Quiddler

A Fast Paced, Highly Addictive Word Game

What do you get when you cross the game of gin rummy with scrabble? Quiddler! — a fast paced card word game that is suitable for ages 8 and up, educational, fun, and highly addictive.

Quick Quiz


How Many
Did You Know?

Flashcards like these are my favorite way to learn new words. There are quite a few programs and courses out there you can use to build your vocabulary this way, but if you want to know my absolute favorite Click Here.
Designed to even the score between those younger players who are just acquiring a vocabulary and those English professor types that know all the big words, this game is a free for all of words, laughter and excitement.

About Quiddler

Quiddler is a word game created by Set Enterprises designed for 1-8 players where you use cards that you have drawn to form words and score points something like Scrabble but, minus the board and with a lot of twists and turns.

While winning does have something to do with the luck of the draw, it is mostly about strategy and knowing when to play those big and little words.

Since 1998, this game has won a ton of awards, including the MENSA select award in 1999. In 2008 it was rated as one of the top 10 most wanted card games.

Part of what makes this game so popular is that you can play it almost anywhere at any time. You don't need a computer, a playing board or a game console. Just the deck of Quiddler cards, a pen and paper and a standby dictionary.

How The Game Is Played

The deck of Quiddler playing cards consists of 118 cards, all with one or two letters printed on them, as well as a number value assigned to each letter or group of letters.

Play consists of 8 rounds, with players holding and playing cards in varying amounts each hand. The first hand players hold only 3 cards with each succeeding hand having a card added until players must hold and play 10 cards for the final round.

The dealer begins by shuffling the cards in the deck and dealing each player 3 cards face down. He then turns the top card on the draw pile face up to start the discard pile.

The first player, then either draws from the deck or picks up the top card from the discard pile. If he can use all the cards in his hand to form a word or words (words must be at least 2 letters long) then he lays down his hand and discards one card. If he cannot lay down, he discards and play moves on to the next player.

The first person who forms a word or words with his letters, lays down. Each succeeding player has one more turn. They draw a card, play all the words they can from the cards in their hand and discard.

Once all the players have completed the play then each player totals his points for the words he has made and subtracts the point value of the total of the letters that remain in his hand.

Scores are tallied and the player with the longest word and the player with the most words receive a 10 point bonus. If two people tie for the longest word or the most words in any round the bonus points are not given.

Play then moves to the next round and a card is added to each players hand. At the end of the game the player with the most points wins.

Quiddler does come with a few word rules such as no proper names but you may used capitalized adjectives such as Irish. You also may not use words that require a hyphen for proper spelling like thirty-two, and they also disallow abbreviations but, suggest that players decide whether or not to accept words such as math or laser.

Tips for Play

While at first glance it may not seem as though a lot of strategy is required for this game, that is a false impression. There is actually, a lot of things to consider when playing this game which is what makes it so much fun and such a challenge. Here are a few tips that may help you earn those few extra points.

Try memorizing as many two and three letter words as possible. This can help you use up your cards and score those big bonuses. Words like zat can really help raise a score even if you are not the first one to lay down.

If in the first couple of rounds you get one of the double letter cards try and use that to form a word. When you only have 3 cards, having that extra letter will help you to get that long word bonus and jump your score.

While being the first to lay down means you won't have to subtract any points for your score it may also mean that you won't be getting either of those bonuses so weigh those pros and cards before melding out.

Try to position yourself so that you can make use of those big point letters such as Z and Q.

Dictionary TipTo keep the game moving at a fast pace only use the dictionary when someone challenges a word. This will keep the play moving quickly and provides for more fun.

For those who enjoy Quiddler and want to play on their own there are rules for a solitaire version. You can also try and solve the Quiddler puzzle online by visiting Set enterprises official website.

Reasons To Add Quiddler To Your Collection

Many of the online reviews for this game have pointed out that this is one of the most entertaining educational games around. Children and adults alike have seen improvement in both their vocabulary and math skills after playing this game.

Also, this game is very inexpensive, which makes it perfect for gift giving to those people and families who enjoy playing card or word games. People who have received this game as a gift have not only loved it, but have actually turned around and purchased this game as a gift for others.

Quiddler has proven itself to be a popular and fast paced word game that can be easily played by a wide variety of ages. If you are a word game lover, you will want to add this game to your word game collection!




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BECOME A SCRABBLE JEDI!