Description

This is a crossword card game of the late 1930's.

It has a deck of 52 cards, each with a letter and value 3-12 (rarer letters lower) except for two jokers, which count as wild cards and have a value of 18. 10 each are dealt for less than 4 players, 7 each for more than 4.

In a turn a player either lays down a word, or discards 1 card and draws 1 from either the draw or discard pile. After the first word, all subsequent words must intersect with previous words in a crossword fashion, using at least one previous letter in making a new word. Typical crossword rules apply: any adjacent letters must form a word. Words must be at least 2 letters, and no more than 4 cards may be played in a turn.

The hand ends when a player runs out of cards; players then add the sum of points of cards in the hand to their running total. When a player reaches 100, the game ends and the lowest total wins.

There is also a solitaire game described. Deal 12 piles of 3, with the top card face up (leave out the Jokers). Make words out of the exposed cards, and discard them, revealing lower cards when exposed. The turn up the remainder of the deck 3 cards at a time, making new words as before including the new card shown. If all the table cards are gone, then spread the rest of the cards face up and continue. When stuck, add the value of the unused cards. 15 or lower is excellent.