Letterbug Instructions

Letterbug games are games created by bugcafe users. The rules of letterbug games are generally the same as Bug Words, However, the size and shape of the board, square bonuses and tile values etc. will vary from game to game.

Rules

1. The first player combines two or more of his or her letters to form a word and places it on the board to read either across or down with one letter on the center square. Diagonal words are not allowed.
2. Complete your turn by clicking on "finish".
3. Each player in turn, adds one or more letters to those already played to form new words. All letters played on a turn must be placed in one row across or down the board, to form at least one complete word. If, at the same time, they touch others letters in adjacent rows, those must also form complete words, crossword fashion, with all such letters. The player gets full credit for all words formed or modified on his or her turn.
4. New words may be formed by adding one or more letters to a word or letters already on the board.
5. Blanks: The two blank tiles may be used as any letters. When playing a blank, you will select which letter it represents. It remains that letter for the rest of the game.
6. You may use a turn to exchange all, or some of the letters. To do this, click on "exchange" and select which of your letters you wish to throw back. This ends your turn.
7. IF you are playing in EXPERT mode, the previous play may be challenged before the next player starts a turn. If the play challenged is unacceptable, the challenged players word is removed from the board and the score for the turn is deducted.
8. The game ends when all letters have been drawn and one player uses his or her last letter; or when all possible plays have been made and each player has passed twice.

Scoring

1. Your turn score is automatically calculated. The score value of each letter is indicated by a number at the bottom of the tile. The score value of a blank is zero.
2. The score for each turn is the sum of the letter values in each word(s) formed or modified on that turn, plus the additional points obtained from placing letters on Premium Squares.
3. Premium Letter Squares: A light blue square doubles the score of a letter placed on it; an aqua square triples the letter score.
4. Premium Word Squares: The score for an entire word is doubled when one of its letters is placed on a pink square: it is tripled when one of its letters is placed on a red square. Include premiums for double or triple letter values, if any, before doubling or tripling the word score.
   If a word is formed that covers two premium word squares, the score is doubled and then re-doubled (4 times the letter count), or tripled and then re-tripled (9 times the letter count). NOTE: the center square is a yellow square, which doubles the score for the first word.
5. Letter and word premiums count only on the turn in which they are played. On later turns, letters already played on premium squares count at face value.
6. When a blank tile is played on a pink or red square, the value of the word is doubled or tripled, even though the blank itself has no score value.
7. When two or more words are formed in the same play, each is scored. The common letter is counted (with full premium value, if any) for each word.
8. BINGO! If you play seven of your tiles on a turn, it's a Bingo. You score an extra 50 points after totaling your score for the turn.
9. Unplayed Letters: When the game ends, each player's score is reduced by the sum of his or her unplayed letters. In addition, if a player has used all of his or her letters, the sum of the other players' unplayed letters is added to that player's score.
10. The player with the highest final score wins the game.

Playing Your Turn
To place letters on the board, click on a letter on the letter rack, then click on a space on the board to place it. You can also add the entire word at one time by entering the letters you wish to add in the box provided, select which direction you want the word to go and then click on the space where the first letter in the word will go.