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| Set Enterprises 1998 edition |
Game: Quiddler
Publisher: Set Enterprises
Designer: Marsha J. Falco
Year: 1998
Price Paid: $1
Playing Time: 30 minutes
Recommended Ages: 8 and Up
Synopsis: Quiddler is a card game for 1 to 8 players in which players are trying to spell words with the cards in their hands to earn points. Hand size increases each round for eight rounds. At the end of eight rounds, whoever has the most points wins.
Components: 118 letter cards, 1 rule book
Letter Card Inventory:
A - 10
B - 2
C - 2
D - 4
E - 12
F - 2
G - 4
H - 2
I - 8
J - 2
K - 2
L - 4
M - 2
N - 6
O - 8
P - 2
Q - 2
R - 6
S - 4
T - 6
U - 6
V - 2
W - 2
X - 2
Y - 4
Z - 2
QU - 2
IN - 2
ER - 2
CL - 2
TH - 2
Thrifting Notes: When counting for completion, be aware there are two additional cards with ads for other games in the box, so the full count should be 120 cards. If it is not, check that all the cards in the box are, indeed, letter cards.
Gameplay: Game play begins by the dealer shuffling the deck and dealing 3 cards to each player. The remaining cards are placed face down in the center of the table as a draw pile and the top card is flipped over to start a discard pile.
Starting on the dealer’s left, a player will take the top card from either the draw pile or discard pile. If they are able to use all but one of the cards in their hand to spell a word or words (a minimum of two cards must be used for each word), they lay down their hand, discard the remaining card and “go out”. Otherwise, they discard a card, returning their hand to it’s starting size and play continues clockwise.
If a player goes out, the remaining players all have one turn in which to draw a card and may play any words they have in their hands. After every player has had a chance to play their cards, the round is over and scored. Each successive round adds another card to each players hand, so round two will deal 4 cards, round 3 will deal 5 cards, etc, for eight rounds.
To score a round, players add up the total number of points show on the cards they were able to lay down. Players with cards remaining in their hands subtract the points shown on those cards. Players also keep track of the longest word they were able to make, as well as the number of words made. After all eight rounds have been played, the totals from all the rounds are added up. The player with the longest word made receives a 10 point bonus, as does the player with the most words made. If there is a tie for either of these bonuses, no one receives the bonus. The player with the most points after bonuses are added is the winner.
The solitaire game is fairly straightforward. Eight stacks of five cards face down, then one card face up on each stack. The player tries to make words with the face up cards. One a word is made, those cards are removed and the cards that were below them are flipped over. Play continues until all cards have been used (and the player wins) or no more words can be made.
Review: Quiddler is a light, set-building card game that takes elements of word games like Scrabble and marries them with traditional Rummy-style games. While certainly not deep, the game has a certain amount of strategy with it’s hand management and limited card counting. At 30 minutes, it’s an enjoyable little filler for those that like word games, and, because short words score just as well as longer words in the end, younger players are not necessarily at a disadvantage, so all ages and skill levels can play together. The game plays well with 2-5 players, but I would not recommend more than 5 players, as the down time between turns can get a bit long. This game should play fast, as there is not much to consider while waiting for your turn to come. The solitaire variant is also fairly decent, feeling a lot like Klondike solitaire with letters. Additionally, the card art is wonderful, with lettering taken from an early Gaelic manuscript.
Quiddler is not a bad little game that works well as a filler or a family game. It can be taught in less than 5 minutes, plays quickly and handles up to five players well. If you are a fan of word games and traditional Rummy-based card games, Quiddler is a good choice.
Rating: 7/10
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