How to play Word Cup

1 · Make words, score points

On your turn, drag letters from your rack onto the board to form a word, then press Play. The word is checked against the dictionary and scored automatically. Highest total when the game ends wins.

2 · Where words can go

Your first word must cross the centre ★. Every later word must connect to tiles already on the board, and the tiles you place in one turn sit in a single straight line — no gaps. Every new word your tiles form must be valid; crosswords count and score for you.

3 · Premium squares

• DL Double letter — that letter scores ×2
• TL Triple letter — that letter scores ×3
• DW Double word — the whole word ×2
• TW Triple word — the whole word ×3
• ★ Centre — first word starts here, scores double

A premium counts only on the turn a tile first lands on it.

4 · Blanks, swapping & passing

Every bag holds 3 blank tiles, worth 0 points — when you place one, you pick which letter it stands for. Swap trades 1–4 tiles for fresh ones from the bag (it uses your turn); Pass skips your turn. If everyone passes twice in a row, the game ends. Shuffle and Clear just tidy your rack — they never use your turn.

5 · Scoring & how games end

Each letter has a value — the small number on its tile. A word scores the sum of its letters times any premiums under the tiles you just placed. The game ends when a player plays their last tile with the bag empty: they collect the value of everyone else's leftover tiles, and leftovers subtract from their holder's score.

6 · Keep the game moving

Each turn has a 24-hour clock — if it runs out, the turn moves on to the next player. Your games list shows whose turn it is, and a badge appears whenever a game is waiting for you.