Zip-It Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Standard Rules
• Additional Ways to Play
• Variations

Standard Rules

ZIP-IT is a two-player game.

Each player selects a zipper color and keeps a running score by moving their zipper on the pouch.

1. All ZIP-IT games start with each player taking 12 cubes.
2. To START the game, one of the players calls "GO!"
3. Each player proceeds to make a crossword grid using ANY SIDE of his/her own cubes.
4. Words can be any length, reading top to bottom, left to right ONLY.
5. As in most word games, proper nouns (names) and abbreviations are NOT allowed.
6. The first player to complete a grid with no remaining cubes calls "ZIP!" and moves his/her pouch zipper one point.
7. If a player's grid includes a misspelling or a non-existent word, that player receives no points for the round and the opponent gains one point.
8. At the end of each round, mix all cubes and redistribute 12 cubes to each player.
9. The first player to reach 10 on the scoring pouch calls "ZIP-IT!" and is the winner of that game.
10. Pull the zippers back to zero and you're ready to go again!

Additional Ways to Play

ONLY the player who first completes his/her grid receives bonus points.

RHYMING ZIP-IT: Plays the same as standard ZIP-IT except that players win ONE bonus point for each pair of rhyming words in a completed grid.

BIG WORD ZIP-IT: Plays the same as standard ZIP-IT, but any seven-letter word wins ONE bonus point. An eight-letter word receives TWO bonus points. A nine-letter word receives THREE bonus points and so on...

PALINDROME ZIP-IT: Plays the same as standard ZIP-IT except that in a completed grid, each palindrome or semi-palindrome receives TWO bonus points.

• A PALINDROME is a word that reads the same forwards and backwards (noon, toot, mom, dad, kayak, etc.).
• A SEMI-PALINDROME is a word in which letters form ONE word reading left to right, and a DIFFERENT word reading right to left (rat/tar, dog/god, ton/not, live/evil, no/on, etc.).

Variations

Players can amend the rules to suit participants. For example, prior to a game, players may agree that words used by adults must have at least three letters, while children are allowed to use two-letter words.

Players can modify the rules to make ZIP-IT more challenging. For example, players may agree before the game begins that all words must belong to a particular category (nouns, inanimate objects, animals, etc.).