Prolix (2010)

About this game

In Prolix, players score points by coming up with words whose letters match those of the Letter Chips on the board. Unlike other word games, you don’t need all the letters of a word to be on the board to use that word. This means that you are free to use all those words you always wanted to use in other word games, but were always a few tiles or cards short! Of course, the letters in your word won’t score if they aren’t on the board, so even huge words can be stinkers if you don’t use them at the right time. Letters score based on how rare they are, and where they are on the board. Once you finish scoring your letters, all letter chips move across the board, changing their value. If you have a great word but it’s not your turn, you’re allowed to interrupt another player’s turn and score. But be careful, because you can lose points by interrupting with low-scoring words. And of course, other players can interrupt your turn if they wish, or even force you to say a word by flipping a timer. Microbadges Buy Microbadge - Prolix Fan Letter distribution: all consonants occur five times, with the exception of four letters that occur twice (K,V,W,Y), and four letters that occur just once (J,Q,X,Z).

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 1 to 5. It has a designed solo mode.
• Rules load. At 1.7/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 9 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.