TallynightHow to keep score in Qwirkle
In Qwirkle you score for every line your tiles make or add to: 1 point for each tile in the line, counting the tiles already there. Finish a line of six and it's a Qwirkle, worth 12. The first player to use all their tiles adds 6 and ends the game, and the highest total wins.
- Players
- 2 to 4
- Who wins
- Highest total
- Tiles
- 108, six in your hand
- Qwirkle
- A line of six: 12 points
What you score on a turn
Count every line that a tile you played belongs to. Each line scores 1 point for every tile in it, including the tiles that were already on the table.
| Play | Points |
|---|---|
| Each tile in a line you made or added to | 1 |
| A tile that's part of two lines | Counts in both |
| A Qwirkle: a line of all six colours or all six shapes | 12 (6 tiles + 6 bonus) |
| Playing your last tile, once the bag is empty | 6 bonus |
| Swapping tiles instead of playing | 0 |
A line can never be longer than six tiles, so a line of six is always a Qwirkle.
Counting the lines
All the tiles you play in one turn go in a single line. Score that line, then score every line running the other way that one of your new tiles joined.
A tile with no neighbours in one direction doesn't make a line that way, so it adds nothing there. A line needs at least two tiles to score.
The start and the end of the game
The player with the most tiles that share a colour or a shape, with no repeats, starts the game by playing them, and scores them as a line.
When the bag is empty, play on without drawing. The first player to play their last tile scores 6 bonus points, and the game ends. The highest total wins.
Things people get wrong
- Old tiles count. Add one tile to a line of four and you score 5, not 1.
- A Qwirkle is 12, not 6. The six tiles score 6 and the bonus adds 6 more.
- No repeats. A line can't hold the same tile twice, so it never goes past six.
- Swapping scores nothing. Trading tiles with the bag uses your whole turn.
A scoring example
The first five turns of a three-player game.
| Play | Ana | Ben | Cleo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ana starts with a red circle, square and star: a line of 3 | 3 | ||
| Ben adds a red diamond and a red clover: the line is now 5 | 5 | ||
| Cleo adds a red cross: six reds, a Qwirkle (6 + 6) | 12 | ||
| Ana plays a blue star and a green star under the red star: a line of 3 stars | 3 | ||
| Ben puts a blue diamond beside the blue star, under the red diamond: two lines of 2 | 4 | ||
| Total | 6 | 9 | 12 |
Cleo played a single tile and scored 12, because the five tiles already in the line count too. Ben's blue diamond sits in two lines at once, the blues across and the diamonds down, so it scores in both.
Keep score for Qwirkle in Tallynight
Qwirkle is set up for you: a running score, highest wins. Add each turn's points with + at 1, 5 or 10 a tap, or tap a total to type a whole turn.
When someone goes out, add their 6 and tap End game.
- A big tile for each player, turned to face them across the table
- Whose turn it is, so nobody gets skipped
- Undo, and a scoring log to fix any turn
- A race chart that replays the game, turn by turn
A Qwirkle score sheet to print
Playing on paper tonight? Print a free Qwirkle score sheet, or save it as a PDF.
Questions
How many points is a Qwirkle?
12: 6 for the six tiles in the line and a 6-point bonus.
Do you count the tiles already on the board in Qwirkle?
Yes. A line scores 1 point for every tile in it, including tiles played on earlier turns.
Can a tile score twice in Qwirkle?
Yes. A tile that's part of two lines, one across and one down, scores in both.
What do you get for going out in Qwirkle?
6 bonus points. Once the bag is empty, the first player to play their last tile adds 6 and ends the game.
Do you score when you swap tiles in Qwirkle?
No. Swapping tiles with the bag takes your whole turn and scores 0.