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Wordaway is a copyrighted interactive word game by Alan Stillson.
Licensing rights are available to software developers.
The following is a description of how Wordaway is played:
INTRODUCTION:
WORDAWAY is an interactive one-player or two-player word game.
In the one-player version, it’s played against the computer
or console. In the two-player version, two people play against
each other with the computer or console as referee. The objective
is to make the last play. A play consists of removing the
letters of a valid three, four or five-letter word. The validity
of a word is decided by a built-in dictionary, based on a
standard published source, with plurals and conjugations.
The suggested source is the Merriam-Webster Pocket Dictionary.
I. The two-player game
LENGTH OF ROUND
The computer offers four choices regarding the length of a
round. The players choose the length of a round, based on
the first player to win one, two, three or four games. Player
one makes the choice and player two either agrees or makes
a different choice until agreement is reached.
DETERMINATION OF FIRST PLAY
The computer makes a random pick of which player has the first
play in each game of the round.
STARTING PHRASE
The computer displays the starting phrase, which will be treated
as a set of letters consisting of no less than eight vowels
and no more than twelve vowels.
FIRST LEGITIMATE PLAY
The first legitimate play is a three, four or five-letter
word which uses only letters from the pool of letters in the
starting phrase. For example, if the starting play is apple,
there must be at least 1 a, at least 2 ps, at least 1 l and
at least 1 e in the starting phrase.
PLAYS MUST BE LEGITIMATE AND VALID
The first play will be tested by the computer to make sure
it’s both legitimate and valid. If it doesn’t
meet both of these criteria, the person who made the play
will automatically lose the game.
REMAINING LETTERS
After the first play, assuming it is legitimate and valid,
the letters used in the play will be deleted from the starting
phrase, starting from the left, and the remaining letters
will be displayed in alphabetical order. All punctuation marks
will also be deleted.
TIME LIMIT FOR EACH PLAY
Each play has a time limit of thirty seconds. The computer
will display a digital clock with remaining seconds on each
play. A person who fails to enter a play within the time limit
automatically loses the game.
ENTRY OF A PLAY
A play is entered by using the keyboard (actual or displayed,
according to the format) to input a valid three, four or five-letter
word and clicking an “enter” button.
CONTINUATION OF PLAY
The play continues and rotates between the two persons until
one loses by not playing within the time limit, not playing
a legitimate word, or not playing a valid word.
RESIGNATION
As a time-saver, there will also be a resignation button available
when a person is convinced that he/she does not have a play
available and must lose the game.
EXAMPLE
Starting phrase: NOW I ASK YOU VERY CONFIDENTIALLY
Player 1 starts and plays FLAKE, leaving: ACDEIIILNNNOOORSTUVWYYY
Player 2 plays CRY, leaving: ADEIIILNNNOOOSTUVWYY
Player 1 plays WADE, leaving: IIILNNNOOOSTUVYY
Player 2 plays SIN, leaving: IILNNOOOTUVYY
Player 1 plays NOON, leaving: IILOTUVYY
Player 2 plays TOIL, leaving: IUVYY
Player 1 plays IVY, leaving UY and winning the game.
II. The one-player game
SIMILARITIES
The rules are the same as for a two-player game.
DIFFERENCES
The player will always determine the length of a round.
The computer will always make legitimate, valid plays within
the time limit or resign if such a play cannot be done.
The computer will be programmed to seek winning plays at a
pre-designated stage of the game.
EXAMPLES OF STARTING PHRASES
FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO
READ MY LIPS, NO MORE TAXES
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
THOU SHALT KEEP THE SABBATH
STICKS AND STONES CAN BREAK MY BONES
THROUGH THE GOOD OR LEAN YEARS
YOU DESERVE A BREAK TODAY
A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE
THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT
FRIENDS, ROMANS, AND COUNTRYMEN
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
PI TIMES THE RADIUS SQUARED
JEREMIAH WAS A BULLFROG
HERE TODAY AND GONE TOMORROW
THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH
WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON
PATE DE FOIS GRAS AUX TRUFFES
GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES
LUKE SKYWALKER AND HAN SOLO
ROGER MARIS AND MICKEY MANTLE
Are you ready for Wordaway? |
