Word Colony® Base Game Components
DETAILED GUIDE:
Word Colony® Base Game Components
420x Letter Cards
22x Black cards
42x Special Cards
16x ABCD Answer Cards
4x Pawns
1x Scoreboard
1x Guide
1x Box (with card holder)
*EXTRA: Certificate of Authenticity Signed by the Creator (for the first 3,000 games)
Letter Cards (or Question Cards) will be used by each player when it is their turn to read a question and then to build words on the table.
Each Letter Card contains:
A letter and a score of
or
points;
A general knowledge question and 4 answer options, A-B-C, or D, where only one option is correct.
point
Available letters:
E (46 cards)
A (44 cards)
I (38 cards)
O (38 cards)
T (28 cards)
N (28 cards)
S (20 cards)
R (20 cards)
H (16 cards)
D (16 cards)
L (14 cards)
C (14 cards)
points
Available letters:
U (12 cards)
G (12 cards)
M (10 cards)
F (10 cards)
P (10 cards)
W (8 cards)
B (8 cards)
Y (6 cards)
V (6 cards)
points
Available letters:
K (3 cards)
J (3 cards)
X (2 cards)
Q (2 cards)
Z (2 cards)
Side Note
* the number of cards players will collect from the box if they answer the question read that round correctly;
* the number of places on the score board players will advance with, if they used Letter Cards in creating new words.
Remember!
Letter Cards can be used in creating new words, whether the card was previously played by reading the question on it in a previous round or not.
The cards already used in creating a word, cannot be picked up or changed, once placed on the table.
Cards in hand that have not yet been used to build a word will not count towards the score.
Black Cards work just like a Letter Card, the same rules apply. The only difference is that they have a negative score.
point
Available letters:
E (1 card)
A (1 card)
I (1 card)
O (1 card)
T (1 card)
N (1 card)
S (1 card)
R (1 card)
H (1 card)
D (1 card)
L (1 card)
C (1 card)
points
Available letters:
U (1 card)
G (1 card)
M (1 card)
F (1 card)
P (1 card)
W (1 card)
B (1 card)
Y (1 card)
V (1 card)
points
Available letters:
K (1 card)
J (1 card)
X (1 card)
Q (1 card)
Z (1 card)
Good to know!
Black Cards can be used to create new words, especially if a specific letter is needed, but their negative scores (
,
or
points) will be subtracted from the word’s total score.
Black Cards can also be used to read questions. In this case, no player will collect new cards that round. All players who answer incorrectly will lose
point,
points or
points, depending on the value of the Black Card, and must move their pawns backward on the scoreboard. Players who answer correctly will not lose any points that round.
Remember!
If players reach the FINISH line with one or more Black Cards in hand, their negative score will reduce their total score on the scoreboard. They must move their pawn back on the scoreboard according to the total negative score from the Black Cards and continue the game.
e.g In the case of a 40-point Quick Game, the player who reaches 40 points, but still holds a -2-point Black Card, they must build words on the table totaling 42 points to win if unable to discard or use the Black Card.
Special Cards can be used anytime during a player’s turn, if they draw such a card.
Each Special Card contains its own instructions for use.
1x Immunity
1x Guardian
1x Total War
2x Conquest
2x Exchange 1 Black Card
2x Exchange 1 Vowel
3x Exchange 1 Consonant
2x Dumpster Dive
2x Mirror
3x Wild Card
2x Magic Word
2x Fist Bump
2x Go Fish
2x New Hand
4x Lucky Draw (2 or 3 extra cards)
2x New Chance
3x Swap a Card
2x Lose 2 cards
2x Lose the Doubles
2x Lose Half
In the base game there are 4 sets of A-B-C-D Answer Cards and 4 pawns, for four players. The game can be expanded to a larger number of players using one or more expansions. See all the available expansions here!
Side Note
Each player will choose a set of 4 ABCD Answer Cards and a pawn at the beginning of the game. Players will use these cards to give the answer they think is correct in each round of questions. Unused sets will be removed from the game.
Each player will navigate with their own pawn on the board. The pawn will be moved each time the player collects new points (forward) or loses points (backward).
Side Note
e.g If a player builds a word with a total letter value of 5 points, they will move their pawn 5 positions forward on the scoreboard.
Remember!
Two or more players can occupy the same position on the board. In this case, pawns will overlap in the same position.
Each game comes with an easy to follow brochure with full game instructions.
The Word Colony® Original base set comes in a special premium box, featuring an elegant black card holder with internal dividers to support the cards vertically, also acting as a “Mother Box”, in which all the cards from the 5 available extensions can be added.
Using Expansions
Have one or more Word Colony® expansions? Discover additional game rules and how you can use the expansions.
Creating Alliances
Choose your allies carefully and let the game begin!
Set your strategy and build impressive common word colonies.
Words Allowed
If you choose to play as objectively as possible, we recommend that you consider the official Word Colony® admitted words.
Exploring the Glossary
Unsure about certain terms in the game? Explore the glossary of terms used in Word Colony® games and expansions.
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