Qwirkle, the top board game, is designed by Susan McKinley Ross and published by mindware. It is the most awarded game in the board game industry. The game comes with 180 wooden tiles, of 6 different shapes, such as clover stars, square, circles, and diamonds, and it also contains the rulebook housed inside the box containing the tiles.
Well! Beyond the rule books, there’s a common argument about the illegal moves in Qwirkle. To clear the confusion, today we are going to tell you about some illegal moves of the Qwirkle board game. Further, we will also answer some frequently asked questions related to Qwirkle that will help you understand the game even better.
But before we move ahead, let’s quickly help you understand the gameplay of Qwirkle!
The Game Play Of Qwirkle
The game’s objective is to score more points than what your opponent(s) scores before the game ends. It is simple in its concept. All you have to do is mix and match, and you score while you do so. The game promotes quick thinking. It sounds so simple when we talk about mix matches, but let us tell you it is not as easy as it sounds. The players have to put a lot of minds and think strategically. It takes depths of concentration to dive into the game.
The game starts with all the initial tiles placed inside the bag and is mixed thoroughly. Later, players draw six tiles each from inside the bag without showing the other players. The players then place tiles(one or several) on the table, and each player takes turns to play in a clockwise manner and the game proceeds! This game looks childish, like bright colors, simple shapes, and relatively simple rules, but Qwirkle is challenging, and it is not a children’s game despite its colorful appearance.
Illegal Moves in Qwirkle Board
The first thing we see when we play Qwirkle is the moves on the board, which is legal and not. Sometimes, we make illegal moves thinking they are permitted and at times, we even get into arguments with people who are aware of the illegal moves. Does this happen with you too? If yes, read below the common illegal moves that most people make while playing Qwirkle!
- Playing two tiles that are precisely the same
One of the rules in Qwirkle is that you can not play two tiles that are the same. You must play multiple tiles at your turn.
- We can’t make two lines
Shapes and colors can go in any direction in critical time as long as all conditions or color restrictions are observed. The only thing that matters is that a line should contain tiles with either the shape or color in common. If you have a line of all six blue figures, you can undoubtedly play a second line of blue shapes. You can even play them into, for example, a 3 x 3 field which makes it hard to build off and score some decent points.
- Tile does not touch another tile that has already been played
When you play a tile, at least one of the tiles must touch a tile that has already been played and part of the line. If you are not doing this, that will be an illegal move in the Qwirkle game.
- Shifting of tiles
Once the tiles are placed on the table, players are not allowed to move them. If any player is doing so, it will be considered an illegal move. One can put a tile or tiles in the middle of a line to create another line but if we shift tiles that are already placed on the table, that will be an illegal move in Qwirkle.
Frequently Asked Questions on Qwirkle Game Rules
- How many players are needed?
Qwirkle is a tile-based game, and the minimum number of players required is two, and the maximum is 4. If more than four players are willing to play, they can use two sets of the board.
- What if a player makes an illegal move in the game?
When a player doesn’t play according to the rulebook, it doesn’t count as a move. As mentioned in the rule book, it would be considered an illegal move in the game, and the player who made the illegal move in the game would be disqualified. For example, if a player shifts the tile placed on the board, the player would get disqualified.
- What is the playing time of this game?
In Qwirkle, 2 to 4 players play. And the average running time of the game is between thirty minutes to sixty minutes. A pencil and paper are recommended to note the points.
- What is the highest score in Qwirkle?
When the tile bags have no more possible draws, and the player who got rid of their hand of tile first gets six bonus points for their efforts and the game ends, the player with the highest score is the winner, and the highest score in came vertically is 12.
- What if we lost a tile?
Losing a tile in Qwirkle is annoying. You can rectify it, choose the missing tile and buy it immediately. And you can make it at home by DIY.
- How do you cheat in the game?
Players avoid creating lines with five tiles because they think opponents will add the six tiles and complete the Qwirkle. Players count the times on the board and assume that they need tile that is still in the bag. That’s how to cheat in the game by taking. When the opponent player is not concentrating on the board, the other players shift the tiles already played on the board.
- How many points does the player get who ends the game first?
At the end of the game, when there are no more tiles to be drawn and the person to play all his or her tiles gets six bonus points for ending the game first as his reward, and if the person who gets rewards also has the highest score he or she wins the game.
Wrapping Up!
Qwirkle is based on abstract thinking; players need to be entirely concentrated while playing Qwirkle. Qwirkle is honored in the list of board games. It helps kids to think logically and strategically. If any player made illegal moves and did cheating in the game, he or she would be disqualified.