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Wordfeud rules

Wordfeud is a two-player game on a 15 by 15 board. You take turns placing a word, and the player with the most points at the end wins. Below are the rules, how the bonus squares work, and the tactics that decide close games.

Starting the game

Seven tiles each

The bag holds 104 tiles: 102 letters and 2 blanks. Each player starts with seven tiles. After every move you draw back up to seven, as long as tiles remain in the bag.

The first move

The first word must cross the centre square of the board. After that, every move must touch a tile already on the board.

What you can do on your turn

Play

Tiles go in a single straight line, across or down. At least one tile must touch a tile already placed. Every word your move creates, including short cross-words, must be valid.

Swap

Instead of playing, you may swap one or more tiles. This is only possible while at least seven tiles remain in the bag. A swap uses your turn.

Pass

If you cannot or do not want to play, you pass. Three passes in a row end the game.

Time limit

You have 72 hours to make a move. After that you resign automatically and your opponent wins.

Bonus squares: DL, TL, DW and TW

Square	Meaning	Effect
DL	Double letter	The letter on this square counts twice
TL	Triple letter	The letter on this square counts three times
DW	Double word	The whole word counts twice
TW	Triple word	The whole word counts three times

Letters first, then the word

Letter squares are applied before word squares. An example with WHY (W 4, H 4, Y 4, 12 points in total):

H on a TL: 4 + 12 + 4 = 20 points.
H on a TL and Y on a DW: 20 × 2 = 40 points.

Stacking multipliers

If your word covers two word squares, they multiply.

Combination	Word value
DW + DW	4 times
DW + TW	6 times
TW + TW	9 times

A square counts once

A bonus square only counts in the turn a tile is placed on it. When someone later extends that word, the letter scores its plain value.

Blanks and the 40-point bonus

A blank is worth 0 points, on a DL or TL as well. On a DW or TW it still multiplies the whole word. Play all seven tiles in one turn and you earn 40 extra points.

How the game ends

The game ends when one player has used all their tiles and the bag is empty, or after three passes in a row. The points on your remaining tiles are subtracted from your score. If your opponent played out, those points are added to theirs.

Tactical tips

Block the TW

A vowel next to a TW is an invitation. Before you play, check which squares you open. If your opponent can reach one with a tile or two, play elsewhere, or leave a letter there that few words can extend, such as a C, a Q or a V.

High letter on a letter square, word on a word square

The biggest scores come from combining them: a J, Q, X or Z on a DL or TL in a word that also touches a DW or TW.

Play words side by side

A word laid alongside another forms several short cross-words, and each one scores. Players who know the two-letter words gain the most here.

Watch what you keep

Keep a mix of vowels and consonants. A rack full of consonants costs you the next turn. Save an S or a blank for a move where it pays.

Plan for the endgame

When the bag is nearly empty, the tiles left on your rack count against you. Get rid of expensive letters in time.