PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS GAME IS NOW CLOSED. The review has been published below, along with a lot of spoiler space for those who still wish to have a go at the game. Game 11 has now been set up on a new page.
1. DDSEEEDPQ
2. UAWAFDPTR
3. ENOIHSSUE
4. INUNIOWYV
5. 50 2 7 5 3 6 TARGET: 897
6. SAYOSPWDO
7. EEMUERTXA
8. EUEAAHPRD
9. OROUCESLD
10. 25 50 100 75 8 4 TARGET: 407
11. TMUAOKMNT
12. FQFDAFEOS
13. OOCOLAFTG
14. 75 100 3 8 1 6 TARGET: 339
15. UNVEILSIC
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
SPOILER SPACE
Apologies for the slight delay in closing game ten and uploading this review, but have been very busy just recently. However, it's here at last. My thanks to all those who entered the game, and once again congratulations to Stuart Earl with the top score of 121. Game eleven has been set up on a new page and is due to close on Thuesday 24th November, but it may be next Saturday as it's possible that I could be going away Wednesday to Friday. Anyway, on with the review of game 10:
Round 1: At first this didn't appear to be a good selection, with all three vowels being E and three D's also in the selection. However, I think everyone managed a seven here with SPEEDED and I don't think it's possible to go any better than this.
Round 2: I got DRAFT for five from this selection, but a few other people managed to go one better and get UPWARD for six. I had to check this as I always thought it to be upwards, but apparently both are fine, so UPWARD got the six points here.
Round 3: An excellent seven here with HEINOUS which was the best anyone could do, so well done to those who got this.
Round 4: The last letters round before the first numbers. The last three letters -WYV didn't help matters and I think the best here was five, either with UNION, which was the most popular choice, or INION which is listed in dictionary.com as being the most prominent part of the bone at the base of the skull.
Round 5: The first numbers round of the game and I opted for the classic Countdown selection of one large and five small numbers, with a big target of 897. The quickest way to get to the target using the selection is to say: ((50 X 6 X 3) + 2) - 5 = 897.
Round 6: A good spot here with SAPWOOD for seven which is the soft outer layers of new wood between the bark and the heartwood. Nothing better here.
Round 7: Another very good spot in this round for seven using the "X", which is EXTREME. Certainly no beaters from me here.
Round 8: Yet again, another excellent spot here for seven - EPHEDRA, which is the plant that is the source of the drug ephedrine which constricts the blood vessels and widens the bronchial passges.
Round 9: It's rare that we get a nine letter word in one of these games, purely because of the often poor selection of the letters, but there is one in this round - COLOUREDS. Well done to all those who got this for the eighteen points.
Round 10: Numbers time again and this time I went for the often trickier selection of four large numbers and two small. The target was 407 and the quickest way to get there was to say
((100 + 8) X 4) - 25 = 407 so it wasn't really as tricky this time.
Round 11: After the nine letter word in round 9, we move back down to a six here with AMOUNT and I think everyone got this for the six points.
Round 12: There was a five here with FADES, but there was a six with FAFFED, which is an informal term so probably disallowed on the real Countdown, but I allowed it in the game.
Round 13: Last letters round of the game now and the best here was a six with GALOOT which is now an informal term for a stupid person, but originally meant an inexperienced sailor.
Round 14: Last numbers round of the game now and I went for the selection of two large and four small numbers, with a target of 339. Slightly tricker solution this time, but the quickest way to get there was to say ((75 X 3) + (100 + 8)) + 6 = 339.
Round 15: The conundrum of UNVEILSIC became INCLUSIVE, with everyone getting the full ten points.
So, once again, my thanks to those who took part in the game and I hope to see many entries for game 11 which has been started on a new page.
