional three-minute variant is explained separately. The overall difficulty is Difficult: vocabulary, visual search and mental check of the paths require a real practice. You can play alone or several; allow 10 to 20 minutes for a short series, depending on the number of rounds chosen.

02Equipment

The C2187 hardware includes a grating tray with lid, sixteen letter cubes, a 90-second hourglass and the record. Each player needs a pencil and a sheet, not provided. A dictionary chosen by the table allows to resolve disagreements after the handle, not to look for words during the game time.

The faces of the cubes are not replaced by letters drawn arbitrarily: they are part of the edition. A cube bearing Qu represents the two letters Q and U for the length of the word, even if it occupies only one square in its path. The large Boggle grids of 5 × 5 or more do not automatically use the same minimum letters or the same scale.

03The goal

Find and note the most valid and personal words before the end of the hourglass. A word common to several lists is deleted from all the people who wrote it; it does not return to the one who says that he found it first.

The number of words and their length count. A single long word can exceed several short words. There is no bonus for a word only thought but not written, nor for a different definition of a word already noted under the same spelling.

04Prepare a series

Decide before starting the number of rounds or a target score. For a discovery, five 90-second rounds are suitable: this choice is a proposal of format, not a mandatory duration of the booklet. Choose the reference dictionary and announce how the accents of words will be treated on unemphasized cubes; for this table, the French words are written correctly on the sheet and the letters of the grid represent their accented variants.

Check that the sixteen cubes are in the tray. Put the lid back, shake and shake until a cube is placed in each unit. Put the game in the center, without trying to correct the grid by hand. Keep the leaves hidden from the neighbors. When everyone is ready, turn the hourglass and remove the lid to reveal the letters.

05Form words without cheating with the path

Travel permits

A word uses at least three letters. Successive cubes must touch one side or one corner: horizontally, vertically or diagonally. The path can change direction between two letters; it is not obliged to remain on a straight line.

The same cube can only be used once inside a word. You can then reuse it in another word. Two cubes bearing the same letter are two different positions: using an E twice is possible only if the path passes through two separate E cubes.

You don't jump over a box and you don't follow the path on the opposite edge of the board. A letter in the grid somewhere isn't enough; it must be close to the previous one at the right time.

What words do you have to accept?

The notice allows words in a dictionary, including their bent forms such as singulars and plurals, or conjugated verbs. Proper names are not allowed. If you mark a word inside another, write it separately to be able to count it: UAE is not automatically entered because you wrote FAT.

The same word found by several paths only counts once on your list. The same word with two different meanings does not count twice either. Really different words like RUES and RUES can both report if each one is on the list and has a legal path.

Abbreviations and graphs discussed must be processed according to your dictionary and an agreement announced before departure. Do not create a vocabulary exception because a player would need it on the count.

Write to signal

Everyone searches and notes at the same time. We do not read the lists of neighbours, we do not move the cubes and we do not announce the words aloud. At the end of the hourglass, stop writing. For beginners, designate a person who monitors the end while playing; the signal must be common.

Then read the lists. When a word is announced, the others report if they are also written. Remove it from all the lists concerned. For a disputed word, show the path on the grid without moving the cubes and check the spelling in the dictionary if necessary.

The three-minute variant and the solo

The booklet allows you to play traditional three-minute rounds: return the 90-second hourglass for a second time when it ends. This is not an individual bonus; all have the same time. Choose this format before revealing the grid.

In solo, try to beat your personal score. There is no opposing list to eliminate; only keeps your valid words. Preferably compares the results obtained with the same search time and dictionary.

06An example of a path

Imagine the first line of a grid: C, H, A, T. The word CHAT can follow these four adjacent boxes. If an S is located just below the T, CHATS follows the same beginning and then descends. Each letter uses a separate box; the two words can be noted separately.

In this same theoretical grid, if the only second A is far from the T without a suitable intermediate box, one cannot make a word by simply taking it because one sees it. To check a path, state the positions in order rather than only show the scattered letters.

On count, Alice and Bob both wrote CHAT: each raye it. Alice alone wrote CHATS and a six-letter word; she then scored two points for CHATS and three for the six-letter word, five. CHAT's score is given to no one.

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07The scale and victory

After the checks, count only the valid words that remain unique. Three or four letters give one point; five letters give two; six give three; seven give five; eight or more letters give eleven. The cube Qu represents two letters in this calculation.

Add the rounds according to the advertised format. The person in the largest total wins. If you have chosen a target score, finish the common round before comparing the totals; don't stop as soon as a person thinks they have enough words. On final tie, you can share the victory or plan an extra round before the start of the series: this selection is a table convention.

08Frequent errors

• Reuse a box in the same word.
• Skip a cube or connect distant letters without any neighbourhood.
• Write a prohibited own name.
• Keep a word also written by an opponent.
• Count twice the same word with two definitions or two paths.
• Give a point to all words systematically despite the booklet's scale.

09Tips for starting

First look for small groups of common letters, then extend them. When you write a singular, see if the plural is actually possible. Check the long words immediately: a repeated letter unintentionally can cancel a beautiful result.

After a run, take a minute to show a path that others hadn't seen. It's a vocabulary exercise, not just speed. To compare your progress, keep a few scores with the time used; going from 90 seconds to three minutes greatly changes the result.