Qwirkle Tile Game How to Play & Review

Qwirkle is a pattern-building, puzzle game.

Title: Qwirkle

Year Published: 2006

Designer: Susan McKinley Ross

Publisher: MindWare

Players: 2-4

Game Time: ~45 Mins

Set-up Time: >1 Mins

Ages: 6+

Theme: N/A

Mechanic: Tile Placement, Pattern Building

How to win: Score the most points.

Game Description

The abstract game of Qwirkle consists of 108 wooden blocks with six different shapes in six different colours.

Set-Up

Everyone draws 6 blocks and each player declares the largest number of a single shape or colour they have. The oldest player breaks ties.

Those blocks start the game and that player scores that many points.

Qwirkle Game Play

Add blocks of any one colour or shape to one row or column. They don’t have to touch.

A connecting line can never have more than 1 shape (for colours) or colours (for shapes).

Scoring

You score one point for each tile placed, plus 1 point for each tile already in the line.

If a tile joins multiple lines, it scores multiple times.

If you complete a line of 6 blocks, you get a 6-point bonus. This is called a Qwirkle.

Instead of playing tiles, you can set your hand aside, draw replacements and return your old hand to the bag.

Game End

When there are no more tiles to draw, play continues until someone runs out or no one can play. The first player to play all their tiles, scores a 6-point bonus.

Most points win.

Qwirkle Round-Up

It’s a nice game for this kind of abstract puzzle. I often find most of the ‘fun’ comes from getting that lucky draw or leaving a player on a Qwirkle and then happening to have the tile.

But it does seem to go down well in my groups.

Qwirkle Rating

Not too bad for a thinky game.

I give it 6/10

Qwirkle First Impressions February 2015

A tile-laying puzzle game…

…Scrabble for those who can’t spell?

It’s a nice abstract when you’re trying to place tiles in places that score two lines to maximise your placements.

I’m not sure we were playing 100% correctly and I’m sure experienced players will look at the image above and point out a few misplaced pieces…

Overall though it was enjoyable and wasn’t too slow with 6 players. One I might pick up.

Jesta ThaRogue