WYPS Rules
WYPS is abstract word game for two players.
Author: Richard Malaschitz
Version of rules 2.1 (2011 July)
Components – board
Game is played on triangular board with hexagonal spaces. The board has 13 spaces to a side. For quicker game is possible play on smaller triangle – 10 or 7 spaces to a side. Rules are the same for all size of triangle.
Size of board determine length of game. Game on size 7 has only 10-15 moves and lasts 5-10 minutes. Game on size 13 can have more than 40 moves, more than 30 minutes.
Components – WYPS stones.
There are 91 stones with letters. Stones have two distinct sides, each side representing one player. On every stone is exactly one letter.
Letter distributions:
- 12x E
- 7x A,R,S
- 6x I,T
- 5x L,N,O
- 4x D
- 3x C,G,U
- 2x F,H,M,P,Y
- 1x B,J,K,Q,V,W,X,Z
Without looking into the bag, each of the both players takes one stone out of the stone bag. Whichever player has the letter closest to the beginning of the alphabet will be have black stones. These stones are placed into the bag again.
Starting the game, each player begins their turn by drawing seven stones from the bag.
Position before swap move. The black player has [I,C,G,U,O,I,P]. The white player has [N,O,H,I,A,A,C].
Swap move
Black player can swap stones between players. Always must be swap all letters.
Black decide to swap stones.
Game play
Players create words from letters and stones on board. If player use opponent’s letters on board, she turns one letter from those stones on own side. Instead of create word is possibly put on board only one letter from rack. In move must be used at least one letter from rack. After move, letters are drawn to rack up to seven if bag is not empty. The first move makes the white player. If player create the word in straight line, she turn all used opponent’s letters to own side.
Position after first move CUP.
Game continues with the next player.
Move CHAIN. Black used four letters from rack and one opponent letter C. She turn letter C to black side.
Move INTO. Because word INTO is created in straight line, both used black stones are turned.
Aim of the game
Aim of the game is create group of stone connected to all three sides of game board.
Black played move SENSE and connect all three sides of board. This move is called atari (attack). White on move must break off this connection.
The white’s move SEEN break off black’s atari.
End of the game
The game continues, while one player’s group is not connected to all three sides of game board and opponent on move is unable break off it. The corners count as belonging to both sides of the board which they are adjacent.
The black’s move LANDS. After this move, white could not find next move. White resigns game and black is winner.
Quick version
The quick version is finished when first player connect all three sides of board. Game is played with 6 letters in rack.
For example, in this position white could play word TERRACE and won game.
Small version
WYPS is possible play on any size of board. The small version is version played on size 7.
Number version
The number version is played on board with size 10 with pool size 6. In game is 55 stones: 10×0, 9×1, 8×2, 7×3, 6×4, 5×5, 4×6, 3×7, 2×8, 1×9. Valid sequences are straights or sets of equal letters, for example: 0-1-2-3, 7-8-9, 5-5-5-5.
