Fishing for Words Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Winning the Game
• Contents
• Object of the Game
• Set-Up
• How to Play
• Score Pad

Winning the Game

After each player has rolled and played five times, add up each player's score; the highest score wins.

Contents

• 10 Wooden Dice
• Dice Mat
• Score Pad

Object of the Game

Score the most points by creating the most high-scoring words.

Set-Up

1. Assemble the Dice Mat and place it in the middle of the game area.
2. Place the Letter Dice on top of the Dice Mat. The player with the longest first name goes first (Player 1).

How to Play

1. This game can be played with 2 players or 2 teams. The instructions below are for 2 players, but can be played the same way with 2 teams.
2. Player 1 (or Team 1) rolls all 10 Dice.
   • The Dice faces cannot be changed.
   • Player 1 works to create the highest scoring word possible by lining up the Dice on the Dice Mat.
   • When a word is formed, Player 1 adds up the numbers on all the letters used in the word. On the Score Pad, Player 1 records both the word and the word score.

Note: A blank Die can represent any letter of the alphabet but is worth zero points.

3. The next player picks up all dice not used to make the word in the previous turn and rolls them.
   • This player must form a word using these letters such that it intersects the previous word perpendicularly, using only one letter from the previous word. For blank Dice in the previous word, players must use the same letter for that blank Die in the new word.
   • This new word is scored as previously described.
4. For the next turn, and all subsequent turns, the dice not used to make a word AND the letters from the word previously played are picked up and rolled for the next play. The word just played stays on the Dice Mat. Play continues until each player has rolled and made a word 5 times.
5. Any word found in a standard dictionary that does not begin with a capital letter is legal. Proper nouns are not allowed because they start with a capital letter. Be careful, some words that seem like proper nouns, like "JOHN," are actually found in the dictionary (JOHN is another word for toilet).
6. Players can challenge whether a word is spelled incorrectly, or if it exists at all. Simply check with a dictionary. If the word is not there, it doesn't count, and the player scores zero. Remove the letter Dice in question, and play moves to the challenger's turn. If the word is in the dictionary, the word score is DOUBLED for successfully surviving a challenge.
7. Note: If a Player is not able to make a word on his/her turn, it is an automatic win for the opponent (even on the last turn). It is important to make words as long as possible to give the other player fewer dice to work with.

Score Pad

The score pad is printed with "Game 1" and "Game 2" sections. Each section has a "NAME:" and "PTS." column for each player, five numbered "Word:" rows (1 to 5), and a "TOTAL:" row.