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How do you play Criss Cross?



1. Introduction



Criss Cross, my only real party/family game, can have up to an unlimited number of players, but the more players, the more cards you'll need. The unique thing about it is that it can be played solo! If you'd like to read about it's history of development, read this.

2. Required items



300 cards [1 by 3/4 inch minimum size [25 mm by 19 mm]], or 3 sheets of paper [printer paper works best] Letter distribution:
A=22, B=5, C=7, D=10, E=33, F=5, G=9, H=5, I=20, J=2, K=5, L=15, M=6, N=18,
O=20, P=7, Q=2, R=20, S=22, T=25, U=11, V=4, W=5, X=2, Y=5, Z=2, WILD CARDS=13*

1 scissors
1 standard 12-inch ruler
1 pen or pencil
1 set of rules [supplied here]
1 6-sided die [for drawing cards]
1 calcultor [for optional scoring]



3. Construction



  1. You need to cut out 1 inch by 3/4 inch paper slips from your paper. You'll need 300 of these slips or about 3 sheets of paper [you could get 121 cards from a single 11 by 8.5 sheet of paper; increasing the size to 1 1/2 by 1 inch cards will give you 56 cards [need 6 sheets] and for 1 1/8 by 7/8, you'll get 81 cards per sheet, or need 4 sheets].
  2. After cutting each square out, and piling them up, you need to write on them. First off, you need to write in the details exactly as shown on each card [the style is exact so that it makes the rules easier to understand]

    The top is the letter, the bottom left is your precise value, and the bottom right is your scoring value.


    The tile should have the main letter covering a lot of the slip, and must include a precise number [supplied in the table at the bottom of this page under the PV column], and the scoring number [the rounded version of the precise value, under the SV column]. These numbers are to aid with scoring.
  3. Rules are just below to explain how it's played.
  4. Play as much as you want. Run short on cards, or lose them, no problem, you can just make some more.


4. Who goes first and how many to draw?



Notice: There are a lot of tables involved to avoid using space-hogging images.

To decide who goes first, roll the die among each player. The highest number wins, and goes first. If a tie results with the highest number, let those who tied with it reshake.

As soon as a first player is started, each player must roll the die 4 times to draw some cards. While rolling, add up your overall values, and draw that many cards. For example, if you roll a 3, 4, 1, then a 6, you draw 14 cards from your cards you just made.

5. Game rules tutorial



As soon as all cards are drawn among each player, the one who goes first must make a move. The first player lays his/her cards down. However, the first player must lay down 5 cards at once. Lay them down in a Crossword style manner:

-----------------------------------------
|   H   |   O   |   U   |   S   |   E   |
| 3.7/4 |  1/1  | 1.8/2 | 0.9/1 | 0.6/1 |
-----------------------------------------


Each letter's score value is what you score by. The easiest way to to find out what you scored is to simply add the numbers up. 4 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 9. Then you take that and multiply by the number of letters you have used to make that word. 45 points is a good score for a first play.

The next player's turn has to extend to this. [s]he looks at his/her cards and decides on a way it can be the most points. Getting rid of "junk letters" is the best thing to do. If you have J's, Q's, V's, X's, and/or Z's, try to get rid of them as soon as you can. Because of your card limit of 24 cards at once, you'll want to get rid of these in any way. If you have a wild card, save them for times in getting rid of these letters. Player 2 adds in this:

-----------------------------------------
|   H   |   O   |   U   |   S   |   E   |
| 3.7/4 |  1/1  | 1.8/2 | 0.9/1 | 0.6/1 |
-----------------------------------------
        |   U   |
        | 1.8/2 |
        ---------
        |   T   |
        | 0.8/1 |
        ---------


OUT really isn't worth much. 1+2+1=4. 4×3=12. What a poor score! Only do this if you can't make any moves at all. You could draw if you want at any time up to 24 cards tops though. If you have 21 cards, and roll a 4, you lose a turn [this turn and the next]. Only do it with 18 cards tops [12 in the tournament] to be safe.

Player 3 thinks a bit, and lays down this:

-----------------------------------------
|   H   |   O   |   U   |   S   |   E   |
| 3.7/4 |  1/1  | 1.8/2 | 0.9/1 | 0.6/1 |
-----------------------------------------
        |   U   |
        | 1.8/2 |
        -------------------------------------------------
        |   T   |   R   |   I   |   V   |   I   |   A   |
        | 0.8/1 |  1/1  |  1/1  | 5.3/5 |  1/1  | 0.9/1 |
        -------------------------------------------------


The word TRIVIA is worth quite a bit, especially from the V, a junk letter. Considering the fact that it's worth a good 60 points, you can really get ahead with it. That certainly is a lot. However, there's one feature that this is barely anything of what you can get with, but it's very hard to get, and requires a lot of thinking.

Player 4 noticed a Z, and thinks of a way to get rid of it. With only 8 cards available, player 4 has to really think. However, a handy S comes in:

-----------------------------------------
|   H   |   O   |   U   |   S   |   E   |
| 3.7/4 |  1/1  | 1.8/2 | 0.9/1 | 0.6/1 |
-----------------------------------------
        |   U   |
        | 1.8/2 |
        ---------------------------------------------------------
        |   T   |   R   |   I   |   V   |   I   |   A   |   S   |
        | 0.8/1 |  1/1  |  1/1  | 5.3/5 |  1/1  | 0.9/1 | 0.9/1 |
        ---------------------------------------------------------


Because the word TRIVIA was already in existance, adding to it [prefixes and suffixes], you get the credit of the original word plus your letter. This makes a 60-point score from the previous to a 77-point score. Now the next player has to do something.

Using proper nouns



With a lot of cards to get rid of, some of the best choices include getting some really big words, or using the V already supplied. Remembering the rules about using names [rule number 4], player 5 adds in:

-----------------------------------------
|   H   |   O   |   U   |   S   |   E   |
| 3.7/4 |  1/1  | 1.8/2 | 0.9/1 | 0.6/1 |
-----------------------------------------
        |   U   |
        | 1.8/2 |
        ---------------------------------------------------------
        |   T   |   R   |   I   |   V   |   I   |   A   |   S   |
        | 0.8/1 |  1/1  |  1/1  | 5.3/5 |  1/1  | 0.9/1 | 0.9/1 |
        ---------------------------------------------------------
                                |   E   |
                                | 0.6/1 |
                                ---------
                                |   N   |
                                | 1.1/1 |
                                ---------
                                |   I   |
                                |  1/1  |
                                ---------
                                |   C   |
                                |  3/3  |
                                ---------
                                |   E   |
                                | 0.6/1 |
                                ---------


With VENICE [a city in Italy], it's worth a good 72 points.

The most powerful play available



Player 6 is up to something! (s)he tells them that he can beat all their scores added together! How? There's one move really worth it. It's called the "Square Effect". Here's his/her intellegent move:

-----------------------------------------
|   H   |   O   |   U   |   S   |   E   |
| 3.7/4 |  1/1  | 1.8/2 | 0.9/1 | 0.6/1 |
-----------------------------------------
        |   U   |
        | 1.8/2 |
        ---------------------------------------------------------
        |   T   |   R   |   I   |   V   |   I   |   A   |   S   |
        | 0.8/1 |  1/1  |  1/1  | 5.3/5 |  1/1  | 0.9/1 | 0.9/1 |
        ---------------------------------------------------------
                        |   C   |   E   |   N   |   T   |
                        |  3/3  | 0.6/1 | 1.1/1 | 0.8/1 |
                -----------------------------------------
                |   T   |   E   |   N   |
                | 0.8/1 | 0.6/1 | 1.1/1 |
                -------------------------
                                |   I   |
                                |  1/1  |
                                ---------
                                |   C   |
                                |  3/3  |
                                ---------
                                |   E   |
                                | 0.6/1 |
                                ---------


Unbelievable! If (s)he had t's left, Tint could be added, however, that's not part of the rules though, and will have to wait until his/her turn again. To keep score on this situation, add in the values of ALL words created.

ICE=1+3+1=5×3=15
CENT=3+1+1+1=6×4=24
TEN=1+1+1=3×3=9
IN=1+1=2×2=4
AT=1+1=2×2=4
1+5.3+1+.9+.9+3+.6+1.1+.8+.6+1.1=15.4
15+24+9+4+4=56×15.4=862.4

Where is this extra line and the 15.4 coming from? The precise values answer that and the only case in which the precise values are used in the game. To figure this out, count only the letters that make a perfect 2x2 square, everything else not in these squares don't count. Just add them up after totaling all scores together. The I's, T's, etc. all add up to 15.4. After adding up your scores from each word, multiply by this number. This only occurs with the Square Effect. The Square Effect is the only way to make more than one word in a single turn! This play used up 14 cards, and was worth a lot, though, because that V was involved and that so many cards were used to make so many words, 862.4 [yes, decimals are accepted] is on the extreme end of the scoring, usually, 300 is about typical for 10 cards used. The Square Effect only occurs if you have a perfect 2 by 2 square of cards without a spot missing. All it takes is some pattern like this:

----------------
|  I   |   T   |
| 1/1  | 0.8/1 |
----------------
|  S   |   O   |
|0.9/1 |  1/1  |
----------------


There can even be missing areas along the sides outside of this, but as long as there is the basic 2 by 2 grid anywhere, it is the Square Effect.

Using up all cards



How can other players catch up? Player 7 barely has any cards. After thinking long enough, all 6 cards get used up:

-----------------------------------------
|   H   |   O   |   U   |   S   |   E   |
| 3.7/4 |  1/1  | 1.8/2 | 0.9/1 | 0.6/1 |
-----------------------------------------
        |   U   |
        | 1.8/2 |
        ---------------------------------------------------------
        |   T   |   R   |   I   |   V   |   I   |   A   |   S   |
        | 0.8/1 |  1/1  |  1/1  | 5.3/5 |  1/1  | 0.9/1 | 0.9/1 |
        ---------------------------------------------------------
                        |   C   |   E   |   N   |   T   |
                        |  3/3  | 0.6/1 | 1.1/1 | 0.8/1 |
                -----------------------------------------
                |   T   |   E   |   N   |
                | 0.8/1 | 0.6/1 | 1.1/1 |
                -------------------------
                                |   I   |
                                |  1/1  |
        ---------------------------------------------------------
        |   P   |   R   |   I   |   C   |   I   |   N   |   G   |
        | 2.8/3 |  1/1  |  1/1  |  3/3  |  1/1  | 1.1/1 | 2.3/2 |
        ---------------------------------------------------------
                                |   E   |
                                | 0.6/1 |
                                ---------


PRICING, worth 84 points [It doesn't add to the Square Effect, because it's not an extension to a word, yet the square effect lasts only one time in the same area, so that doesn't take effect on the score.], is the word created, but now since player 7 doesn't have any cards remaining, he/she must roll the die 4 times [3 times in the tournament] again and draw that many cards. He/She also gets a 125 point bonus for emptying his/her hand. This means that player 7 got 209 points in all. However, if he/she clears his/her hand again, it's worth 125 additional points, and adds in 125 points to the score for each time their hand is cleared; in other words, if you've cleared your hand ten times in a given game, the tenth round would score you 1250 bonus points! If you want cards, use them up as fast as you can. The more cards used usually means a better score. Now for the next player's decision.

Player 8 saw the word TINT as being available, but only has 1 T. However, even that doesn't affect the Square Effect's scoring. The Square Effect is a one-time-only event for those tiles. As soon as it occurs, it can never be done again unless it's in a totally different area of the game [not using the words in the previous Square Effect, and can be just 2 Squares apart even. If player 8 needs to do something, he/she can put a T at the bottom, and have something else instead on the second T. However, he/she doesn't think of that. Instead (s)he thinks of this interesting move:

-----------------------------------------
|   H   |   O   |   U   |   S   |   E   |
| 3.7/4 |  1/1  | 1.8/2 | 0.9/1 | 0.6/1 |
-----------------------------------------
        |   U   |       |   P   |
        | 1.8/2 |       | 2.8/3 |
        ---------------------------------------------------------
        |   T   |   R   |   I   |   V   |   I   |   A   |   S   |
        | 0.8/1 |  1/1  |  1/1  | 5.3/5 |  1/1  | 0.9/1 | 0.9/1 |
        ---------------------------------------------------------
                        |   C   |   E   |   N   |   T   |
                        |  3/3  | 0.6/1 | 1.1/1 | 0.8/1 |
                -----------------------------------------
                |   T   |   E   |   N   |
                | 0.8/1 | 0.6/1 | 1.1/1 |
                -------------------------
                                |   I   |
                                |  1/1  |
        ---------------------------------------------------------
        |   P   |   R   |   I   |   C   |   I   |   N   |   G   |
        | 2.8/3 |  1/1  |  1/1  |  3/3  |  1/1  | 1.1/1 | 2.3/2 |
        ---------------------------------------------------------
                                |   E   |
                                | 0.6/1 |
                                ---------


6. Ending the game



This game can actually go on for as long as 3 hours given 300 cards, but players can continue until they decide to quit or set some other accomplishment as in the first to reach as specific score, optimal is about 3000 [for 2 or 3 players], but choose whatever as long as everyone playing agrees on it. In the tournament, play must go on until all cards are drawn [if someone can play without drawing a card, the play continues until someone can't do anything [needs to draw]. If, on some occasions, especially at the beginning of the game, that no one can make a move because of the design of the laid-out cards and would push drawing for certain letters over the limit, the game starts over with all players giving away their cards and the scores all start back on zero. If two cards are remaining, and someone rolls a 3, the player takes the two remaining, and play continues. A fast game can go for 2 hours, but you don't have to use up all your cards. Besides, here's the main instructions. The above just gives you a general idea to how it's played. To play Solo [just one player], aim for the highest scores you can. 6000 is a good goal to go for, but it may take a very long time to get.

7. The complete list of rules



  1. Names of the famous are allowed in Criss Cross. Names can be used as long as they are a famous name within the national levels like US presidents, or some special inventors like John Deere [sp.?; the "Deere" part gets laid out as last names are the ones used, not first names]. They must be famous on the national or the world level [the highest after national]. When laid down, the one who did must say one way that (s)he is famous. If incorrect, the one who laid it scores 0 points, the tiles are put back into his/her hand, and the turn ends. Looking it up is recommended to verify it if someone is questioning it. Looking up data is required in the tournament.
  2. Abbreviations are allowed, but in only one form. They can only be in the style of AAA, or NASA [also known as acronyms], and the one who lays an acronym down must say what it is. If it isn't correct, the abbreviation is removed, and that player scores 0 points that turn.
  3. Names of cities are also available. These must be some of the very largest cities [i.e. New York, Chicago, Tokyo, etc.; not always capitals] or very popular cities anywhere on the globe!
  4. Names of other things like video games are not allowed in anyway. If one is laid down, it gets put back in the layer's hands, scores 0 points, and their turn ends immediately [except if was a single, real word of course].
  5. Company names are also not allowed as well. There are just so many of them that it would make the game be not worth it, even large companies for example.
  6. These rules listed below are optional [as long as each player agrees on using it in standard mode] but are required in the tournament:
    1. Wild cards will cancel half the multiplier value when the Square Effect is used. This means that if the precise values add up to 13, the value used in the tournaments is 6.5, half of 13. If two are involved, it gets halved again to 3.25 and so on for each extra. Be careful when using wild cards in the Square Effect.
    2. Wild cards cannot be used to remove the letters J, Q, V, X, and/or Z. If a wild card is used, the wild card is returned to the drawing bin, and mixed up again. Then draws another one in exchange for it.
    3. Maximum card limitation of 18 instead of 24 [can only roll 3 times instead of 4].
    4. Names, cities, etc. cannot be used in any way [recommended in normal play].
  7. The following rules are optional as well as long as each player agrees on using it, but are not allowed in tournament mode.
    1. Card limitation of 30 [roll the die 5 times instead of 4]
    2. Wild cards do not affect the Square Effect value, and are considered zero's as marked.
    3. Topic games: pick a specific topic [i.e. swimming, computers, music, etc.], and when a word relating to that topic is used, the player scores 50 bonus points for each letter used. [i.e. If the topic was sports, and one lays down "ball", they get the score for ball, plus 200 bonus points.]
  8. No 2-letter words allowed except with the Square Effect.
  9. If there is a tie in any game, all tiles are put into the bin, including those from all other players, mixed well, and those who are tied draw six cards from this bin. The one who can get the highest score from what they've got is the winner of the tie-breaker. The one who receives the highest score wins. If ties continue, repeat this until the tie ends.
  10. Now that you know the rules and stuff, start playing Criss Cross or gather up a small game party and play big. 


Ltr    PV*   SV**     Ltr    PV    SV       Ltr    PV    SV

 A    0.9     1        B    4.3     4        C      3     3

 D    2.1     2        E    0.6     1        F    3.8     4

 G    2.3     2        H    3.7     4        I      1     1

 J   10.1    10        K    4.4     4        L    1.3     1

 M    3.6     4        N    1.1     1        O      1     1

 P    2.8     3        Q   11.8    12        R      1     1 

 S    0.9     1        T    0.8     1        U    1.8     2

 V    5.3     5        W    3.9     4        X   11.4    11 

 Y    3.8     4        Z    9.3     9       WLD     0     0


Table footnotes:
* "PV" stands for "precise value", the value in which is used for the Square Effect and for judging how many cards you need if you choose a different base as described in page footnote *.
** "SV" stands for "score value", the value in which is used for general scoring. This is the precise value rounded to the nearest whole number.

Footnotes:
* These quantities are based on the letter's rarity as shown in the table above. My base for this is 20, meaning that if the precise value was 1, you'd have 20 cards of that letter. If the rarity was .6, like that of the letter E, the most common letter of the alphabet, take 20÷.6, or 33 1/3. Because you can't have a fraction, round it to the nearest whole number. If you wanted more cards [especially for a bigger party or a long-lasting game], increase this base number. 20 is a good start, but if you use 30, you'll get about 450 cards with some bit of a difference from rounding numbers. The minimum base you can use is 6, but there is no maximum, provided you have enough paper and time to make the cards. The wild cards are the odd balls though. For wild cards, take 2/3 of the base. For 20, that's 13 1/3, which rounds to 13, thus the reason for the 13 wild cards. If you used 30 for the base, you'd have 20 wild cards instead.