TallynightHow to keep score in Quiddler
In Quiddler, you score the letter values of the cards you use in words and lose the values of the cards left in your hand. The most words and the longest word each earn 10 more. After eight rounds, from 3 cards up to 10, the highest total wins.
- Players
- 1 to 8
- Who wins
- Highest total after 8 rounds
- Rounds
- 8, from 3 cards each up to 10
- Bonuses
- 10 for most words, 10 for the longest word
What each card is worth
The value is printed on every card, and the rarer the letter, the more it's worth.
| Cards | Points each |
|---|---|
| A, E, I, O | 2 |
| L, S, T | 3 |
| U, Y | 4 |
| D, M, N, R | 5 |
| F, G, P | 6 |
| H, ER, IN | 7 |
| B, C, K | 8 |
| QU, TH | 9 |
| W, CL | 10 |
| V | 11 |
| X | 12 |
| J | 13 |
| Z | 14 |
| Q | 15 |
The five double-letter cards, QU, IN, ER, TH and CL, count as one card but two letters. That matters for the longest word bonus.
Adding up a round
When someone goes out, everyone else has one last turn to lay down any words they can. Then everyone scores.
Add the values of the cards in your words, then take off the values of the cards still in your hand. In the official rules a round can't score below zero: if your leftover cards outweigh your words, you score 0 for that round.
Every word must use at least two cards. Proper nouns, abbreviations, prefixes, suffixes and hyphenated words don't count.
The two bonuses
Each round, two bonuses of 10 points are up for grabs.
- Most words: 10 for the player who laid down the most words.
- Longest word: 10 for the word with the most letters, not the most cards. CLOTH uses three cards but has five letters.
- Ties: if two or more players tie for a bonus, nobody gets it.
- Both at once: one player can win both bonuses. With two players, use only one of them, and agree which before you start.
Going out and the last turn
After drawing, you can go out if every card in your hand but one makes words. Lay the words down and discard the last card.
The others each get one more turn: draw, lay down what words they can, and discard. This is the only time you can lay down words without using every card, and the cards you can't use count against you.
Challenges
Agree on a dictionary before you start. If you challenge a word and it's in the dictionary, you lose that word's points. If it isn't, the player who laid it down loses them, and can't rearrange the cards into other words.
If you like word games scored by letter, Scrabble and Boggle have guides too.
A scoring example
Round 3 with three players, so everyone holds 5 cards after discarding. Ana went out, then Ben and Cleo laid down what they could on their last turn.
| Player | Words | In words | Left in hand | Bonus | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ana | QUIT, ON | 21 | 0 | 10 | 31 |
| Ben | CLOTH | 21 | −19 | 10 | 12 |
| Cleo | IS | 5 | −39 | 0 | 0 |
Ana: QU 9, I 2 and T 3 make 14, and O 2 and N 5 make 7. Her two words are the most, so she gets 10. Ben's CLOTH (CL 10, O 2, TH 9) has five letters to QUIT's four, so the longest word bonus is his, but he's left holding V and K, for −19.
Cleo is left with Z, J and X, worth 39. Her round works out at 5 − 39 = −34, but a round can't score below zero, so she scores 0.
Keep score for Quiddler in Tallynight
Quiddler isn't one of Tallynight's built-in games yet, but it takes a minute to set up. Choose Something else, then Rounds, and under Who wins pick Highest. Leave Play to a target off. Tap Add to favourites so it's ready next time, then Start game.
After each round, type everyone's score, bonuses included, on one keypad. Tallynight doesn't know the letter values, so add up the cards at the table. After the eighth round, tap End game.
- Everyone's round on one keypad
- The table keeps the totals and who's in front
- Tap any round to fix it after a challenge
- A winner card with a podium at the end
A Quiddler score sheet to print
Playing on paper tonight? Print a free Quiddler score sheet, or save it as a PDF.
Questions
How do you score Quiddler?
Add up the letter values of the cards you used in words, then take off the values of the cards left in your hand. Add 10 if you had the most words and 10 if you had the longest word.
How many points is each letter worth in Quiddler?
From 2 for A, E, I and O up to 15 for Q. Z is 14, J 13, X 12 and V 11. The value is printed on each card.
Is the longest word in Quiddler counted by letters or cards?
By letters. A double-letter card like TH counts as two letters, so it helps.
What happens if two players tie for longest word in Quiddler?
Nobody gets the bonus. The same goes for a tie for the most words.
Can you get a negative score in Quiddler?
Not from a round: the official rules say a round can't score below zero. Losing a challenge is the one way to have points taken off.
How many rounds are in Quiddler?
Eight. The first round deals 3 cards to each player, and each round deals one more, up to 10 in the last.