Alpha Blitz
Encyclopedia
Alpha Blitz is a word game
designed by Mike Selinker
and published by Wizards of the Coast
. Alpha Blitz is based on the concept of a letter bank
, as players make words using the letter cards on the table as many times as they like (e.g., LENS can become SENSELESSNESS). The game contains 98 letter cards and 10 "blitzes" (lightning bolt cards) that destroy letters and bring the game toward conclusion.
The game is really two games in one: Alpha and Blitz. Alpha is the more methodical game, where players take turns replacing one of the letters on the table with one from their hand or destroying a letter with a Blitz, then making the longest word they can. Players score 1 point for making a word, plus 1 point for each letter in the word that is greater than the number of letters on the table. The four red-bordered letters (J, Qu, X, and Z) also score an extra point each time they're used. The game ends when there are only two letter piles left on the table.
Blitz is played in rounds, with all players playing simultaneously. Each player is in control of two letter piles. The first player to call out a word gets 1 point (plus bonuses for red-bordered letters), and then is out of the hand. The next player to call out a word must make a word that is at least one letter longer than the previous word, and gets 2 points plus bonuses. The next player must make a longer word, and so on. The last player in a round to make a word gets another bonus point, so sometimes players hold back until the last possible instant to make their words. Once a player blitzes both of his or her letter piles, the game ends and the highest scoring player wins.
Alpha Blitz was Games Magazine
s 1998 Word Game of the Year.
Word game
Word games and puzzles are spoken or board games often designed to test ability with language or to explore its properties.Word games are generally engaged as a source of entertainment, but have been found to serve an educational purpose as well...
designed by Mike Selinker
Mike Selinker
Mike Selinker is a game designer whose design credits include Pirates of the Spanish Main and Fightball with James Ernest, Axis & Allies Revised Edition with Larry Harris, the Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game, and Risk Godstorm. He was a creative director for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons...
and published by Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
. Alpha Blitz is based on the concept of a letter bank
Letter bank
A letter bank is a type of anagram where all the letters of one word can be used as many times as desired to make a new word or phrase...
, as players make words using the letter cards on the table as many times as they like (e.g., LENS can become SENSELESSNESS). The game contains 98 letter cards and 10 "blitzes" (lightning bolt cards) that destroy letters and bring the game toward conclusion.
The game is really two games in one: Alpha and Blitz. Alpha is the more methodical game, where players take turns replacing one of the letters on the table with one from their hand or destroying a letter with a Blitz, then making the longest word they can. Players score 1 point for making a word, plus 1 point for each letter in the word that is greater than the number of letters on the table. The four red-bordered letters (J, Qu, X, and Z) also score an extra point each time they're used. The game ends when there are only two letter piles left on the table.
Blitz is played in rounds, with all players playing simultaneously. Each player is in control of two letter piles. The first player to call out a word gets 1 point (plus bonuses for red-bordered letters), and then is out of the hand. The next player to call out a word must make a word that is at least one letter longer than the previous word, and gets 2 points plus bonuses. The next player must make a longer word, and so on. The last player in a round to make a word gets another bonus point, so sometimes players hold back until the last possible instant to make their words. Once a player blitzes both of his or her letter piles, the game ends and the highest scoring player wins.
Alpha Blitz was Games Magazine
GAMES Magazine
Games magazine is a United States magazine devoted to games and puzzles, and is published by Games Publications, a division of Kappa Publishing Group.-History:...
s 1998 Word Game of the Year.