Word Pirates!
Word Pirates! Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
Be the first Pirate to reach the Treasure by building a path of words and bridges. Block your opponents from the Treasure by building impassable walls!
What's in the Box
- 100 Letter Dice
- 1 Jumbo Die
- Game Board
- 4 Pirate Pawns and character stands
- 10 Bridge Pieces
- 10 Wall Pieces
Setting Up the Game
- Place the game board in the center of the playing area.
- Each player selects a pirate pawn and places it in a character stand.
- Each player chooses a corner "start" space and places their pirate pawn on it.
- Place the 100 letter dice, 10 bridge pieces, 10 wall pieces and the Jumbo Die next to the game board.
Game Play Overview
- Players will build paths to the Treasure starting from their "start" space. On their turn, and depending on what they roll, players will spell words, build bridges, or build walls to block their opponents' way to the Treasure.
- Players will advance their Pirates to the Treasure as they build their paths made of words and bridges. The Pirates can only walk on words formed by letter dice or bridges on their way to the Treasure. They cannot walk in the shark-infested water or travel on the impassable walls.
- IMPORTANT: The "Word Pirates" logo is considered the bottom of the game board. Please note its orientation; all words must be spelled from left to right or vertically from top to bottom. No reverse spelling (i.e., right to left or bottom to top) is allowed.
- Players will begin from their "start" space. On their FIRST turn building a path, a player's word or bridge must begin ON "their start" space.
- After a player's first turn, words must be built off existing words or bridge pieces on THEIR path.
- When building words, all letters that touch must form a word.
- A Pirate may walk along any part of his path and may build a word off any letter along his path.
- If two Pirates' paths connect, those Pirates may walk onto each other's paths and may build words off each other's paths.
- When a player rolls "Build," that player picks one of the bridge pieces available and places it along his path.
- When a player rolls "Block," that player picks one of the wall pieces available and places it along one of his opponent's path.
What to Do on Your Turn
When starting the game the YOUNGEST player goes first.
- At the beginning of each turn, a player rolls the Jumbo Die once and follows the instructions on the die (see below).
- After performing the instruction on the die (spell, build, or block) your turn is over and it is now the next player's turn (going clockwise).
Winning the Game
- The first player to advance to the Treasure Chest is the winner!
- In order to win, the player must land on one of the four squares INSIDE the red box.
Optional: after the winner is declared, the other players can keep playing to determine who can finish in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place.
The Jumbo Die
The Jumbo Die is rolled once at the start of each turn. Its faces are:
- Roll 8 And Spell / Roll 9 And Spell / Roll 10 And Spell: If you roll a "Roll 8 And Spell," "Roll 9 And Spell," or "Roll 10 And Spell" then RANDOMLY take that many letter dice, roll them, and spell a word using as many of the dice as possible. The word you spell must be touching part of your already existing path (words or bridges) or be on your "Start" space.
- Build: If you roll a "Build" then take ONE "Bridge" piece and connect it to your path. Your Pirate can now travel on this bridge piece towards the Treasure. You also can start a new word from this bridge piece on your following turns.
- Block: If you roll a "Block" then take ONE "Wall" piece and use it to block your opponent's path. This piece must be touching a piece of your opponent's path. Once placed, your opponent can not pass through the wall and must navigate around the wall towards the Treasure.
Note: the printed sheet reads "your openent" in the Block entry; it is transcribed here as "opponent's" as the intended word.