Description

In Word Stax, players build stacks of cards, trying to find words that fit an increasing number of conditions. Each card in hand gives players 2 choices of conditions to add to the conditions on the word stax in play. The more conditions, the more the stax are worth. If they can think of a word or phrase that fits all the conditions, they can claim the stack and all its points…for now! Players are aided by special cards which allow them to manipulate the stax and claim them for their own!

GAMEPLAY

5 cards are laid on the table representing the intitial stax (7 for a 3 or 4 player game), and each player holds 3 cards and 5 cubes in their hands. On a turn, a player places a card such that one additional condition is added to the stack. The player says a word that fits all the conditions of the stack and claims it for their own by placing a cube on the stack, then draws a new card. Claimed stacks can be claimed by other players if they can add a card to the stack. Special cards allow players to perform other actions such as swap, remove, or rotate cards. If a player cannot play on a stack, they discard a card from their hand and lose a cube permanently. When all players have either run out of cubes or cards to play, the game ends and each player recieves points for their claimed stax.

Word Stax was an entry in the 2021 54-Card Game Contest, where it placed 4th for best solitaire game, and 6th overall.