Coiledspring Games have recently sent us some different games to play and review. We have had fun playing their cat-themed games Rat-a-Tat Roll and Kitty Bitty. They recently sent us Qwirkle so that we could put a matching game to the test.
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Qwirkle
Quirkle is simple in theory as you match colours and shapes. It also requires tactical maneuvers and a well-planned strategy to play. Create lines of tiles of the same colour or shape to earn points. These lines can’t contain duplicates. If you can create a line of six tiles you score a Qwirkle!
What Will You Find In The Box?
- 108 game tiles
- 1 drawstring bag
Setting Up Qwirkle
To set up the game place all the tiles in the drawstring bag and give them a good mix. Each player must draw six tiles. Stand these tiles up so that the player is the only one to see their selected tiles. Don’t forget a pen and paper to keep the score.
Starting The Game
Each player must look at their tiles and work out their largest set. This set will be made up of tiles that are all the same colour or all the same shape. The player with the largest set plays those tiles.
Playing Qwirkle
Taking Your Turn
When it’s your turn to play you must place one or more tiles. The aim of the game is to create a Qwirkle. A line of six tiles. After placing your tiles tally your score. One point is awarded for each tile in a line that you create or add to. A Qwirkle will win you a total of 12 points. With your turn taken take tiles from the bag to bring your hand back up to six.
If you can’t or don’t want to place tiles you can trade your tiles instead. Decide which tiles you want to trade, then draw the same number of replacement tiles from the bag. Place your traded tiles back into the bag and mix well. Trading tiles counts as your entire turn.
Placing Tiles
A line is made up of tiles that touch each other. A line can be made of either tiles that are all the same shape or colour. Duplicate tiles are not allowed, this means that lines will never be longer than six tiles.
When playing a tile, at least one of the tiles must touch a tile that has already been played. This means the tile is already part of a line.
Ending The Game
The first player to run out of tiles ends the game. They also score six bonus points. All of the points must then be added up. The player with the highest score wins.
What Do We Love About Qwirkle
This game really challenged us. I love the strategy it requires to play. It reminded me of playing chess but you can have more players. Little E did struggle to get the hang of it. She is only five and the recommended age is 6+. She was happy to play it and for us to give us guidance.
It did take us a little while to get used to the rules for placing tiles. We got quite competitive when we finally got the hang of it.
I think this is a great family game to play. It really gets you thinking. I also think we will enjoy playing this with our friends. It is a game we will definitely take with us when we go away with our friends again in the future.
DISCLOSURE – We received Qwirkle as a gift. This was for the purposes of this post. We always share our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, and experiences of the products received.