- Encore Support

Transcription

- Encore Support

Contents
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Contents
Welcome to Hoyle Puzzle Games Help. To find out how to play the games, click the items below.
Getting Started
Signing In Making a Face in FaceCreator
Starting a Game
Hoyle Bucks
Playing Games
Anagrams Crosswords
Edge Tiles
Gravity Tiles
Hangman
Mahjong Tiles
Maze Racer
Maze Raider
Memory Tiles
Panic
Game Options
Placer Racer Rays
Slide Tiles
Solitaire Arcade
Star Collector
Crazy Contraptions
Time Breaker
Word Searches
Customizing the Game Environment Changing Player
Settings
Playing Games in a Window
Setting Game Rules and Options
Managing Games
Saving and Restoring Games Viewing Statistics
Quitting a Game
Additional Information
1.1
Contact Information References
Signing In
When you start Hoyle Puzzle Games, you must first sign in, choosing a name and a picture to represent
yourself. You must create at least one player to play the games, and you can create additional players for
yourself, your friends, and your family members. One reason for creating multiple players is that some
games allow more than one player on the same computer. Another reason is that your high scores and
other statistics are tracked based on your player name.
The first time you sign in, you are asked to create a new player. After that, you can sign in as an existing
player. You can create new players at any time, and you can change your character face at any time.
To create a new player:
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Click the New button.
Type a name for the new player, and click OK.
To create your own unique face, click the FaceCreator button. Click here to learn more about using
FaceCreator:
OR
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Hoyle Puzzle Games Help
Select FaceCreator to show pictures you have already made using FaceCreator, or select Premade to
show pictures provided for you. Then, select the face you want to use by moving the horizontal scroll bar.
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Click OK to create the new player.
To sign in a player created during a previous session:
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Click the player’s name in the list. If necessary, scroll through the list using the vertical scroll bar.
To change the face for this player, see step 3, above.
Click OK to start playing games as this player.
Notes:
You can remove a player from the list of players by selecting the player name and clicking the Delete
button. The player (and all of his or her statistics) is removed permanently.
You can sign in as a different player after you’ve started Hoyle Puzzle Games. You might do this if
someone else wants to play games and you don’t want to exit. From the Main Screen (click Main Screen
on the Go To menu if you’re in a game), click Sign In on the File menu to sign in as a different player.
See Also
Changing Player Settings
Making a Face in FaceCreator
1.2
Starting a Game
You can start a game from the Main Screen or from the Go To menu.
To start a game:
From the Main Screen, click the game you want to play, or click the name of the game on the Go To
menu.
From within a game, click the name of the game on the Go To menu. To get to the Main Screen from
within a game, click Main Screen on the Go To menu.
To switch from one game to another:
Click the Go To menu, and then click the name of the game you want to switch to. If you’re in the
middle of a game, you are asked if you are sure you want to exit the current game.
Note: You can save a game and come back to play it later by using the Save and Restore commands
on the File menu.
See Also
Signing In
Customizing the Game Environment
1.3
Hoyle Bucks
Hoyle Bucks are frequent flier miles for gamers. When you accomplish certain feats while playing Hoyle
Puzzle Games, you automatically earn Hoyle Bucks. The more you play, the more you'll earn! Spend your
bucks on new card decks, backgrounds, music tracks, and décor items.
Your current Hoyle Bucks balance and any feats you've accomplished recently are shown in the Hoyle Bucks
display in the lower-right corner of every game screen. Rolling over the display will show you the four most
recent feats you accomplished in that game.
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Click to
Click the Bucks Point to the feats box with your
minimize balance to go to mouse to see the feats you've
the display.the Hoyle Bucks area. performed most recently.
Accessing the Hoyle Bucks Area
To spend your Hoyle Bucks, view your account ledger (for a complete list of the feats you've accomplished
for this game), or learn which feats will earn Hoyle Bucks, go to the Hoyle Bucks area of Hoyle Puzzle
Games. There are three ways to get there: click on Hoyle Bucks from the Main Screen, select Hoyle Bucks
from the Go To menu, or click on your current Hoyle Bucks balance on the Hoyle Bucks display in the game
screen.
Navigating in the Hoyle Bucks Area
When you first enter the Hoyle Bucks area, you are presented with a desktop with several items on it: the
catalog, the guide, and your ledger. Click on any of these desktop items to use them, or navigate using the
control bar at the bottom of the screen. Click on the picture below for information on that part of the control
bar.
\
Guide
Switch to the Hoyle Bucks Guide and learn how to earn bucks in each game.
Catalog
Switch to the Hoyle Bucks Catalog and spend your bucks.
Ledger
Switch to your Hoyle Bucks ledger and view your recent Hoyle Bucks financial history.
$
Your current Hoyle bucks balance.
?
Opens this help file.
X
Exit the Hoyle Bucks area.
See Also
Earning Hoyle Bucks
Spending Hoyle Bucks
Using Spacemaker
Disabling Hoyle Bucks
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1.3.1
Earning Hoyle Bucks
Earning Hoyle Bucks is easy: all you have to do is play! Each game awards Hoyle Bucks for accomplishing
various feats while playing. The size of the award for each feat depends on many factors, including the
difficulty of the feat, the number of different ways to earn bucks in the game, and your game settings.
The Hoyle Bucks Guide
To see the exact award amounts for each feat based on your current game settings, refer to the Hoyle Bucks
Guide by going to the Hoyle Bucks area, and clicking on the Guide button a the bottom of the screen.
Choose which game to view by clicking on the appropriate tab along the side of the guide. Then, scroll
through the pages with the arrows on the bottom corner of each page, or with the arrow keys on your
keyboard.
Each entry will show you the name of the feat, how to accomplish it, how many times you've accomplished
that feat, and the current reward value for accomplishing that feat with your current game settings.
Note: some actions disable Hoyle Bucks production for the remainder of the current game: adding a second
human player, receiving a game hint, using Undo from the Action menu, and restoring a saved game.
The Hoyle Bucks Ledger
To see how many bucks you've earned and where you've spent them, refer to the ledger by going to the
Hoyle Bucks area, and clicking on the Ledger button a the bottom of the screen.
The ledger contains a record of your 2,000 most recent Hoyle Bucks transactions. This includes earning
bucks, buying items from the catalog, and selling décor items in Spacemaker. You can sort the ledger by
any of the columns by clicking on the column heading.
You can page through the ledger using the arrow buttons at the bottom of the ledger page. Clicking a single
arrow (or using the right and left arrows on your keyboard) will take your forward or back one page. Clicking
a double arrow takes you forward or back ten pages.
See Also
Using Spacemaker
1.3.2
So now that you've earned some Hoyle Bucks, what do you do with them? Spend them on items in the Hoyle
Bucks catalog, of course! Click on the Catalog button at the bottom of the Hoyle Bucks screen, and spend
your hard-earned Hoyle cash.
To purchase an item:
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Choose a section to browse by clicking on one of the tabs along the side of the catalog.
Turn the page by clicking the arrows next to the catalog page numbers, or by using the right and left
arrows on your keyboard.
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When you find an item you would like to purchase that you can afford, click on the Buy Now button.
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To put your item into use right away, click on the link at the bottom of the catalog page: either
Backgrounds, Cards, Environment, or Spacemaker. The link will be the appropriate one for using the
items sold on that page.
Note: When you purchase an item for the first time, the item becomes highlighted in the catalog, so you can
see at a glance what you have purchased before. Some items can only be purchased once. When you
purchase a one-time item, the Buy Now button changes to Sold. Other items can be purchased multiple
times. All of your recent spending is tracked in the Hoyle Bucks Ledger for your review.
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Music
Unlock more music with your Hoyle Bucks! Once purchased, a new music track becomes available for
playing in the Environment menu. Select Environment… from the Options menu to choose your background
music.
Décor
Express your personality by displaying décor items around yourself. Each décor item purchased becomes
available in the Spacemaker interface. Use Spacemaker to arrange your décor items. To access
Spacemaker, click on Spacemaker at the bottom of catalog pages containing décor items, or select
Spacemaker from the Options menu.
Some décor items are interactive; click on your objects during a game to interact with them!
Clearance!
Clearance items are décor items priced to move! There are clearance items from all the other categories,
maybe you'll find a nice bargain…
See Also
Earning Hoyle Bucks
Using Spacemaker
1.3.3
Using Spacemaker
In Spacemaker, you can arrange décor items you've purchased with your Hoyle Bucks around you. You can
access Spacemaker by selecting Spacemaker in the Options menu, or by clicking Spacemaker at the
bottom of catalog pages containing décor items.
Click the picture of Spacemaker below to get help with that part of Spacemaker:
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To put an item from your closet into use:
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Items you have purchased start out in your closet. Click an item name from your Items in closet list to
select it.
Click Place to put the selected object into use.
You can adjust the position of most décor items. Click Next Position to cycle the selected décor item
through several possible locations until you find one that is close to where you want it to go.
Use the arrows below the display to adjust the location of your item in smaller increments.
Adjust whether the selected item is in front of or behind any other previously placed items using the
Move Forward and Move Backwards buttons.
To put an item in use back into your closet:
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Select an item in use by clicking on it in your display, or click an item name from your Items in use list.
Click Remove to move the selected object to your closet.
To sell an item:
You can sell off some of your items if you have run out of space in your closet, or you want to buy something
new and don't have enough cash on hand.
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Select an item from either your Items in closet list or your Items in use list.
Click Sell.
A confirmation message will appear. Click OK if you still want to sell the item for the indicated price.
See Also
Earning Hoyle Bucks
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Place & Remove
Place the selected item from your closet onto your plaque area, or remove a selected item in use and put it
back in your closet.
Description
Item description.
Sell Button
Sell the selected item for the indicated amount of Hoyle Bucks.
Placement Arrows
Use these arrows to move the currently selected item in small increments, if it is a moveable object. Use the
"Next Position" button (below) to move the object in large increments.
Placement Arrows
Placement Arrows
Placement Arrows
Object Layers
If you place many objects around you, objects may become hidden behind each other. Use these buttons to
move objects in front of and behind each other.
Click "Move Back" to move the currently selected object one place backwards in the object order.
Click "Move Forward" to move the currently selected object one place forwards in the object order.
Items in Use
A list of the items currently used in your space. Select an item from the list to make it your active item.
Items in Closet
A list of items you own that are not currently in use. Select an item in your closet and click "Place" to move it into
your display.
Totals
Shows your current item count and your current balance of Hoyle Bucks.
Done
Click to exit Spacemaker and save your display as currently shown.
Next Position Button
Cycles the currently selected item through several preset locations.
Current Display
This shows you what your space would look like during a game if you clicked "Done."
1.3.4
If you would rather not be alerted when you earn Hoyle Bucks, simply click the Hoyle Bucks icon on the Hoyle
Bucks display in the lower-right corner of your game screen. This essentially "minimizes" Hoyle Bucks. You
will still earn them, but you will not be notified when you do, and you can simply ignore the feature.
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Click the icon again to restore the display and hear sound effects when you earn bucks.
See Also
Earning Hoyle Bucks
Using Spacemaker
1.4
Making a Face in Facemaker
You can use FaceCreator to create a unique picture to represent yourself while you’re playing games. You
can make just one face to represent yourself, or you can make several different faces and choose a different
face each time you play!
Click one of the topics below to learn more about FaceCreator:
Starting FaceCreator
Using FaceCreator
The FaceCreator Screen
1.4.1
Starting Facemaker
There are several different ways to start FaceCreator.
To start FaceCreator:
In the Sign In dialog box, click the FaceCreator button.
OR
From the Main Screen, click the FaceCreator picture on the screen, or click FaceCreator on the Go To
menu.
OR
In the Players dialog box, click the Face button next to your face. You will be taken to a Settings screen;
click the FaceCreator button to start FaceCreator.
Note: If you start FaceCreator from the Sign In screen, the face you make is automatically assigned to the
currently selected player. And if you make a face when you’re already signed in, it is automatically assigned
to you.
To change an existing FaceCreator face:
In FaceCreator, click the Load button, select the face you want to change, and then click OK to load
that face into FaceCreator.
Click here to learn how to use FaceCreator:
See Also
Using FaceCreator
1.4.2
Using Facemaker
You can create a unique picture for yourself using FaceCreator. You can start with a new face, or load a
previously created face by clicking the Load button.
For a detailed explanation of the FaceCreator screen, click here:
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To make a face in FaceCreator:
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Click a feature (head, eyes, nose, and so on) on the FaceCreator screen. The feature will be selected,
and pictures you can use for the feature appear in the 12 feature boxes at the top of the screen.
You can select features in any order, and you don’t have to specify every feature (your face can have no
nose, for example).
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Select the picture you want to use for that feature. To see additional screens of pictures, click on the
numbered buttons or on the left and right arrows under the two rows of pictures.
Note: For eyes and eyebrows, you can select matching pairs, or you can select different left and right
eyes and eyebrows, if you like. When you click on eyes or eyebrows, a selection box pops up with the
choices left only, right only, and both. Click on which side or sides you wish to change (both is the
default choice), then select the new feature.
You can move features around on the face by clicking the arrow buttons surrounding the sample face
or by clicking the arrow keys on your keyboard. All features except the body, head, and clothes can be
moved.
If you move a feature and want it moved back where it was originally, click the Center button.
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Add any other features you want.
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Select one of the four skin tones for your face.
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Click Exit to exit FaceCreator. Your face is saved automatically. If you want to make multiple faces
before exiting, you can click save to save your current face before making a different one.
Assign faces you have made to players using the Sign In screen.
To change an existing face:
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Click the load button.
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Make any desired changes to the face.
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Click save. A dialog will appear: you can either save over the face you changed by then clicking Update
, or save the changes as a new face without deleting the old one by clicking add.
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If you click exit after changing a loaded face without having saved it, you are asked if you want to save
the changes to the face. Click Yes to open the dialog in step 3, click No to exit FaceCreator without saving,
or click Cancel to return to FaceCreator.
To remove a feature from the face:
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Select the feature you want to remove.
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Click the Clear button.
To clear the entire face:
Click the New button to start a new face from scratch. Your current face will be cleared.
To delete a FaceCreator face:
You can remove any FaceCreator faces that you no longer want in the Sign In dialog box. Select
the face you want to delete using the scroll bar below the face window, then click the Delete
button to the right of the face. (You can do this when you sign in to start the game, or you can
open the Sign In dialog box by clicking Sign In on the File menu from the Main Screen.)
You can also delete faces while loading an existing face in FaceCreator. While browsing for a
face to load, you can click the delete button to delete the face currently showing.
Notes and Tips:
Moving eyebrows to different heights is a good subtle way to add personality to your face.
Moving a nose downward can create an impression of a longer nose; moving it upward can make a
shorter nose.
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Be creative! Many items can be moved anywhere on the face.
Clothing is specific to the body you select. If you select an article of clothing and then change your
body, you may need to select new clothes for your new body.
To quickly create a unique new face, click the Random button. (This is good if you’re not feeling
creative, but still want a change.) You can still make changes to the random face, if you want. Be careful
when using this button as this will erase the face currently on the screen.
See Also
Starting FaceCreator
1.4.3
The Facemaker Screen
To get a step-by-step description of how to use FaceCreator, click here:
Facial Features
Shows all of the available options for the current feature you are working with. Click the left and right arrow
buttons to move through the pages of options, or click a numbered button to move to a specific page.
Head
Selects the shape of your head.
Body
Selects your body type. Both male and female body types are shown.
Skin Tone
Selects the skin tone for your head and body.
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Eyebrows
Selects eyebrows. To select matching eyebrows, just click the mannequin head on the picture of eyebrows you
want. To select a different left or right eyebrow, click left only or right only above the eyebrows selection area
and then select the eyebrow picture you want .
Eyes
Selects eyes. To select matching eyes, just click the mannequin head on the picture of eyes you want. To
select a different left or right eye, click left only or right only above the eyes selection area and then select the
eye picture you want .
Eye/Eyebrow selection area
Appears when you select eyes or eyebrows. This lets you individually select eyes or eyebrows to add character
to a face. To select just the left eye or eyebrow, select left only, to select just the right eye or eyebrow, select
right only. To select both eyes or eyebrows (the normal selection), select both.
Nose
Selects a nose. Move the nose up or down to make it appear longer or shorter.
Mouth
Selects a mouth.
Face
Shows the face in progress, with any features you have added to your face. Click on the arrows to move the
currently selected feature around on the face. All features except the body and clothes can be moved.
Click the Center button to center the current feature, or click the Clear button to clear the feature you just added
to the face.
Center button
Centers the currently selected feature if it has been moved.
Clear button
Removes the currently selected feature from your face.
arrow
Moves the currently selected feature in the face in the direction indicated. All features except the body and
clothes can be moved.
Hair and Hats
Selects hair and hat combinations.
Clothes
Selects clothing for your body. You will only see clothes that fit the body shape you chose.
Eye wear
Selects glasses or other accessories for your eyes. Some glasses will hide your eyes.
Facial Hair
Selects a variety of types of facial hair.
Save button
Saves the current face to your collection of faces available at the sign-in screen.
Load button
Loads an existing FaceCreator face so that you can make changes to it.
Help button
Brings up this help file.
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Exit button
Exits FaceCreator, saving the current face. If you loaded a face into FaceCreator, you have the option to
overwrite the old face or save the face as a completely new face.
New Button
Click to make a new face
Random Button
Click to make a face from random FaceCreator parts.
1.5
Customizing Hoyle Puzzle Games
In Puzzle Games, you can change certain environment settings like speed of play, background music, and
animations. All of these settings are changed using options on the Options menu.
These settings can be changed from anywhere in Hoyle Puzzle Games and affect all the games.
To change the game environment:
Click Environment on the Options menu and change settings as described below.
Setting
Description
Animations
Sets whether game elements animate.
Background Music
Sets whether you hear background music while you play the
games.
Sound Effects
Show Intro Movie
Sets whether you hear sound effects during games, such as
sliding tiles.
Plays the introductory movie whenever you start Puzzle Games.
Game Speed
Sets the overall speed of all the games. You might want to slow
down the games if they don’t perform well on your computer. Move the
Game Speed slider to the left (Slow) or right (Fast) to adjust the speed.
Background Music
Specify which music you want to hear by selecting it in the list. The
Background Music box must be checked. Adjust the volume by dragging the
volume slider to the right to make it louder, or to the left to make it softer.
See Also
1.6
Playing Games in a Window
You can make Hoyle Puzzle Games run in a window, so you can easily switch to other programs.
To play in a window:
Click Window on the Options menu. The program fits in a window.
To play in full-screen mode:
Click Full Screen on the Options menu. The program resizes to fill the screen.
Notes:
Maximizing the game window will not make the screen bigger; you must go to full screen mode. This
may not work on all computers.
If you open the online help while in full screen mode, the full screen mode is turned off.
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You can press ALT+ENTER to quickly switch between viewing the program in full screen or in a
window.
1.7
When you sign in to Hoyle Puzzle Games, you are the “host.” Several games allow two players to play on
your computer. Crosswords, Hangman (Head to Head game), Mahjong Tiles, Maze Racer, Maze Raider,
Memory Tiles, and Placer Racer all allow one or two players.
To play a two-player game, you must select the two player game from the Go To menu. After you’ve started a
game, you can change the player you’re playing against or change your face (or that of another player. In
some games, you can change other player settings like player pieces.
To change player settings:
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Within a game, click the Players menu item on the Options menu.
Change player settings as described below. Some settings can only be changed before a game
starts.
To replace a player, click the Replace button next to that player, then click Real Person. Select the new
player to play with. You can only change the second player; you can’t change the host of a game.
To change the face of a player, click the Face button next to that player.
Other settings for players in a game, such as player piece color, are shown underneath each player.
Notes
You can also replace a player by clicking on the player’s picture in the game, clicking Real Person,
and then selecting a new player.
See Also
1.8
You can set game settings for each game, such as rules for the game, how the game is set up, and how the
game is played.
You can change all the settings for a game before the game begins. Once the game has begun, changing
settings may require you to restart the game.
To set game rules and options:
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While in the game, click the <Game> Settings menu item on the Options menu. (In Hangman, for
example, you would click Hangman Settings on the Options menu.)
Make the changes you want.
Click OK to change the settings.
See Also
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1.9
Saving and Restoring Games
You can save a game you are currently playing so you can play it later. The next time you start the game, you
can open your saved game using the Restore command. You will then be back in the game at the same
point you left it, with the same players and game settings.
To save a game:
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2
Click Save on the File menu.
Type a name for the saved game. This can be a descriptive name such as “Game with Riley.” (You
will see a picture of the game when you restore it, to help you identify it.)
To restore a game:
1
Click Restore on the File menu, and then select the game you want to restore.
You can see a picture of each game and the date and time it was saved by selecting the name of the
saved game.
2
Click OK to restore the selected game. It will replace any game you are currently playing (you are
asked if you want to replace it.)
Important! When you try to restore games, you only see games if you saved them with the player name you
are currently signed in with. For example, if you are signed in as Madeline, you won’t see any games that
were saved by Emmy.
See Also
1.10
Viewing Statistics
You can display statistics, including information on wins, losses, and points as they apply to each game.
You must finish at least one game to see statistics for that game.
To view statistics:
1
Click Statistics on the File menu.
2
Click the name of the player you want statistics for.
3
Select the name of the game you want statistics for.
Notes:
To clear statistics for the current player and game, click the Clear button. Statistics are permanently
cleared for that game for that player.
See Also
1.11
Quitting a Game
You can quit a particular game or exit Hoyle Puzzle Games altogether. If you want to resume playing a game
later, save the game before quitting.
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To save the current game before quitting:
To exit a game:
Click Main Screen on the Go To menu. You will return to the Main Screen where you can choose a
different game to play. Or click a game name on the Go To menu to go directly to that game.
To quit the program:
Choose Exit on the File menu.
See Also
1.12
How to Play Anagrams
Six letters are shown at the top of the screen. Make words using those letters until your time runs out.
Blanks on the screen show you the length of the words to find; only these words give you points.
If you find enough words to reach the goal, the monkey gets the bananas!
To play Anagrams:
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Type a word that uses some or all of the letters at the top of the screen, and press Enter.
If the word is found in the puzzle, the word is shown in the appropriate area.
Keep entering words until your time runs out.
The goal, shown at the top of the screen, shows how many points you need. The number of points in
the goal varies depending on the number of words in the puzzle and your Anagrams difficulty level (set in
the Anagrams Game Settings). The difficulty level controls how many words you need to get to finish the
puzzle.
You get points for words as follows: three-letter words give you 2 points, four-letter words give you 3
points, five-letter words give you 4 points, and six-letter words give you 5 points.
As your score gets closer to the goal, the monkey drops coconuts on the natives. If you find enough
words to reach the goal, the monkey knocks out all the natives and gets the bananas! If you have time left
on the timer, you can continue to play and try to find all the words to get an even higher score.
If you don't get enough words in time, the monkey falls out of the tree.
Notes and Tips:
Press Backspace while typing to remove the previous letter you typed.
Longer words are worth more points towards the goal. There is always at least one six-letter word in
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the puzzle.
If there's an S available, don't forget to make plurals of all the words you find. For other tips on solving
Anagrams, click here:
You can change how many words are needed to reach the goal by changing the difficulty level in the
game settings. In addition, you can set the game to let you continue to solve the puzzle even after the time
runs out.
Actions
Solve
Solves the current game, revealing all the hidden words. Click the
Solve button on the screen, or click Solve on the Actions menu.
Pause/Resume Timer
Click Pause on the screen (or click Pause Timer on the Actions
menu) to pause the timer and hides the game. This is useful if you need to
stop playing the game to do something else.
Click Resume on the screen (or click Resume Timer on the
Actions menu) to start the timer again and reveal the game.
Game Options
To change game options for Anagrams, click Anagrams Settings on the Options menu. You can set the
puzzle difficulty, whether to solve puzzles automatically when the timer runs out, whether to allow obscure
words in your puzzles, and whether or not the skulls on the screen talk during the game. For help on these
options, see the help area in the Settings dialog box.
See Also
Anagrams Strategy
Anagrams Background
1.12.1 Anagrams Strategy
Try these hints and tips to improve your Anagrams game:
If you have an S, be sure to use plurals! Many words are listed in both singular and plural forms.
Look for the six-letter word first; it's worth the most points. If you find it, try to make shorter words from
it. From HEDGED, you could make HEDGE, EDGE, and EDGED.
If you can't find the six-letter word, focus on finding three-letter words; you often can make longer
words from them.
Look out for words that start with vowels, such as OLD, AID, and EVE. These words can easily be
missed.
You can often extend short words if you have E or ED. ROB could make ROBE and ROBED, FIR could
make FIRE and FIRED, and CAR could make CARE and CARED.
Try extending short words with other available letters. BAR could make BARN, BARK, BARD, and
BARS.
See if you can insert letters into words you have found: TIE could make TIDE, TILE or TIME; BRIDE
could make BRIDGE or BRIDLE.
If you have two of any letter, check for words that use double letters, such as ALL, TOO, and KISS.
These words are easy to overlook.
Watch for pronouns and other non-obvious words such as SHE, HIS, and THE.
See Also
How to Play Anagrams
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1.12.2 Anagrams Background
An anagram is a word or phrase that can be rearranged into another word or phrase. For example, SUPER
is an anagram of PURSE, and GABLE is an anagram of BAGEL. And HORRIBLE is an anagram of BROIL
HER. An anagram of a word or phrase must include each letter of the original word or phrase exactly once.
Some of the fun and challenge of anagramming is to make a meaningful anagram that somehow relates to
the original source. A couple of examples: STATUE OF LIBERTY becomes BUILT TO STAY FREE, ELVIS
becomes LIVES.
The pastime of anagramming is ancient. The name anagrams comes from the Greek ana, meaning
backward and gramma, meaning writing. It is likely that anagrams originated in Greece in the 3rd or 4th
century B.C. Lycophron, a Greek poet, is often attributed with popularizing anagrams.
The philosopher Plato believed that anagrams of peoples' names had significance, and it is rumored
Pythagorus, the great mathematician, experimented with anagrams.
In the 17th century, anagrams were so popular that Louis XIII of France appointed a Royal Anagrammatist to
make anagrams of the names of visitors to court.
Anagramming is popular today, especially as social and political commentary. Some popular topics for
anagrams are names of famous people, books, movies, and political issues.
Although many anagram creators use pencil and paper to make anagrams, the technological age has
brought its changes: anagram software packages can generate lists of anagrams for any word or phrase.
There are even web pages devoted to anagramming; see the References section at the end of this manual.
Some Classic and Contemporary Anagrams
Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland, came up with the following anagrams:
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE=FLIT ON, CHEERING ANGEL
DISRAELI=I LEAD SIR
Some other popular (unattributed) anagrams include:
ASTRONOMERS=MOON STARERS
CONVERSATION=VOICES RANT ON
A DECIMAL POINT=I'M A DOT IN PLACE
SOFTWARE=SWEAR OFT
THE EYES=THEY SEE
And a favorite of anagram fans everywhere:
ELEVEN PLUS TWO=TWELVE PLUS ONE
Anagrams Trivia
A pangram is a sentence that uses all the letters of the alphabet, preferably exactly once. One famous
pangram that uses each letter once is "Mr. Jock, TV quiz PhD, bags few lynx."
1.13
How to Play Crosswords
You can play one of 1200 different puzzles in Crosswords. Crossword puzzles in Hoyle Puzzle Games are
copyright © 2002 Penny Press, Inc. and Dell Magazines.
You can play by yourself, or play against another person on your computer.
Selecting a Puzzle
A random puzzle is selected for you when you start Crosswords. You can choose another random puzzle, or
choose from a list of puzzles.
18
To select a puzzle:
To select a particular puzzle, click the Choose Puzzle button on the screen. Select the difficulty level,
size, and set of the puzzle you wish to play. Then choose a puzzle from the list on the right and click OK.
To select a new random puzzle, click the New button on the screen.
Playing Crosswords
Try to solve all the clues in the puzzle. Answers fit across and down in the puzzle grid.
You can move around in the grid using the mouse, arrow keys, and tab keys.
To solve a clue:
1
Click the clue in the Across or Down clue list, or click the first square for the clue you want to solve.
The clue word is selected in either the Across or Down direction.
To change from Across to Down, or from Down to Across, press the spacebar on your keyboard, or
right-click (Ctrl+click on the Macintosh) the first square for the clue word.
2
Begin typing the answer to the clue.
You can press the tab key to move to the next Across or Down clue in the puzzle, or click another clue in the
clue list or in the puzzle.
Example:
To solve the clue for 13 Across, you could either click the clue (Type of hoop) in the clue list on the right, or
you could click the box containing the 13.
If the last clue selected on the grid was a Down clue, then 4 Down would be selected, not 13 Across. You
would need to press the spacebar on your keyboard to change directions, or right-click (Ctrl+Click on the
Macintosh) the box containing the 13.
Playing Two-Player Crosswords
You can play Crosswords competitively with another friend or family member on the same computer.
To play the two-player game:
1
2
3
You and the other player will take turns solving clues. You each have a certain amount of time for your
turn. On your turn, type letters in the puzzle just as you would in the single player game.
When your time runs out, the puzzle is hidden, and you get one point for every correct letter you found.
Incorrect letters are also removed from the puzzle. The turn is then passed to the other player.
The game ends when the puzzle is completed or when neither player finds any correct letters in his or
her turn. The player who finds the most correct letters wins.
Notes and Tips:
To specify which type of puzzles are selected when you choose a random puzzle, change the difficulty
level in the game settings.
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19
Puzzles you complete are shown in the Choose Puzzle dialog in gray. To clear the completed puzzles,
click the Clear button.
To select a word in the same direction as the current word, left-click it. Right-clicking a square always
selects the word in a different direction than the current word.
Using the spacebar to switch directions takes you to the first empty square in the newly selected word.
You can only change game settings during a head to head game after a game has started (while the
clock is running).
You can use the Print feature to print a puzzle; the puzzle is printed in its current state, so any words
you have already solved are printed on the puzzle. To print a puzzles' solutions, solve the puzzle (by
clicking the Solve Puzzle button) and then print it.
You can save puzzles for later by clicking Save on the File menu; to restore a saved puzzle, click
Restore on the File menu.
For strategy tips on Crosswords, click here:
Actions
New
Selects a new random puzzle. Click the New Puzzle button on the
screen or click New on the Actions menu.
Choose Puzzle
Lets you choose a specific puzzle to play. Click the Choose Puzzle
button on the screen or click Choose Puzzle on the File menu.
Print
Prints the current puzzle to your printer, so you can take it with you.
The puzzle is printed in its current state, so any clues you have already
solved are printed on the puzzle. Click Print on the File menu.
Solve Letter
Reveals the correct letter for the highlighted square. Click the
Solve Letter button on the screen or click Solve Letter on the Actions
menu.
Solve Word
Reveals all the correct letters for the highlighted word. Click the
Solve Word button on the screen or click Solve Word on the Actions menu.
Solve Puzzle
Reveals all the words in the puzzle. You are asked to confirm that
you really want to solve the puzzle. Click the Solve Puzzle button on the
screen or click Solve Puzzle on the Actions menu.
Clear Word
Clears the currently selected word. (This might be useful if you
think the word you typed is incorrect and you want to try to solve it again.)
Click the Clear Word button on the screen or click Clear Word on the
Actions menu.
Clear Puzzle
Clears the entire puzzle. You are asked to confirm that you really
want to clear the puzzle. Click the Clear Puzzle button on the screen or click
Clear Puzzle on the Actions menu.
Pause/Resume Timer
Pause Timer pauses the timer and hides the puzzle. This is useful
if you are tracking your time and want to stop working on the puzzle to do
something else. Click the Pause button on the screen or click Pause Timer
on the Actions menu.
Resume Timer starts the timer again and reveals the puzzle. Click
the Resume button on the screen or click Resume Timer on the Actions
menu.
Shortcut keys
Letters A-Z
Arrow keys
Used to type letters in the puzzle.
Moves from square to square in the puzzle. If you are at the end of
a word, you are moved to the next word in the puzzle.
Tab
Moves to the next word in the puzzle.
Shift+Tab
Moves to the previous word in the puzzle.
20
Backspace
Erases the current letter and moves back one square in the puzzle.
Delete
Erases the current letter.
Spacebar
Switches the direction (from across to down or down to across)
and moves to the first available square.
Game Options
To change game options for Crosswords, click Crosswords Settings on the Options menu. You can set
whether to show incorrect letters you type, whether to allow typing over correct letters, whether to show help
you've gotten in the puzzle, and whether to mark clues in the list when you've filled them out in the puzzle.
You can also set whether to use a timer, what background to use, and which difficulty to use for new puzzles.
In a two-player game, you can set how much time each player has on his or her turn.
For help on these options, see the help area in the Settings dialog box.
See Also
Crosswords Strategy
Crosswords Background
1.13.1 Crosswords Strategy
Try these hints and tips to improve your Crosswords skill:
Clues including blank words (such as chicken _____ mein) are usually easiest to find. Try solving
those clues first, especially if you are playing a timed game or a game against another person.
Short words are sometimes harder to find, as they are "fit into" a crossword puzzle to make other
longer clues work. First try words of medium length.
Since you are not playing on paper, feel free to experiment. Try putting down a word you are not sure is
correct to see if words in the other direction work. Erasing is easy!
Remember that all squares have both an Across and Down clue. Try looking at the complementing
clue for help.
If you don't know an entire clue, but think you know the ending for the clue (such as S, ED, or ING), try
filling out the ending. This will often help you find the word that goes in the other direction.
Turn on the Show Correct Letters setting in the game settings to see your mistakes right away.
See Also
How to Play Crosswords
1.13.2 Crosswords Background
The world's first crossword is recognized generally to be the one appearing in the 1913 Christmas issue of
the New York World newspaper. Arthur Wynne was the paper's puzzle designer. For this particular issue he
designed a puzzle with a diamond-shaped grid and a list of clues to fit in the grid. He named this puzzle
Word-Cross, which was changed later to Cross-word and then Crossword. The puzzle became quite
popular, and soon readers began submitting their own crosswords. An enduring hobby was born!
In 1924, Dick Simon and Lincoln Schuster set up a publishing house, and the first book they published was
a book of New York World puzzles. This book became wildly popular and they put out a series of crossword
puzzle books that popularized crosswords across the nation. By the 1930s, crossword puzzles could be
found in most American newspapers and, soon after that, became popular worldwide.
Types of Crossword Puzzles
Although there are many different types of crossword puzzles, there are two main variations:
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Traditional Crosswords. These are the most popular crosswords, worldwide. In these crosswords, the
clues are generally straightforward and direct. A sample clue in a traditional crossword: Ready to eat.
[Answer: RIPE]
Cryptic Crosswords. These are puzzles in which the clue itself is cryptic and contains a mini-puzzle that
needs to be solved. Two (of many) types of cryptic clues are Anagrams (where part of the clue is
scrambled), and Homophones (where one word in the clue sounds like the solution). A sample cryptic clue:
If I remember correctly, it's in the cellar. [Answer: RECALL, made by anagramming the word CELLAR.]
Crossword Terms
Crossword creators have their own vocabulary for what they do.
Black Square Count: The number of black squares in a puzzle. An item of pride in the crossword
community, a low black square count is desirable.
British Style: Another name for a cryptic crossword.
Cheater: A black square used to "pad out" a puzzle. Though some black squares are necessary, cheaters
refer to squares thought to be added out of desperation.
Commuter: A crossword so sufficiently small and easy it could be finished during someone's commute.
Constructor: Someone who creates crosswords. Also called a compiler or setter.
Crosswordese: Clues rarely seen outside crossword puzzles. Relying on crosswordese in puzzle
construction is discouraged by purists. Typical crosswordese: Before, in olden times [Answer: ERE]
Linked: A clue connected to another clue that you must solve in order to solve the linked clue. An example:
12. Mom of 15 Down.
New Wave: A movement in crossword creation to use pop culture terms in clues and avoid obscure terms
and crosswordese.
Obscure: A clue that usually requires the solver to haul out an atlas or encyclopedia. An example of an
obscure clue: An Asian Pheasant [Answer: TRAGOPAN]
Partial: A clue that includes missing words. Examples of partials: chicken __ mein and "If I Were a __
Man." [Answers: CHOW and RICH]
Themed: A puzzle which contains several clues that relate to the same theme. The puzzle theme often is
described in the title.
Unch: An "unchecked" letter. This is a letter in a puzzle which is included in an answer in only one direction,
and can't be verified by checking the answer in another direction. Generally, unches are frowned upon in
puzzle construction.
Crossword Trivia
Diagramless Crosswords, which can be found in many puzzle books, are crossword puzzles without
numbers or black squares. Usually, you are given the location of the first clue. Then, you have to solve the
puzzle and figure out where the clues need to go!
1.14
How to Play Gravity Tiles
In Gravity Tiles, you try to remove as many tiles as you can from the board by removing groups of two or
more matching tiles (you can set the game settings to require groups of three or four). Removing large
groups gives you more points.
The Moveable Tiles option allows you to slide a tile on the top of any column either left or right by clicking
and dragging the tile. You cannot drag tiles through another tile, and if it is dragged over an edge, it drops.
When a tile stops or drops, if it touches other tiles such that it makes a match, the tiles in the matching
group are removed. If the tile is stopped or dropped and does not make a match, it is returned to its original
position.
22
You can also turn on the Royale Tiles variation in the game settings. In Royale Tiles, one type of tile in each
set is worth more than the others (the Holy Orb in the Medieval set, and the Eagle tile in Southwest).
Because of their increased value, the goal of this variation is to remove as large a group of Royale tiles as
possible. If you can remove fifteen or more Royale tiles at once, your points will skyrocket!
To play Gravity Tiles:
1
Click on a group of tiles of the same color. The group of tiles is removed, and any tiles above those
tiles fall down. If you remove an entire column of tiles, any columns on the right are moved to the left.
If you're playing with the Moveable Tiles option (see above), you can move certain tiles by dragging them
left or right.
2
Keep removing groups of tiles. See if you can remove them all! Points are awarded for clearing tiles
from the board, for removing entire columns of tiles, for removing large groups of tiles, and for removing
all tiles of one color.
3
The game ends when no more groups of tiles can be removed, or when you've removed all the tiles.
Note that if you're playing with the Moveable Tiles option, even if you have no more groups of tiles
available, the game will not end if you have a drag move available that could continue the game.
At the end of a game, click Play New Game for a new game, or click Replay Same Game to play the same
game again (you might do this to try to get a better score).
Actions
Undo
Undoes your most recent action. Any tiles that were removed are
returned to the board, and any fallen tiles returned to their original
positions. You can only undo the action you most recently performed. To
undo an action, press Ctrl+Z, or click Undo on the Actions menu.
Tips:
It is often safe to remove groups of tiles at the top of the board first, as these will have minimal effect
on other tiles and it is easier to tell what is going to happen when they are removed.
A good strategy is to clear tiles on the left side of the board first, since columns that are removed
collapse the board from right to left.
When using the Moveable Tiles option, there may be more than one place you can move a particular
tile; make sure you are moving it to the most strategic place before moving it or letting go of the mouse.
Note that if columns have been removed from the right edge of the board, you can drag tiles to the
rightmost empty column (it must make a match as a result of the drop).
Game Options
To change game options for Gravity Tiles, click Gravity Tiles Settings on the Options menu. You can set the
number of tile colors used in the game, whether tiles can be moved, and the minimum number of tiles you
can remove. For help on these options, see the help area in the Settings dialog box.
See Also
Gravity Tiles Strategy
Gravity Tiles Background
1.14.1 Gravity Tiles Strategy
Try these hints and tips to improve your Gravity Tiles game:
tile; make sure you are moving it to the most strategic place before moving it or letting go of the mouse.
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Note that if columns have been removed from the right edge of the board, you can drag tiles to the
rightmost empty column (it must make a match as a result of the drop).
When playing the Royale tiles variation, find columns that do not have a Royale tile, and eliminate
them. A column without a Royale tile will create a gap in your chain, lowering the potential number of
Royale tiles you could remove in one click.
See Also
1.14.2 Gravity Tiles Background
Gravity Tiles is one of five puzzle games in Hoyle Puzzle Games that you play with mahjong tiles; the other
four are Edge Tiles, Mahjong Tiles, Memory Tiles, and Slide Tiles. For background on the classic game of
Mahjong, see Mahjong Tiles Background.
Gravity Tiles is a fun and addictive solitaire puzzle game. In Gravity Tiles, you select groups of similar tiles to
remove them from the board, and tiles above those tiles fall down, rearranging the playfield.
Your objective is twofold: to clear the board as much as possible, and to clear large groups of tiles to make
more points. (Sometimes you might want to choose just one goal, as these objectives can be mutually
exclusive!)
There are countless ways to play a single puzzle, as each decision you make changes the game entirely.
1.15
How to Play Hangman
You can play Hangman on the computer just as you would play it on paper. A mystery word or phrase is
shown as blanks on the screen. Commas, apostrophes, and other punctuation are shown if they are used
in the puzzle.
You try to solve the puzzle by guessing one letter at a time. If you don't solve the puzzle before you run out of
misses, you are hung.
There are three different versions of Hangman. In all three versions, the basic game is played similarly, but
the game rules and how you win differ.
Click the options below to find out how to play the different variations of Hangman:
Classic Hangman – the basic game
Hangman Challenge – a harder game, based on categories
Head to Head Hangman – a two player game; requires two people at your computer
In addition to the different versions of the game, you can choose a different hangman environment to play in.
The environment affects how the mystery word or phrase and other elements on your screen (such as the
number of misses) appear. You can change your hangman environment in the game settings.
See Also
Hangman Strategy
Hangman Background
24
1.15.1 Classic Hangman
In this game, the computer supplies a word or phrase, and you try to find out what it is before the hangman
is hanged.
You can select the puzzle type and difficulty in the game settings. You can specify which type of puzzles you
want: puzzles based on categories, words, or proverbs.
Choosing Categories gives you puzzles on a certain subject, such as SPIDERS. The category name
is shown above the puzzle.
Choosing Words gives you random words.
Choosing Proverbs gives you proverbs, such as "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."
To play Classic Hangman:
1
Guess a letter by clicking one of the letters on the screen or typing it on your keyboard.
2
If the letter is in the puzzle, it is revealed in all the places it is found in the puzzle.
If the letter is not in the puzzle, you get a piece of a hangman or an animation plays (depending on
your hangman environment).
3
If you solve the puzzle, you win.
If you miss too many letters, you are hung, and the game ends.
Actions
Letters A-Z
Can be used to type letters in the game (instead of selecting them
with the mouse).
New
Starts a new game of Hangman. Press Enter, click the New Game
button on the screen or click New on the File menu.
Solve
Solves the current hidden word. Use this if you are stumped.
Options
To change game options for Classic Hangman, click Hangman Settings on the Options menu. You can set
the type of puzzle you play, the number of misses you have, whether letters are crossed off as they are
guessed, and the game environment you play in. For help on these options, see the help area in the
Settings dialog box.
See Also
How to Play Hangman
Hangman Strategy
1.15.2 Hangman Challenge
This game is played like Classic Hangman, only you always guess puzzles from a specific category, such
as SPIDERS, and you have to solve as many puzzles as you can with only one Hangman! (In other words,
you have no more misses.) Your hangman has 13 misses before it is hung.
A random category is chosen for you, and only words from that category are shown. The category is shown
above the puzzle.
To play Hangman Challenge:
1
Guess a letter by clicking one of the letters on the screen or typing it on your keyboard.
2
If the letter is not in the puzzle, you get a piece of a hangman or an animation plays (depending on
Contents
3
25
If you solve the puzzle, you get one point, and you get a new puzzle from the same category.
If you miss 13 times, you are hung, and the game ends.
Actions
Letters A-Z
with the mouse).
New
Options
To change game options for Hangman Challenge, click Hangman Settings on the Options menu. You can
set whether letters are crossed off as they are guessed and the game environment you play in. For help on
this option, see the help area in the Settings dialog box.
See Also
How to Play Hangman
Hangman Strategy
1.15.3 Head to Head Hangman
In this game, you and another player at your computer take turns entering words for each other to solve. You
get points for stumping the other player or for guessing another player's puzzle. Whoever gets the most
points (after playing a certain number of puzzles) wins.
To play Head to Head Hangman:
1
One player is asked to type a word or phrase for the other player to guess. That player makes a puzzle,
and clicks OK. The puzzle appears on the screen.
2
The guessing player guesses a letter in the puzzle by clicking one of the letters on the screen or typing
it on the keyboard.
3
If the letter is not in the puzzle, a piece is added to the hangman or an animation plays (depending on
4
5
6
The player continues to guess until the puzzle is solved or the player is hung.
If the puzzle is solved, the guessing player gets 1 point.
If the puzzle is not solved, the other player gets 1 point.
The player who just played now makes a puzzle for the other player.
The game continues until all the puzzles are played. The player with the most points at the end of the
game wins.
Actions
Letters A-Z
with the mouse).
New
Options
To change game options for Head to Head Hangman, click Hangman Settings on the Options menu. You
can set the number of games you play before the game ends, the number of misses you have, and whether
letters are crossed off as they are guessed, and the game environment you play in. For help on these
26
See Also
How to Play Hangman
Hangman Strategy
1.15.4 Hangman Strategy
Try these hints and tips to improve your play in Hangman.
The most frequent letters in English language sentences, in order, are E, T, A, O, N, I, R, and S. The
least frequent letters are B, G, V, K, X, J, Q, and Z. Always try more frequent letters first.
Always try to identify the vowels in a puzzle first; they go a long way towards guessing the puzzle, and
they are in almost all words!
When guessing a proverb, look for the words THE and AND. Some common two letter words are OF,
ON, TO, IN, IT, IS, BE, and NO. Some words common to proverbs: IF, ALL, IS, ARE, NOT, YOU, AND, BUT,
and ONE.
See Also
How to Play Hangman
1.15.5 Hangman Background
Hangman, originally called Gallows and Hanging the Man, has been around since at least Victorian times.
Although it is a very simple game, Hangman is quite popular, probably because it can be played anywhere
with just pencil and paper, it doesn't take very long to play, and its rules are easy to understand.
In Hangman, one player thinks up a mystery word or phrase (most commonly a word) and writes down
blanks for each letter in it (indicating any spaces or punctuation). Sometimes the puzzle maker will tell the
guesser the subject of the puzzle, such as "a famous person" or "a verb."
The other player tries to guess the word by guessing one letter at a time. These letters are written down, so
the guesser can keep track of which letters have already been guessed.
If a guessed letter is in the puzzle, the puzzle maker fills in the blanks with that letter in every place it is found.
If a letter is not found, a piece is added to the hangman. If the last piece is added to the hangman before the
word or phrase is guessed, the game ends. If the word is guessed, the hangman is saved!
What often varies about the game of Hangman is how the hangman is drawn and, consequently, the
number of misses the guesser gets before he or she loses. Variations (and pictures) abound.
Many players include the gallows (allowing eleven misses):
Others only include the hangman (allowing six misses):
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27
Other players may include hands and feet, or eyes, nose, and mouth! Because there are no strict rules for
hangman, the exact hanging method is often negotiated before play: "Do you use hands and feet?"
1.16
How to Play Mahjong Tiles
Mahjong Tiles can be played with one or two players. In Mahjong Tiles, you try to find and remove matching
tiles. You can only match tiles that are "free" and can be removed without moving other tiles. You can play
with one or two players.
To play Mahjong Tiles:
1
Select a layout (pattern) to play. Tiles are arranged randomly into that layout.
2
Try to find pairs of matching tiles. Click a tile, then click another tile to try to find a match. If you find a
match, the tiles are removed from the layout. For more on how tiles are matched, see Matching Tiles in
Mahjong Tiles.
Only tiles with no other tiles on top of them, and at least one side exposed (left or right side not touching
another tile) are considered free and can be removed. Both tiles must be free.
Both of these tiles are free
and can be selected
This tile cannot be
selected
If you're not sure whether or not a tile is free, try clicking it. Only free tiles can be selected.
3
Keep matching pairs until there are no more pairs in the layout, trying to end with the fewest tiles
remaining. The game ends if there are no more matches, and you can then stop and begin a new game,
or reshuffle the remaining tiles and continue to try to solve the puzzle.
At the end of a game, click Shuffle Tiles for a new game with the same layout, click Don't Shuffle Tiles to
play the same game again (you might do this to try to get a better score), or click New Layout to play a game
with a different layout.
If you didn't win the game, you also get a chance to undo your last move or to shuffle the remaining tiles.
Both of these options give you another possible chance of winning the game.
To play two-player Mahjong Tiles:
1
On the Main Screen, or in the Go To menu, click Mahjong Tiles, then click Two Players.
If you don't have two players signed in, the Players dialog appears. Select a second player to play with.
2
Select a layout (pattern) to play. Tiles are arranged randomly into that layout.
3
Click OK when you're ready to start the game. The clock starts for the first player, counting down the
timer (normally 30 seconds).
4
On your turn, click a tile, then click another tile to try to find a match. For more on how tiles are
matched, see Matching Tiles in Mahjong Tiles.
28
If you find a match, the tiles are removed from the layout and the turn passes to the other player. If you run
out of time, the turn is passed to the other player.
5
The game continues until both players fail to find a match on their turn. The player with the most
matches wins. If players have the same number of matches, the player who spent the least time finding
the matches wins.
Actions
Find Match
Automatically picks out two matching tiles for you when you get
stumped. You cannot use Find Match in a two-player game. To find a
match, press M or click Find Match on the Actions menu.
Remove Pair
After finding a matching pair of tiles using Find Match, use this to
remove that pair from the table. You can automatically remove the two
matching tiles by pressing Enter or clicking Remove Pair on the Actions
menu.
Undo
Returns the two matching tiles that were most recently removed
back to their original positions on the table. You can undo as many times
as you like. You cannot use Undo in a timed game. To undo a match
removal, press Ctrl+Z or click Undo on the Actions menu.
Game Options
To change game options for Mahjong Tiles, click Mahjong Tiles Settings on the Options menu. You can set
the tile set to use, whether to play with all tiles face down, and whether or not to use the timer. For help on
these options, see the help area in the Settings dialog box.
See Also
Matching Tiles in Mahjong Tiles
Creating Layouts for Mahjong Tiles
Mahjong Tiles Strategy
Mahjong Tiles Background
1.16.1 Matching Tiles in Mahjong Tiles
There are seven categories, or suits, of tiles. Mahjong Tiles uses two different tile sets: Chinese and
Egyptian. You can change the tile set you play with in the Mahjong Tiles settings (click Mahjong Tiles
Settings on the Options menu). To see pictures of the different tile sets, click here:
In five of the seven suits, you can only match tiles that are exactly identical by number and picture. You can't
match tiles that have the same number only. Two tiles with 9 of Circles match, but a 9 of Circles and a 9 of
Bamboo don't match.
In two special suits, Seasons and Flowers, you can match any tiles in that suit. In Seasons, you can match
any of the seasons together (Spring and Winter or Summer and Fall, for example). In Flowers, you can
match any of the flowers together.
Seasons and Flowers look different in the Chinese and Egyptian tile sets:
Seasons (Chinese)
Flowers (Chinese)
Seasons (Egyptian)
Flowers (Egyptian)
Note that the tiles you get in a game will depend on the number of tiles in the layout, so not all layouts will
include Seasons and Flowers.
Contents
29
Notes and tips:
For an easier game, look for a layout with a lot of free tiles. For a harder game, look for a layout with
large blocks or rows of tiles.
Sometimes a tile will have more than one free match. In this case, try to remove tiles that free up other
tiles in preference to stand-alone tiles.
You can create your own layouts to play with. Click here for information:
See Also
1.16.2 Creating Layouts for Mahjong Tiles
Chinese Tile Set
Egyptian Tile Set
30
1.16.3 Creating Layouts for Mahjong Tiles
You can use the Layout Maker tool to make your own custom layouts for Mahjong Tiles. You can start from
scratch, or load in an existing layout (either one you created or one that was provided with the game) to start
a new layout based on that layout.
To create a new layout with the Layout Maker:
1
Click Mahjong Tiles on the Go To menu, then click Layout Maker.
To start with an existing layout, click Load Layout on the File menu. Select the name of an existing layout,
and click OK.
2
To add a new tile, click the screen in the spot where you want to add it. To move a tile, click it and drag
it to its desired location. To remove a tile, right-click it.
3
4
To move a new tile on top of another tile, first click an empty space on the layout to add the new tile, and
then drag it on top of the existing tile.
You can add up to 144 tiles to your layout. The total number of tiles you place must be a multiple of
four and cannot be greater than 144.
Save your layout by clicking Save Layout on the File menu and typing a name for the new layout. (This
must be a unique name, you cannot save a layout over an old layout.)
Your layout's name will now appear in the list of layouts that appear when you start a game.
To create a new layout, click New Layout on the File menu.
Notes and tips:
A larger number of tiles usually makes a better game. Try to place at least 100 tiles.
Avoid placing tiles in long rows, as this makes a lot of tiles inaccessible.
To delete an existing layout, click Load Layout, select the layout you want to delete, and click the
Delete button.
See Also
1.16.4 Mahjong Tiles Strategy
Try these hints and tips to improve your Mahjong Tiles game:
Mahjong Tiles is like an overstuffed version of Solitaire; the board needs trimming down fast, and it's
your job to do it. In comparing Mahjong Tiles and Solitaire, you'll find that the rules are very different
(matching pairs versus combining suits and ranks), but the strategy is quite similar.
The playing field in Mahjong Tiles is a puzzle that must be unlocked. Look to see what tiles will unlock
other tiles. As in Solitaire, you have no guarantees that the puzzle is solvable at all (a needed "key" may
be out of reach behind or beneath a tile). You can, however, postpone or completely avoid the typical dead
end (where you have no plays left) by making the best play when you have several choices available.
The crucial element that makes Mahjong Tiles more skillful than Solitaire is that you can see most of
the tiles. In standard card Solitaire, most of the cards are hidden beneath stacks one to seven cards
deep. If you need a specific card, you have to get lucky to pick the right stack. With Mahjong Tiles, on the
other hand, you can spend as much time as you want looking for the very best move. So the big question
is, do you have the time?
See Also
Contents
31
1.16.5 Mahjong Tiles Background
Mahjong Tiles (sometimes known as Taipei) is a simplification of Mah Jongg, which itself is an American
simplification of a Chinese game of the 19th century. (The Chinese original was played by different rules
and known by different names throughout that country; one name that's come down to us translates roughly
as "Game of the Four Winds.")
An American businessman named Joseph Babcock, who was living in Shanghai at the close of World War I,
played the Chinese game and fell in love with it. He thought it would appeal to Americans, so he set about
codifying (and streamlining) the rules. Babcock coined the name Mah Jongg for the new version;
supposedly, he took this name from the bird that appears on one of the game's tiles. The bird represents a
mythical figure called by the Chinese (this is an approximation) Mah Jongg, "Bird of a Thousand
Intelligences."
Babcock might not have been as smart as that bird, but his hunch about the gaming marketplace was
sound. Mah Jongg became a thunderous hit in the United States, Great Britain, and Australia in the 1920s.
The game is still played today, though it no longer commands an army of fanatics as it did 70 years ago.
Mah Jongg is superficially similar to Dominoes in that both games use tiles, or bones, and because the
arrangement of the tiles forms the "board." Mahjong Tiles shares that similarity with Dominoes; it also
resembles certain card games, such as Solitaire, where uncovering hidden cards is the order of the day.
1.17
How to Play Memory Tiles
In Memory Tiles, tiles are dealt face down in a grid. Try to find and remove all matching pairs of tiles in the
least possible moves by remembering where tiles are located.
You can play by yourself, or compete with another player, taking turns trying to match tiles.
To play Memory Tiles:
1
Click a tile to turn it over, and then click a second tile to turn that tile over. If the tiles match, they are
removed. If not, they are turned face down again.
Important! See below for information on how tiles are matched; not all tiles that can be matched are
identical.
2
Keep trying to match pairs of tiles until there are no more tiles left. Your score is shown at the end of
the game: you get points for each match you find, (and lose points for each miss), and you get bonus
points for getting triplets (three matches in a row). Triplets are shown as golden globes under your
player plaque.
To play two-player Memory Tiles:
1
On your turn, click a tile to turn it over, and then click another tile to turn that tile over. If the tiles match,
they are removed. If not, they are turned face down again.
If you found a set of matching tiles, you can try again. Otherwise, the turn passes to the other player.
2
When the grid is cleared, new tiles appear. The game continues until one player gets the number of
matches needed to win. This number is set in the game settings (normally, 20 matches are required to
win).
Matching Tiles
There are seven categories, or suits, of tiles. Memory Tiles uses two different tile sets: Chinese and
Egyptian. You can change the tile set you play with in the Memory Tiles settings. To see pictures of the
different tile sets, click here:
In five of the seven suits, you can only match tiles that are exactly identical by number and picture. You can’t
Bamboo don’t match.
32
Seasons (Chinese)
Flowers (Chinese)
Seasons (Egyptian)
Flowers (Egyptian)
Note that the tiles you get in a game will depend on the number of tiles used in the grid, so not all games
will include Seasons and Flowers.
Game Options
To change game options for Mahjong Tiles, click Mahjong Tiles Settings on the Options menu. You can set
the tile set to use, the grid size (4 x 4 for an easy game, 6 x 4 for a medium game, or 6 x 6 for a hard game),
whether to reveal tiles at the beginning of rounds (two-player game only), and how many pairs need to be
found by a player for that player to win the game. For help on these options, see the help area in the Settings
dialog box.
See Also
Memory Tiles Strategy
Memory Tiles Background
1.17.1 Memory Tiles Strategy
Try these hints and tips to improve your Memory Tiles game:
You can turn over tiles by following a pattern (such as top to bottom). This may help you to remember
tile positions. On the other hand, if you’re playing head to head, you might want to avoid patterns, lest you
inadvertently help your opponent more than yourself.
Another tip is to give names to the pictures, and say the picture names aloud as you turn the tiles over.
If you think you might know the location of a pair, ALWAYS turn over the tile you’re least sure about first.
This method is definitely less embarrassing if you’re wrong.
See Also
1.17.2 Memory Tiles Background
Memory Tiles is one of five puzzle games in Hoyle Puzzle Games that you play with mahjong tiles; the other
four are Edge Tiles, Gravity Tiles, Mahjong Tiles, and Slide Tiles. For background on the classic game of
Mahjong, see the Mahjong Tiles chapter.
Memory Tiles is a game played with Mahjong tiles that resembles matching card games called
concentration or memory. These games can be played with standard playing cards, but are also frequently
played by children with illustrated picture cards to teach memory skills.
In these games, a number of cards are placed face down, usually in a square or rectangular grid, and cards
are flipped over in pairs. If the cards match, they are removed; otherwise, they are turned back over.
Memorizing the locations of cards you’ve already seen is the key to removing cards in the least possible
number of turns.
Contents
1.18
33
How to Play Placer Racer
The goal of the game is to clear each level by shooting balls into the playing field. The ball bounces off the
walls and sticks to the ceiling, or to the first ball in its path. When three or more balls of the same color
touch, they disappear, along with any linked balls below them.
Try to get rid of all of the balls between the shooter and the ceiling. Be careful because the ceiling
periodically drops and pushes all of the balls down. If any ball drops below the level of the shooter, the
game is over.
When you clear level 7, you earn an extra life. You ear another extra life for clearing every third level after that
(10, 13, 16, and so on).
You can play Placer Racer against a friend or family member on the same computer. In head-to-head play,
the more balls you free from your side, the more extra balls appear on your opponent's side.
To play Placer Racer:
1
2
Press Enter or your "fire" key/button to start each round.
If you are using your keyboard to play, use the arrow keys to aim your shooter, and press Spacebar to
shoot the ball. (You can change your game settings to use the alternate keyboard settings: this uses the
A and D keys to aim, and the S key to fire.)
If you are using your mouse to play, move the mouse to aim the shooter and click the left mouse
button to shoot the ball.
To play two-player Placer Racer:
1
2
Press Enter or your "fire" key/button to start each round.
Each player uses different controls. Each player can play using a different keyboard layout (as
described above), or one player can use the keyboard while the other player uses the mouse.
Notes
To view a quick reference on the items in the game, select Legend from the Help menu.
Actions
Pause/Resume
Pauses the game, or resumes the game if it is paused. You can
pause/resume by pressing Esc or clicking Pause or Resume on the
Actions menu.
Game Options
To change game options for Placer Racer, click Placer Racer Settings on the Options menu. You can set
the ball and board type, and for two player games, when the game ends. For help on these options, see the
help area in the Settings dialog box.
To change which controls players use for the game (Keyboard 1, Keyboard 2, or Mouse), click Placer Racer
Players on the Options menu.
See Also
Placer Racer Strategy
Placer Racer Background
1.18.1 Placer Racer Strategy
Try these hints and tips to improve your Placer Racer game:
To escape being crushed by the descending balls in Placer Racer, you must have good aim, and
you'll find that your aim improves with practice.
Unmatched balls are those of a color where there is no immediate prospect for forming a group of
three. You should try to place these balls strategically to prevent them from blocking upcoming matches
34
in other colors. To help in deciding where to aim these "wasted" shots, look at the balls you'll be firing
next; their color may help determine what parts of the field you need to avoid.
When aiming unmatched balls, remember that every connection to the ceiling helps to stabilize a
group of balls (a bad thing). You'll want to avoid such connections whenever possible.
It is worth practicing your bank shot in order to master it. Firing a bank shot often allows you to sever a
group of balls hanging from the ceiling by one or two balls.
In the two-player game, if you destroy any group with x number of balls, x - 3 balls will be transported to
your opponent's playing field. (For example, if you destroy a group of four balls, one will be sent to your
opponent.) Try to dislodge large groups at once by working at the ceiling connections.
See Also
1.18.2 Placer Racer Background
Placer Racer, though it resembles a type of electronic billiards game, plays more like the arcade games that
attained popularity in the 1980s. Many of these games consisted of a series of screens with stationary
targets. Advancement to the next level required dissolving all of the targets. Breakout™ by Atari is one early
example of this type of game. Later, Tetris™ added puzzle-solving features and a time limit (you had to clear
the screen before it filled up, ending the game). While Placer Racer includes features popularized by these
other games, it ups the adrenaline ante by incorporating a shooter for zapping targets.
1.19
How to Play Solitaire Arcade
Solitaire Arcade games are solitaire games with scoring and time limits added. Try to beat your previous
score or qualify for a bonus round in one of five exciting games. To learn the specific rules for a game, click
the game name in the list below. Click Solitaire Arcade Settings on the Options menu within the game to
set game rules and options.
3 Towers
Best 21
Fast 21
Pick 2
Sum11
Notes and Tips:
You can turn on rollover help that identifies each area of the Solitaire screen (such as the stock pile)
and tells you how many cards are found in piles of cards. The help is shown automatically when you
point to an area with your mouse. To use this option, check the Show Rollover Help option in the game
settings.
The Show Playable Cards option in the game settings can be used to highlight which cards can be
played. This option only affects the game 3 Towers.
See Also
Solitaire Arcade Background
1.19.1 3 Towers
Goal: Get the highest score possible by removing cards from the towers before time runs out. Get points for
removing cards, for clearing an entire tower, and for making runs.
Contents
35
3 Towers has two rounds of play; each round lasts 60 seconds. Finishing the second round with more than
50,000 points earns a bonus round. Finishing the bonus round with 75,000 wins the game.
How to Play
One card is flipped from the stock pile; this is the upcard. Click a card in the tableau that is one higher
or one lower than the upcard to move that card to the deck, then click another card one higher or lower
than that upcard, and so on.
For example, if a 5 is the upcard, you could click these cards on the tableau, in order: 6, 7, 8, 9, 8, 7, 8, 9.
You can wrap from king to ace and from ace to king.
When you cannot find a card higher or lower than the upcard, click the stock pile to get a new card, and
try again.
When you've played as much as you can, click the Take Score button. The game proceeds to the next
round (or ends, if you're on the last round).
Scoring
You get 100 points for each card you clear from the tableau. Clearing additional cards after the first card,
without having to flip up a card, is a run. The number of current runs is shown on the screen. Each time you
add a card to a run, you get 100 more points for that card. For example, if you have cleared 4 cards in a row,
you get 100 for the first card, 200 for the second card, 300 for the third card, and 400 for the fourth card. As
soon as your run ends (and you have to click the stock pile to get a new card), your number of runs is reset;
the first card you clear is again worth 100, and additional cards in a run increase the score.
Each time you have to click the stock pile to get a new card, your score is decreased by 100 points.
Clearing a tower is worth 5,000 points. Clearing a second tower gives you 10,000 points, and clearing the
third tower gives you 15,000 points.
Finishing a round quickly gives you a time bonus. You get 100 points for each second remaining on the
clock when you click the Take Score button.
Strategy
If possible, choose cards in the Tableau that form long sequences, because you get more points that way.
Otherwise, choose cards that maximize the number of other cards in the tableau that will become exposed.
Game Options
To change game options for Solitaire Arcade, click Solitaire Arcade Settings on the Options menu. For this
game, you can set whether rollover help appears when you place your cursor over items in the game
screen, and whether to highlight playable cards on the screen. For help on these options, see the help area
in the Settings dialog box.
See Also
How to Play Solitaire
1.19.1.1 Stock pile
stock pile
A pile of face-down cards. Cards are flipped over from this pile and are usually played to the tableau.
You sometimes need to click the stock pile to reveal new cards.
1.19.1.2 Tableau
tableau
The area of the game on which plays are made.
36
1.19.1.3 Upcard
upcard
A face-up card that is available for play, usually to the tableau. Usually the upcard is flipped from the stock pile.
1.19.1.4 Wrapping
wrapping
When the sequence of cards (building up or building down) is continued by playing an ace on a king or a king
on an ace.
For example, if wrapping is allowed in a game, you could build up on a jack like this:
jack, queen, king, ace, 2, 3, 4…
or build down on a 4 like this:
4, 3, 2, ace, king, queen, jack...
1.19.2 Best 21
Goal: Get the highest score possible by making five high scoring blackjack hands before time runs out.
Best 21 has three rounds of play; each round lasts 45 seconds. Finishing the third round with more than
120,000 points earns a bonus round. Finishing the bonus round with 160,000 or more points wins the
game.
How to Play
One card at a time is flipped from the stock pile; this is the upcard. Move the upcard to one of the five
blackjack hands, or to the waste pile. The waste pile can only hold one card each round.
Play cards to try to make hands that score 21 or close to 21, without going over 21.
Current hand totals are shown next to the hand. Jacks, queens, and kings are worth 10, aces are
worth 1 or 11, and all other cards are worth their face value. Note that although aces are worth 1 or 11,
only their "hard" value is shown. In other words, an ace and an 8 are shown as 19, not 9, although they
can be worth either 9 or 19. You can hit these "hard" hands, if desired.
Busting any hand (going over 21) ends the round immediately.
Scoring
You score 100 times the total of all your final blackjack hands. Getting 21 in any hand gives you a bonus of
10,000. Finishing a round quickly gives you a time bonus; you score 100 times the amount of seconds
remaining on the clock when you finish the round.
For example, if you made hands of 21, 20, 20, 18, and 15, with 32 seconds left on the clock, you'd get this
score:
Contents
37
9,400 points for your five hands (21 + 20 + 20 + 18 + 15 = 94 x 100=9400)
+ 10,000 points for the hand of 21
+ 3,200 point time bonus (32 seconds left x 100)
= 22,600 points total
Strategy
Try to form piles of 11, since cards with the value 10 are the most common. Of course, you'll want to use
your aces on piles of 10 or 20.
Game Options
screen. For help on this option, see the help area in the Settings dialog box.
See Also
1.19.2.1 Waste pile
waste pile
A pile of cards made up of cards from the stock pile that couldn't be used.
1.19.2.2 Stock pile
stock pile
1.19.2.3 Upcard
upcard
1.19.3 Fast 21
Goal: Get the highest score possible before time runs out. You get points for making high blackjack hands,
and for making 21s and 5-card Charlies (5 cards under 21). You also get points for each card you're able to
use in a hand.
Fast 21 has three rounds of play; each round lasts 90 seconds. Finishing the third round with more than
30,000 points earns a bonus round. Finishing the bonus round with 40,000 or more points wins the game.
How to Play
One card at a time is flipped from the stock pile; this is the upcard. Move the upcard to one of the four
blackjack hands or to the waste pile. The waste pile can hold three cards each round.
Play cards to try to make hands that score 21 or close to 21, without going over 21.
38
Making a hand of 21 or a 5-card Charlie (5 cards under 21) in a hand clears that hand so you can play
on it again (and gives you bonus points).
Current hand totals are shown next to the hand. Jacks, queens, and kings are worth 10, aces are
worth 1 or 11, and all other cards are worth their face value. Note that although aces are worth 1 or 11,
only their "hard" value is shown. In other words, an ace and an 8 are shown as 19, not 9, although they
can be worth either 9 or 19. You can hit these "hard" hands, if desired.
If you play a card that busts a hand (makes it go over 21), that card is returned to the stock pile and
your score is reduced by 100 points. You can then play that card to another pile or to the reserve pile (or
end the round if you can't play it).
Scoring
You earn the following points during a round of Fast 21:
1,000 point for each 21 made
750 points for each 5-card Charlie made
100 points for each card played
-100 points for busting a hand
10,000 points for playing all 52 cards without passing any
When the round ends, you score points equal to the current value of all four hands.
The score displayed as you play represents what your score would be if the round ended with no additional
plays.
Scoring example: if you finished the round with three 21s, one 5-card Charlie, 22 cards played, and final
hands of 20, 20, 18, and 17, you'd get this score:
3,750 points for the three 21s and one Charlie
+ 2,200 points for playing 22 cards
+
75 points for your four hands (20+20+18+17=75)
= 6,025 points total
Strategy
As in Best 21, try to form piles of 11, since cards with the value 10 are the most common. Of course, you'll
want to use your aces on piles of 10 or 20.
If you don't have a good place to put low cards, keep them in a separate hand to try to form 5-card Charlies.
Game Options
See Also
Contents
39
1.19.3.1 Waste pile
waste pile
A pile of cards made up of cards from the stock pile that couldn't be used.
1.19.3.2 Stock pile
stock pile
1.19.3.3 Upcard
upcard
1.19.4 Pick 2
Goal: Get the highest score possible by removing cards in pairs and sequences before time runs out.
Pick 2 has two rounds of play; each round lasts 60 seconds. Finishing the second round with 80,000 or
more points earns a bonus round. Finishing the bonus round with 120,000 or more points wins the game.
How to Play
One card is flipped from the stock pile. You can use this upcard, as well as the cards on the tableau,
to make pairs (2-2, Q-Q, and so on) and sequences (4-5, 9-10, Q-K). Both A-2 and K-A can be used as
sequences. Pairs and sequences do not have to include the upcard.
Click on two cards to select them; if the cards are a pair or sequence, they are removed. To unselect a
card, click it again.
When you can't make any more combinations, click the stock pile to get a new card, and try again. The
previous card is moved to the tableau (if there's space available). Otherwise, it is moved to the bottom of
the stock pile.
Scoring
You get 3,000 points for each pair you remove, and 500 points for each sequence you remove. If you clear all
of the cards on the tableau, you get a bonus 10,000 points.
Strategy
When possible, remove pairs instead of sequences, since you get more points for pairs. Choose pairs and
sequences in such a way that favorable cards will become exposed.
Game Options
See Also
40
1.19.4.1 Stock pile
stock pile
1.19.4.2 Tableau
tableau
1.19.4.3 Upcard
upcard
1.19.5 Sum 11
Goal: Get the highest score possible by removing combinations of cards which total 11 before time runs out.
Sum 11 has two rounds of play; each round lasts 90 seconds. Finishing the second round with 80,000 or
more points earns a bonus round. Finishing the bonus round with 120,000 points wins the game.
Sum 11 uses a special card deck with 2-10 of each suit, 16 aces, and no face cards. Aces are always worth
1 (never 11).
How to Play
One card is flipped from the stock pile. You can use this upcard, as well as the cards on the tableau,
to make combinations of cards (using any number of cards) that add up to eleven. Combinations do not
have to include the upcard.
For example, if the upcard was a 6, and there was an ace and a 4 on the tableau, you could select the 6,
ace, and 4 to make eleven. Or you could select an 8 and 3 on the tableau to make eleven.
Click on cards to select them; when you've selected cards that add up to eleven, they are removed. To
unselect a card, click it again.
When you can't make any more combinations, click the stock pile to get a new card, and try again. The
previous card is moved to the tableau (if there's space available). Otherwise, it is moved to the bottom of
the stock pile.
Scoring
You get 1,500 points for each combination of elevens you remove. If you clear all of the cards on the tableau,
you get a bonus 10,000 points.
You also get points for each card you remove from the tableau based on which row that card is in, with
higher rows worth more points. The bottom row is worth 100, the next up is worth 200, and so on.
Each time you have to click the stock pile to get a new card, your score is decreased by 200 points.
Strategy
Be on the lookout for all the different ways cards can add up to 11: 5-6, 7-4, 8-3, 9-2, 10-A, 6-3-A-A, and so
on. Remove cards in such a way that as many other cards as possible are exposed.
Contents
41
Game Options
See Also
1.19.5.1 Stock pile
stock pile
1.19.5.2 Tableau
tableau
1.19.5.3 Upcard
upcard
1.19.6 Solitaire Arcade Background
Arcade versions of solitaire are becoming more and more popular with the advent of computer games.
Seeking ways to make a game with a staid and relaxed reputation more exciting and heart racing, in
solitaire arcade games, you race to beat the clock and beat your score, rather than simply to win (or, usually,
not win) as in most classic solitaire games.
What these games have in common with classic solitaire is the decision making, and, of course, the cards.
1.20
How to Play Crazy Contraptions
In Crazy Contraptions, you solve contraption puzzles by moving parts to the Play Field in a way that achieves
the puzzle goal.
Help for Crazy Contraptions is found in the game. For help, click the Help button when playing the game. Or
open the help file by clicking the link below.
Open Help for Crazy Contraptions
See Also
Crazy Contraptions Background
1.20.1 Couldn't find help file
Couldn't find help file
The help file for Crazy Contraptions couldn't be found. Please access the help by clicking the Help button in the
game.
42
1.20.2 Crazy Contraptions Background
Crazy Contraptions are inspired by the Rube Goldberg Machine. Rube Goldberg, a world-renowned
cartoonist, created cartoons of devices that took absurd, excruciatingly complicated steps to accomplish
simple tasks. His cartoons used miscellaneous pieces like balls, ramps, and bird cages. The phrase
"Rube Goldberg Machine" is now commonly invoked when describing any overly complicated system of
reaching a goal.
1.21
How to Play Edge Tiles
In Edge Tiles, tiles are laid out in a rectangular grid, and you remove tiles from the board by matching them
in pairs. See Matching Tiles in Edge Tiles for details on how tile pictures are matched.
The matching rules for Edge Tiles can be changed in the game settings to give you an entirely different
game experience. See Edge Tiles Game Variations for details.
In the standard game, only tiles on the opposite edges of the grid are free and can be selected and
matched, as described below:
Only tiles at the top or bottom edges of columns (referred to as topmost and bottommost tiles) and
tiles at the left and right edges of rows (referred to as leftmost and rightmost tiles) are free and can be
matched.
You can match a free tile on one edge with a free tile on the opposite edge. Thus, you can only match
leftmost tiles with rightmost tiles, and you can only match topmost tiles with bottommost tiles.
Example of Standard Play
In the standard game, you can match a free tile on one edge with a free tile on the opposite edge. The
example below shows some tiles that can and cannot be matched.
Contents
43
The two A tiles can't be matched. Both tiles have the same sides free (leftmost and topmost) and can therefore
only be matched with identical tiles with the opposite sides free (rightmost or bottommost).
The B tile has the top free and thus can be matched with either D tile (both are bottommost), but the two D tiles
can't be matched with each other, since both are free on the same side.
The C and F tiles can be matched with each other (their right and left sides are free), but the identical E tile
(bottommost) cannot be matched with either C or F; it can only be matched with a topmost tile.
As you match tiles, they are removed from the grid, and the tiles that were "inside" them on the grid become
the new edge tiles and are now free to be matched.
To play Edge Tiles:
1
Try to find pairs of matching tiles. Click a tile, then click another tile to try to find a match. If you find a
match, the tiles are removed.
Only tiles which match the game matching rules are considered free and can be removed. Both tiles
must be free. If you're not sure whether or not a tile is free, try clicking it. Only free tiles can be selected.
2
Keep matching pairs until there are no more pairs in the layout or you have no more possible moves.
Try to end the game with the fewest possible tiles remaining (or clear the board if you can!).
The game ends if you clear the board or there are no more matches. When the game ends, click Restart,
Shuffle Tiles for a new game with new tiles, or click Restart, Don't Shuffle Tiles to play the same game
again (you might do this to try to get a better score). If you didn't clear the board, you can also try reshuffling
the remaining tiles, or undoing your last move; this might enable you to proceed further with the puzzle.
Notes and Tips:
You will often have more than one match for a tile. In this case, consider what tiles will be made free
by removing the tiles, and see if there are any potential matches available if you make one match over
another.
Actions
Find Match
stumped. To find a match, press M or click Find Match on the Actions
menu.
Remove Pair
Removes a selected pair of matching tiles from the board. You can
use this option after finding a matching pair of tiles using Find Match. To
remove the pair, press Enter or click Remove Pair on the Actions menu.
Undo
Returns the two matching tiles that were most recently removed
back to their original positions on the table. You can undo as many times
as you like. To undo a match removal, press Ctrl+Z or click Undo on the
Actions menu.
Game Options
To change game options for Edge Tiles, click Edge Tiles Settings on the Options menu. You can set the tile
set to use, the matching rules for the game, and several other game options. For help on these options, see
the help area in the Settings dialog box.
See Also
Edge Tiles Game Variations
Matching Tiles in Edge Tiles
Edge Tiles Strategy
Edge Tiles Background
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1.21.1 Edge Tiles Game Variations
The matching rules for Edge Tiles can be changed in the game settings to give you an entirely different
game experience.
To change the game variation:
Click Edge Tiles Settings on the Options menu.
For an easier game, choose the Same & Opposite Side Match option in the Matching Rules section. In this
game, you can match a tile with a tile on the opposite edge (as in the standard game) or you can match it
with a tile on the same edge. Therefore, you can match a topmost tile with a bottommost tile or with another
topmost tile, and you can match a bottommost tile with a topmost tile or with another bottommost tile.
Likewise, leftmost and rightmost tiles can be matched with themselves or with each other.
Example – Same and Opposite Sides Option
In this game variation, you can match tiles with free tiles on the same edge or opposite edges. The examples
below show some tiles that can and cannot be matched.
The two A tiles can be matched, since they have the same edges free (both topmost and leftmost).
The B tile can be matched with either D tile, since they have opposite edges free, and the two D tiles can also
be matched with each other, as they have the same edges free.
The C and F tiles can be matched with each other (leftmost and rightmost edges are free), but the identically
matching E tile cannot be matched with either C or F, since it is bottommost and is not on the same or
opposite edge as C or F.
The Tiles Free Next to Empty Space option in the Matching Rules section changes the game rules so that
any tile with a free top, bottom, left or right edge can be matched as if it was the topmost, bottommost,
leftmost or rightmost tile.
Another two variations are found in the Game Options area:
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The Two Level Board option lets you play Edge Tiles with a different board layout. A smaller rectangular grid
of tiles is placed on top of the original grid. Tiles are matched according to the game matching rules. A tile
must be visible for you to remove it.
The Tiles Face Down option adds a Herculean challenge to the game: you play the game with all the tiles
face down. Tiles are only revealed when you hold your cursor over them, making for an extreme memory
challenge. Again, tiles are matched according to the game matching rules.
See Also
1.21.2 Matching Tiles in Edge Tiles
There are seven categories, or suits, of tiles. You can choose between two different tile sets: Chinese and
Egyptian. You can change the tile set you play with in the Edge Tiles game settings (click Edge Tiles
In five of the seven suits, you can only match tiles that are exactly identical by number and picture. You can't
Bamboo don't match.
Seasons (Chinese)
Flowers (Chinese)
Seasons (Egyptian)
Flowers (Egyptian)
See Also
1.21.3 Edge Tiles Strategy
Try these hints and tips to improve your Edge Tiles game:
You will often have more than one match for a tile. In this case, consider what tiles will be made free
by removing the tiles, and see if there are any potential matches available if you make one match over
another.
Since there are more tile columns than rows in the game layout, you'll find more matches on top and
bottom edges than you will on left to right edges, so concentrate on the tops and bottoms of columns
when making matches.
In the Tiles Free Next to Empty Space game variation, work from the outside in, and try to remove tiles
evenly around the edges, making a few little inroads into the board; this is likely to give you a good
distribution of tiles with free edges on the board.
Keep an eye on tiles that could match if they were free on one edge, and try to match tiles adjacent to
them so that the potentially matching tiles are free.
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See Also
1.21.4 Edge Tiles Background
Edge Tiles is one of five puzzle games in Hoyle Puzzle Games that you play with mahjong tiles; the other
four are Gravity Tiles, Mahjong Tiles, Memory Tiles, and Slide Tiles. For background on the classic game of
In Edge Tiles, you try to remove tiles from the board by matching them in pairs. In the standard Mahjong
Tiles game, only tiles on the edges of the board can be removed.
Edge Tiles requires careful attention to detail. Removing some tiles causes others adjacent to them to
become available, so any move you make can change the rest of the game. It may or may not be possible to
clear the board, so your goal is to clear as much of the board as you can. You can replay puzzles to see if
you can improve your score.
1.22
How to Play Maze Racer
Maze Racer is a classic maze game for one or two players. If you play by yourself, try to get through the maze
in the fastest possible time. If you play against another person, try to be the first player out of the maze. You
can choose easy, intermediate, or expert-level mazes.
To play Maze Racer:
1
Your piece starts on the right side of the maze. Move through the maze using the up, down, left, and
right arrow keys on your keyboard.
2
Try to reach the exit on the left side of the maze before the goal time at the top of the screen elapses. If
you run out of time, you can still finish the maze.
To play two-player Maze Racer:
1
2
3
Each player starts at an opposite side of the maze, next to a door, and must make his or her way to the
exit door at the opposite end of the maze (the door is next to the other player's start position).
Each player moves through the maze using a different set of keys. The player at the right side of the
screen (and keyboard) uses the left, right, up, and down arrow keys on the keyboard to move. The player
at the left side of the screen (and keyboard) uses the E, S, D, and X keys on the keyboard to move up,
left, right, and down.
When one player solves the maze, the maze solution for the other player is shown.
Notes and Tips:
If you can't find your way out of the maze (in either the one or two-player game), click the Solve button
on the screen to be shown the path out of the maze. There is only one path out of the maze.
A couple of hints for getting through Maze Racer: try solving the maze backwards (from the exit to the
starting point), and try moving through the maze visually before moving through the maze to save yourself
time.
If you choose to solve the maze, you can press the Esc key to bypass the animation and show the
solution immediately.
Actions
Pause/Resume
pause or resume by pressing Esc on your keyboard, or clicking Pause or
Resume on the Actions menu.
You can also press Esc to show the maze solution immediately if
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you click the Solve button on the screen.
Solve Maze
Solves the current maze, showing the correct path out of the maze.
To solve the maze, click the Solve Maze button on the screen.
Game Options
To change game options for Maze Racer, click Maze Racer Settings on the Options menu. You can set the
maze difficulty (Easy, Medium, or Hard). For help on this option, see the help area in the Settings dialog box.
You can also change your game piece color; click Maze Racer Players on the Options menu, and select
your piece color under Piece Color.
See Also
Maze Racer Strategy
Maze Racer Background
1.22.1 Maze Racer Strategy
Try these hints and tips to improve your Maze Racer game:
Since you can see the entire maze, one method you can use is to backtrack visually, starting at the
end of the maze and trying to determine the path backward to your start. This can be especially helpful
when you are halfway through the maze and are trying to determine whether you're on the right track. In
the two-player game, since there is only one path through the maze, checking your opponent's path is a
good method of backtracking, assuming your opponent is on the right track, that is!
When starting a maze, travel quickly, and always travel as far as you can through the beginning of the
maze before reaching a decision point. This makes the maze shorter, in effect. Then try following the
maze visually.
Since your eyes are quicker than your hands, and you have a time constraint in this game, try letting
your eyes do the walking. Before choosing one path or the other, visually follow one path as far as you
can until you hit a decision point or a dead end. If you hit a dead end, you can safely ignore that path and
move your piece down the other path. Otherwise, visually follow the second path, again noticing whether
you hit a decision point or a dead end; if you hit a dead end, you can safely move along the first path. If
neither path ends in a dead end, you'll have to choose one path or the other. But this method at least lets
you eliminate moving your piece needlessly; you can eliminate paths much more quickly in this way than
by moving through them.
See Also
How to Play Maze Racer
1.22.2 Maze Racer Background
Mazes have been around more than 3,000 years. Most of the oldest mazes were "unicursal": long one-path
mazes with no decision points. These early mazes were often contemplative areas for walking or
worshipping—they were designed more as wonders than as puzzles. (You'll often see these types of mazes
in children's puzzle books; they're useful in training hand-eye coordination).
Over time most mazes became "multicursal"—the mazes we think of most often today, with multiple
branching paths. At one time status symbols for wealthy people with plenty of land to build them on, most of
today's real-life mazes are tourist attractions in gardens and parks.
Today maze puzzles can frequently be found in puzzle books, since they are quick diversions and easy to
solve. Maze Racer adds a time element to make solving mazes more challenging. And solving Maze Racer
puzzles doesn't require any erasing!
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1.23
How to Play Maze Raider
Maze Raider is a competitive maze puzzle game for one or two players. There are two different maze
themes: Greek and Haunted House. The gameplay is nearly identical in both themes, but the objects you
collect and the monsters you encounter will match the theme you choose. You can change the theme in the
game settings.
Your basic goal in Maze Raider is to collect all the goal items in each maze to open the maze exit. Some
mazes contain monsters that will try to slow your progress. Collecting treasures and certain items can give
you points, and special tokens can help you in the game.
There are three mazes to solve in each game of Maze Raider. In the single-player game, try to beat your
highest score by collecting items and getting through the mazes quickly. In the two-player game, see if you
can outscore the other player.
To play Maze Raider:
1
Your piece starts on the right side of the maze. Move through the maze using the up, down, left, and
right arrow keys on your keyboard.
2
Collect items by moving your player piece over them. Collect all the goal items in the maze: either
coins (in the Greek maze) or candelabras (in the Haunted House maze). You can also collect other items
like treasures and tokens that can help you avoid being bothered by monsters. For detailed information
on items and monsters in the maze, click here:
3
Once you've collected all the goal items in the current maze, an exit door opens. You can exit and get a
time bonus, or continue and collect any other items that remain in the maze to try to get more points.
4
After you exit the maze, you proceed to the next maze. There are three mazes to complete in the game.
When you complete the mazes, your score for all three mazes is shown and you get a final score based on
your time and the items you collected. You can "win" the game by getting enough items and treasures and
staying out of harm's way as much as possible.
To play two-player Maze Raider:
1
Each player starts at an opposite side of the maze.
2
Each player moves through the maze using a different set of keys. The player at the right side of the
screen (and keyboard) uses the left, right, up, and down arrow keys on the keyboard to move. The player
at the left side of the screen (and keyboard) uses the E, S, D, and X keys on the keyboard to move up, left,
right, and down.
3
Collect items by moving your player piece over them. Collect all the goal items in the maze: either
coins (in the Greek maze) or candelabras (in the Haunted House maze). As in the single player game,
you and the other player can collect other items like treasures and tokens, and monsters can impede
your play.
Certain tokens (like weapons) can be used against the other player, and certain objects, when
displayed with a hammer, affect the other player if you pick them up. For detailed information on items
and monsters in the maze, click here:
4
To confuse your opponent, you can put up a "false wall." A false wall looks like a real wall but is an
illusion; both players can walk through it, and the Oracle will indicate that it is false. To put up a false
wall, face any direction and press either 2 (player on the left) or Enter (player on the right) on your
keyboard. Each player can only erect one false wall at a time; when you put up a new wall, the previous
wall disappears.
5
When all of the items in each maze (coins or candelabras) are collected (regardless of which player
collects them), an exit door opens at each end of the maze. Your exit door is found on the opposite end of
the maze from where you started the game.
6
Race the other player to see if you can reach your exit door before he or she does. You can't go out
your opponent's door.
A time bonus clock starts counting down from the top bonus level down to zero. If either player can get
to the exit before the clock runs down to zero, he or she receives the bonus points shown.
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When both players exit the maze, or the time runs out, the score for the maze is shown. Click Next
Round to proceed to the next maze. There are three mazes to complete.
8
When all the mazes are completed, the player with the higher score wins the game.
Notes
The time bonus you can get starts at 1000, but can decrease if you're slow to get goal items. If you
take too long between getting goal items, you will hear a warning noise, and then your potential time
bonus decreases (you'll hear a sound each time it decreases) until you pick up another goal item.
However, your time bonus will never get lower than 500. When you get all the goal items, your time bonus
starts counting down until you can get to an exit.
Actions
Pause/Resume
Resume on the Actions menu.
Game Options
To change game options for Maze Raider, click Maze Raider Settings on the Options menu. You can set
the maze theme or the game difficulty (this affects the maze difficulty, how fast objects are made
active/inactive, the behavior of obstacles in the game, and how tough monsters are to beat). For help on
these options, see the help area in the Settings dialog box. You can also change your game piece color and
gender; click Maze Racer Players on the Options menu, select Red or Blue under Piece Color, and select
Girl or Boy under Piece Gender.
See Also
Maze Raider Items and Monsters
Maze Raider Strategy
1.23.1 Maze Raider Items and Monsters
The mazes in Maze Raider contain different items depending on whether you're playing the Greek or
Haunted House theme. Some items affect gameplay, others are tokens that you can collect to use in
different ways. Obstacle items make it difficult for you to move through the maze. Most of the items in the
game are listed here.
Goal Items
Gold Coins: Collect all the gold coins to open the exit in the Greek maze.
Candelabras: Collect all the candelabras to open the exit in the Haunted House maze.
Other Items
Some items in the maze cause positive or negative effects. Many items animate, and only work when in their
animated state, so it is possible to move over them with no effect. For example, you can pass over the
Transporter item without getting transported when it is in its inactive state.
Some items affect the other player, if a hammer is displayed over them. Note that even positive items will
affect your opponent!
Treasure: Treasure items give you extra points.
Oracle: The Oracle shows a path in front of your player piece that you can follow through the maze to collect
goal items. Since there may be several goal items in the maze, you may see several paths extending in front
of you. Once you've obtained all the goal items, the Oracle shows you the path to the exit. Following the
Oracle's path can help you avoid dead ends in the maze. The Oracle's effects eventually wear off, but you
can walk over the Oracle again to get more help.
Maze Shuffler: This item recreates the maze, leaving you in your current position. Some items and
50
monsters in the maze may shift. Some obstacles may also disappear when the maze shuffles.
Trap Door: Periodically, a trap door which resembles a large set of teeth will open and close when you get
within a couple of spaces of it. If you run over the trap door when the door is open, you disappear and
reappear in a random spot in the maze.
Transporter: This item acts as a shortcut, moving you to the other transporter in the maze. In the Greek
theme, this item is a winged horse; in the Haunted House theme, this item is a teleportation booth.
Speed Up: This item speeds you up temporarily. In the Greek theme, this item is Mercury boots; in the
Haunted House theme, this item is a green potion.
Slow Down: This item slows you down temporarily. In the Greek theme, this item is a snail; in the Haunted
House theme, this item is a yellow potion.
Stop: This item stuns you for a few seconds. In the Greek theme, this item is Medusa's head; in the Haunted
House theme, this item is a red potion.
Black Cat (Haunted House theme): Running over this item costs you points, and alerts monsters to your
location in the maze. The Doctor's Creature is especially protective of the cat.
Tokens
Tokens are special items that give you extra abilities that lasts a certain amount of time.
Weapon token: Enables you to knock out monsters (or the other player). In the Greek theme, this item is a
slingshot; in the Haunted House theme, this item is a laser gun. If you get a weapon, and get into the same
hallway facing a monster or opponent, the weapon automatically activates and the target is knocked out for
several seconds. In a two-player game, only the player who reaches the weapon first gets to use it. Using
the weapon gives you bonus points.
Strength token: This item can be used to plow through walls or beat back most monsters. In the Greek
theme, this item is Zeus' fist; in the Haunted House theme, this item is power-up balls. Some monsters, like
the Hydra, are not affected. After you plow through a wall, you'll pause momentarily to catch your breath.
Wings token: Enables you to fly over the maze for a short time. While flying, you are immune to harm from
most monsters.
Shield token: This item protects you from one attack. It activates automatically the next time you're attacked,
and you're protected from all monsters and opponents for a few moments.
Poseidon token (Greek theme): This item, which resembles a trident, lets you walk through areas flooded
by water without slowing down.
Aphrodite token (Greek theme): This item, a heart, makes you attractive to monsters. Use this against your
opponent in a two-player game!
Scythe token (Haunted House theme): This item lets you walk through areas covered in grass without
slowing down.
Vampire token (Haunted House theme): This item only appears in two-player games. Lets you drain points
from your opponent whenever he or she stops moving in the maze. The effect wears off after a while.
Ghost token (Haunted House theme): This item lets you walk through walls for a short time, and makes you
invisible to monsters and immune to harm from obstacles.
Obstacles
Obstacles are areas in the maze that are difficult to get through.
Darkness: Some areas of the maze may be dark; you can only see them when you move into them.
Fire Corridor (Greek theme): Corridors filled with fire pits that burn periodically. If you move cautiously, you
can get through them. Fire is damaging; if you step into a fire pit while it's burning, you'll lose points and be
thrown out of the corridor.
Water (Greek theme): Areas of the maze covered in water. You can only move through water very slowly,
unless you have a Poseidon token, in which case you'll move at normal speed.
Axe Corridor (Haunted House theme): A corridor filled with axes that acts like the Fire Corridor.
Crushing Wall Corridor (Haunted House theme): Another obstacle corridor. Avoid getting crushed by the
walls!
Grass (Haunted House theme): Areas of the maze covered in grass. You can only move through grass very
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slowly, unless you have a Scythe token, in which case you'll move at normal speed.
Monsters in Maze Raider
You'll generally want to avoid running into monsters, unless they block your path in the maze or have
something you want. Monsters will either stun you or move you somewhere else in the maze, but their
effects are temporary and not life-threatening.
Greek Monsters
Hydra: The many-headed Hydra stays in one place in the maze, guarding the Golden Fleece. However, he
can extend his heads over walls and attack you in other corridors. He can also attack players flying via the
wings, and is unhurt by weapon or strength tokens. The Hydra's heads will attack you if they see you. If the
Hydra catches you, he will hurl you to another part of the maze, stunning you for a few seconds (and taking
points from your score).
If you manage to grab the Hydra's Golden Fleece, you get extra points and become immune to harm by
monsters or weapons. But all other items, obstacles and tokens will still affect you.
Minotaur: The slow but strong Minotaur pursues you ceaselessly through the maze. He can even punch
through walls to reach you! If he catches you, he steals some of your points and renders you immobile for a
few seconds.
Cyclops: The Cyclops chooses an item or treasure to guard and stays in that area. The Cyclops is faster
than the Minotaur, but not as strong. He is persistent if you confront him and will chase you if you threaten
him, but he can't smash through walls.
If the Cyclops hits you, you lose points and become immobile for a few seconds. If you grab the Cyclops'
treasure, he will try to chase you, but will probably lose you once you get out of sight. He will then look for
another treasure to guard.
Haunted House Monsters
The Doctor: You've intruded in the Doctor's mansion, and he's not happy about it. He knows his way around
the mansion, and can get around quicker than you can. If he gets a chance, he will fire his zapper at you to
knock you out, but walking or running past him won't hurt you. The Doctor is absent-minded and may drop
potions.
The Doctor's Creature: Strong but slow, the Doctor's frightful creation is prone to anger. Don't get on his bad
side if you can avoid it. He is especially protective of the black cat. He can smash through walls to get you,
but he tires easily and may not chase you for long.
The Killer Plant: One of the Doctor's many experiments is Killer Plant Experiment #32. Since he always
refers to her as KP32, she believes her name is Kay. The Doctor has a tendency to forget to feed her, so Kay
has to take matters into her own tendrils. Kay is hard to walk through, like the grass, but she has a
poisonous and thorny disposition that makes contact with her extremely unpleasant. You have to be plenty
strong to hack your way through Kay's overgrowth, even with the scythe.
See Also
Maze Raider Strategy
Maze Raider Background
1.23.2 Maze Raider Strategy
Try these hints and tips to improve your Maze Raider game:
Don't hang around in one part of the maze for long if there are roving monsters; some monsters that
move around the maze will eventually catch up to you.
Use the Oracle to find the optimal path through the maze to goal items (and the exit).
Get to know the maze monsters and learn how to avoid them. See the tips below for help with
individual monsters.
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Monster Tips
You can get past the Hydra by waiting until he is not looking at you, then running past him.
Beware the Minotaur; he's strong but slow, and can give you long lasting damage. Keep the Minotaur
at bay by using the slingshot or by grabbing the strength token so you can beat him back. The Minotaur is
determined, but stupid; try outwitting him.
The Cyclops is fast, but not as strong as the Minotaur. He is mainly protective of the treasure he's
currently guarding, so stay away from his treasure and you'll do fine. The Cyclops is vulnerable to strength
and weapons.
The Doctor can only get you with his zapper, so just avoid his zapper fire. If he's targeting you and you
can't run away, just run past him.
Try not to agitate the Doctor's Creature. He doesn't like sudden movements.
You'll lose points if you're touched by Killer Plant Kay's tendrils. To make her lose interest in a hallway,
remove what she came to get: her feed bag. But if she's eating while you do this, she might just sting you!
See Also
Maze Raider Items and Monsters
1.23.3 Maze Raider Background
In the most famous cultural reference to mazes, the Greek mythological hero Theseus found his way
through a labyrinth to kill the dread Minotaur of Crete, with just a little help from the infatuated Ariadne and
her magic ball of thread to get him in and out of the maze unscathed.
Maze Raider is inspired by that classic story, and comes complete with myriads of monsters. In Maze
Raider, you move through mazes, raiding them for treasure to get points and tokens to help you get through
the maze faster, while avoiding or neutralizing monsters. You can play by yourself, or against another player
on your computer.
1.24
How to Play Slide Tiles
In Slide Tiles, tiles are arranged in a rectangular grid with a particular number of tiles removed to make
spaces where you can slide tiles. The object of the game is to remove as many tiles as possible from the
board. Tiles are removed in pairs; see Matching Tiles in Slide Tiles for details on how tile pictures are
matched.
There are two ways to remove tiles in Slide Tiles: sliding and clicking:
Sliding Tiles: You can slide a tile or group of tiles if there is enough empty space in the grid in the
direction you want to slide the tiles in. Any pairs of matching tiles that touch as a result of the move are
removed, leaving the slid tiles in their new location. (If no tiles match, the slid tiles are moved back to their
original locations.)
Example of a slide move
You can match tiles by sliding them if there are enough empty spaces so that they can be slid.
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In this example, you can slide A1 and A2 together by sliding A1 two spaces to the right (A2 can’t be slid to the
left, because there are no empty spaces to its left).
You can slide B1 and B2 together by sliding B2 two spaces to the left (again, B1 can’t be slid, because there
are no free spaces to its right).
And in C, the two tiles can be slid together in two different ways: the top tile can be slid down one space, and
the bottom tile can be slid left one space.
Clicking Tiles: You start the game with a number of free clicks. When you remove a certain number of
tiles using the sliding method, you will earn additional clicks (the number of tiles required to earn a click
depends on your game difficulty). A click is a bonus turn that can be used to remove a pair of free tiles
without sliding them. You can only remove tiles that are free. A tile is free if its left or right edge is not
touching another tile (this method is also used in the Mahjong Tiles game).
Example of a click move
In the example below, the highlighted tiles are "free" and can be removed.
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The flowers on the upper-left side of the screen represent the number of free clicks you have. Each
time you remove a pair of tiles via sliding, the flower in the upper-middle of your screen grows a little, and
when it reaches full bloom, it is added to your 'free click' flowers.
To play Slide Tiles:
1
Remove pairs of tiles by sliding or clicking them as described below:.
2
To slide tiles, click on a tile and move the tile up, down, left or right, pushing any tiles in its path along
with it, until it touches a matching tile in an adjacent row or column. After sliding tiles where you want
them, let go of the mouse. Any pairs of matching tiles that touch as a result of the move are removed,
leaving the slid tiles in their new location. (If no tiles match, the slid tiles are moved back to their original
locations.)
3
To click tiles, just click on the first tile, then the second matching tile. You can only click tiles if you have
free clicks available; see the Clicking Tiles description above for details.
4
Keep matching pairs of tiles using slides and clicks until there are no more tiles on the board, trying to
end with the fewest possible tiles remaining. The game ends if you clear the board or you have no more
moves remaining.
At the end of a game, click Restart, Shuffle Tiles for a new game with new tiles, or click Restart, Don’t
Shuffle Tiles to play the same game again (you might do this to try to get a better score). If you didn’t win the
game, you also get a chance to undo your last move or to shuffle the remaining tiles. Both of these options
give you another possible chance of winning the game.
Notes and Tips:
If there are two matching tiles in the same row or column, with empty space between them, you can
slide them together to match them if only one of the two tiles moves.
You can get a hint, if you like. Press M on your keyboard, or click Find Match on the Actions menu. A
pair of tiles that can be removed will be highlighted, and you can then remove them (or press Enter to
have them removed for you.)
You can change the skill level of the game in the game options for an easier or harder game. The
Practice skill level is recommended for beginners.
If you can match more than one pair of tiles with a slide, additional matches are worth extra points.
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The slide indicator at the top of the screen will indicate whether there are any slide moves available. If
you prefer not to know what moves are available, you can disable the slide indicator in the game settings.
If you remove an entire row or column of tiles, the grid squeezes together to remove the empty row or
column.
You may want to preserve click moves until you need them; they are very useful later in the game when
less slide moves exist!
Actions
Find Match
stumped. To find a match, press M or click Find Match on the Actions
menu.
Remove Pair
Removes a selected pair of matching tiles from the board. You can
use this option after finding a matching pair of tiles using Find Match. To
remove the pair, press Enter or click Remove Pair on the Actions menu.
Undo
Undoes the two most recently matched tiles (whether matched by
sliding or clicking), returning them to the table. You can only undo your last
move. To undo a move, press Ctrl+Z or click Undo on the Actions menu.
Game Options
To change game options for Slide Tiles, click Slide Tiles Settings on the Options menu. You can set the tile
set to use, the difficulty for the game (this controls the initial grid, the number of clicks you start with, and how
clicks are earned), and whether to use the slide indicator. For help on these options, see the help area in
the Settings dialog box.
See Also
Matching Tiles in Slide Tiles
Slide Tiles Strategy
Slide Tiles Background
1.24.1 Matching Tiles in Slide Tiles
There are seven categories, or suits, of tiles. You can choose between two different tile sets: Chinese and
Egyptian. You can change the tile set you play with in the Slide Tiles game settings (click Slide Tiles
In five of the seven suits, you can only match tiles that are exactly identical by number and picture. You can’t
Bamboo don’t match.
Seasons (Chinese)
Flowers (Chinese)
Seasons (Egyptian)
Flowers (Egyptian)
See Also
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1.24.2 Slide Tiles Strategy
Try these hints and tips to improve your Slide Tiles game:
Look for slide moves that remove more than one pair of tiles at a time; as well as removing more tiles,
these moves are worth more points.
Preserve click moves until you need them; they are very useful later in the game when less slide
moves exist!
If you see matching tiles that are already touching, look for ways to separate them slightly with other
slides, so that you can slide them back together to remove them.
When sliding tiles, if given a choice of moves, try to plan moves so that other matching tiles that are far
apart get moved closer together. Even if they are not close enough to be slid together, it is possible that
another move will get them close enough.
If you get close to clearing a column or row, do so; collapsing the board can be very helpful. If rows or
columns have collapsed, you can still use the empty space they took up for sliding tiles.
You don’t have to move only the tile you want to match. You can slide a large group of tiles to push the
matching tiles together. Sometimes this will position tiles for matching in future moves.
If you’re stumped, use the hint features in Slide Tiles. The slide indicator at the top of the screen will
indicate whether there are any slide moves available. If you prefer not to know what moves are available,
you can disable the slide indicator in the game settings.
The Find Match feature is also a useful hint feature, especially when you’re first learning the game.
This feature highlights a pair of tiles that can be removed (either by sliding or clicking).
See Also
1.24.3 Slide Tiles Background
Slide Tiles is one of five puzzle games in Hoyle Puzzle Games that you play with mahjong tiles; the other four
are Edge Tiles, Gravity Tiles, Mahjong Tiles, and Memory Tiles. For background on the classic game of
Slide Tiles resembles Mahjong Tiles in that you are trying to remove tiles from the board by matching them
in pairs. However, it is a more complex and interactive game, as you can slide tiles around the board to
match them, and you can remove more than two tiles in a single play.
It may or may not be possible to clear the board, so your goal is to clear as much of the board as you can.
You can replay puzzles to see if you can improve your score.
1.25
How to Play Star Collector
Star Collector is a strategy game of space exploration. You play the game on a rectangular grid containing a
number of stars. The object of the game is to collect enough stars on each level to progress to the next level.
Some stars are shown on the grid, and others may be hidden within the grid.
There are three different types of pieces in the game: regular pieces, multicolored pieces, and laser site
pieces. You play pieces by moving pieces to the grid.
Regular pieces are the basic playing pieces in Star Collector, and come in a variety of pictures and colors.
Different levels will include different varieties of piece pictures and colors. Regular pieces are placed on the
grid as follows: a piece can only be played onto a square next to a piece that's already on the grid, and it
must match all the pieces in adjoining squares in color or picture or both. Note that you may play pieces to
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the grid such that some squares become unplayable.
Example: Playing a regular piece
You can play a regular piece next to a piece on the grid if it matches adjacent pieces in picture or color.
In this example, you can place either of the two space capsules in your rack on square A, regardless of color.
Likewise, you could place the astronaut in your rack on square B. However, once you place a piece in one in
those two squares, the other square cannot be played in unless the piece you play matches both pieces next
to it in either picture or color.
If you place a red space capsule in square A, then in square B you can either play a red astronaut, or a space
capsule the same color as the astronaut next to square B. Likewise, if you place a red astronaut in square B,
you can only play a red space capsule in square A, or an astronaut the same color as the space capsule next
to square A.
Multicolored pieces have more than one color on them and can be rotated to be played next to other regular
or multicolored pieces on the grid. They are played according to the same rules as regular pieces, except
that since they have no picture, they only need to match adjacent pieces in color.
Example: Playing a multicolored piece
Multicolored pieces are played according to the same rules as regular pieces, except that they only need to
match regular pieces in color.
In this example, the multicolored piece was played to the right of a purple piece. The multicolored piece's
purple side matched the piece's color. Any yellow piece can now be played under the multicolored piece, and
any red piece can be played to the multicolored piece's right.
Notice that although a blue piece can be played above the multicolored piece to capture the star, the piece
must also match the adjacent purple earth. Therefore, only a blue earth can be played to capture this star.
Laser site pieces can be played to the board on top of an existing piece to destroy that piece. The piece in
that square is destroyed, leaving an empty square.
Collecting Stars
You collect stars by placing pieces of different colors and shapes onto the grid. There are two types of stars:
stars that are visible on the grid, and hidden stars. Not all levels contain hidden stars. Collecting either type
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of star works towards your star quota for each level, but hidden stars are worth twice the points of visible
stars, since they are harder to find.
You collect a visible star by playing a piece of the same color as the star onto the star's square. For
instance, to capture a green star, you would play a green piece from your rack onto the green star's square.
Example: Collecting a visible star
You collect a star by placing a piece of the same color as the star onto the star's square.
In this example, a light blue earth can be played to capture the light blue star at the left. A green astronaut can
be played to capture the green star at the bottom. And any green piece can be played to capture the green star
at the right, since the astronaut piece next to it is already green.
In addition, you can use a multicolored piece to capture a star, if the piece can be legally played and
contains the color of that star.
You collect a hidden star by playing any piece (regardless of picture or color) on a square containing the
star; when you play on a square containing a hidden star, the hidden star is revealed.
To play Star Collector:
1
Drag a piece from your rack at the right of the board onto a square on the grid where you can legally
play that piece. You can also play a piece by clicking the piece and then clicking a legal destination
square on the board.
To play a laser site piece, play it to a square that contains a regular piece. That piece is
destroyed.
To rotate a multicolored piece before playing it, right-click it (Ctrl+click on the Macintosh) in
your rack. You can rotate it as many times as you need to.
2
Play as many pieces as you can. If you empty the rack by playing all the pieces in it, it refills with more
pieces.
3
If you cannot play any of the remaining pieces in your rack (or don't want to play them), you can refill
your rack by clicking the Re-Rack button under your rack. You can only rerack a certain amount of times
for each level (the number of reracks available in the current level is shown underneath your rack).
4
Try to collect enough stars to advance to the next level.
The stars you need to collect in each level are shown as a constellation at the bottom of the board; the
number of missing stars in the constellation signifies how many stars you need to collect in the current
level. When you collect a star in the game, a star in the constellation will be activated.
5
If you run out of reracks, and you can't play any of your remaining pieces, the game ends.
If you complete a constellation, you proceed to the next level. Later levels are more difficult to solve. See how
many levels you can get through in the game!
Notes and Tips:
Hidden stars give off sonar clues to their location. When you play a piece approximately three squares
away from a hidden star, you'll hear a single sonar ping. Playing two squares away from a hidden star
emits two pings, and playing adjacent to a hidden star emits three pings.
You can undo your last move by clicking Undo on the Actions menu.
If you happen to fill an entire row or column of the grid with pieces, all those pieces disappear, and
you get bonus points and an additional rerack.
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To make the game easier or harder, change the Rack Size setting in the game settings. The more
pieces in your rack, the easier the game will be.
To make the game harder, turn off the highlights that appear when you drag a piece to the board by
turning off the Show Playable Squares option in the game settings.
Some stars may already be completed in a constellation when you start a level.
Use the Legend under the Help menu for a quick reference to items in the game.
Actions
Rerack
Refills your rack with all new pieces. You have a limited number of
reracks during the game. You can rerack by clicking the Rerack button on
your screen or clicking Rerack on the Actions menu.
Undo
Undoes your last move, returning the last piece you played to your
rack. You can only undo once. To undo, click Undo on the Actions menu.
Game Options
To change game options for Star Collector, click Star Collector Settings on the Options menu. You can set
your initial rack size (how many pieces are in your rack), whether playable squares are shown (to help you
play), and the game difficulty. For help on these options, see the help area in the Settings dialog box.
See Also
Star Collector Strategy
Star Collector Background
1.25.1 Regular piece
Regular piece
1.25.2 Multicolored piece
Multicolored piece
1.25.3 Laster site piece
Laser site piece
1.25.4 Star Collector Strategy
Try these hints and tips to improve your Star Collector game:
Play pieces in long lines whenever possible, rather than in blocks; this allows you flexibility in
sprouting pieces off those lines when you need to.
Plan ahead: when looking at your piece rack, try to see whether a sequence of pieces can be played;
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for example, a purple globe, a purple astronaut, a green astronaut, a green moon, and a red moon can all
be played on the grid on adjacent squares.
Plan your path towards a colored star by trying to play pieces of primarily that color toward the star's
general vicinity. In general, placing pieces of the same color in the same areas of the grid can help
prevent unplayable areas. This can also help keep colors you don't want out of your way.
Save multicolored pieces until you need them. Play them to capture a star, or play them as the last
piece in your rack so that your rack will be refilled without having to use a valuable rerack.
See Also
How to Play Star Collector
1.25.5 Star Collector Background
Star Collector is a strategy game of space exploration. You move your ship through galaxies, trying to reach
as many stars as possible.
To reach stars, you must plan ahead, making the best of your resources, and trying to travel as much of the
galaxy as possible (since not all stars are easy to find).
Star Collector shares several elements with the classic card game Crazy Eights. Pieces can be matched by
either picture or color, and some pieces are in effect "wild" and can match more than one piece.
1.26
How to Play Time Breaker
In Time Breaker, you pilot a time-traveling ship through four different ages: Primitive, Egyptian, Medieval, and
Future. Your mission is to travel through several different levels of each age, clearing the blocks using the
weapons and equipment at your disposal. Enemy ships chase you through time and try to prevent you from
completing your mission.
The top of the screen in each level contains blocks that you must try to destroy. Blocks match the theme of
the age; Primitive blocks resemble stones, Egyptian blocks resemble pyramid blocks with hieroglyphics,
and so on. Destroy blocks by launching an energy ball at them; the ball hits the blocks and bounces back
down. Deflect the energy ball back up to the blocks using your ship.
Some blocks take multiple hits to destroy; other blocks are indestructible, but do not have to be removed to
advance in the game. Some levels may also contain bonus blocks. Destroy bonus blocks to release bonus
items which remain for a limited time; destroy these items for extra points.
Do not let an energy ball go past your ship and off the bottom of the screen; each time this happens, you
lose a ship. Your ships are shown on the screen; the number of ships you have varies according to the
game difficulty.
While you're playing, power tokens may fall to the bottom of the screen; catch power tokens with your ship to
get extra powers. Click here for a list of power tokens and their powers:
Obstacles or enemies may appear while you're playing. Some obstacles can be destroyed by hitting them
with an energy ball, others cannot. Some obstacles are destroyed when hit by an energy ball, others are not.
Click here for a list of obstacles in the game:
To play Time Breaker:
1
Select the age you want to attempt. In each age, you'll play six different levels.
2
To begin play, click your mouse to release an energy ball. The energy ball bounces up to hit the blocks
at the top of the screen, destroying any destroyable blocks it hits, and then bounces back down to your
ship. The energy ball will also bounce off walls.
3
Move your mouse left and right (if using the keyboard, press your left and right arrow keys) to move
your ship in order to deflect the energy ball and bounce it back up to the blocks.
4
You can catch power tokens with your ship by moving underneath them. Power tokens give you a
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variety of powers and may be temporary or last throughout the entire level. Two power tokens, Catch and
Laser , give you powers that cannot be used until you activate them. They are activated by clicking your
mouse or pressing the Spacebar on your keyboard.
5
If you destroy all the normal blocks in a level, you'll proceed to the next level. Bonus blocks are optional
and do not have to be destroyed.
The current age ends if you run out of ships or if you complete all the levels in the age.
If you run out of ships during the game, you have the option to continue the game from where you left off, with
your score and ships reset, or you can start over from the beginning of the game.
If you complete an age, you can choose a different age to play. If you complete all four ages, you win the
game!
Notes and Tips:
Learn the power tokens and their effects to improve your game; especially learn to avoid the tokens
with negative effects!
Press the Esc key to pause the game, and to regain mouse control if you are playing in mouse mode.
Actions
Pause/Resume
Resume on the Actions menu. You can also pause the game to regain
control of the mouse if playing in mouse mode.
Game Options
To change game options for Time Breaker, click Time Breaker Settings on the Options menu. You can set
whether to play with mouse or keyboard, your controller sensitivity, and the game difficulty. For help on these
See Also
Time Breaker Power Tokens
Time Breaker Obstacles and Enemies
1.26.1 Bricks
Bricks
1.26.2 Bonus Blocks
Bonus Blocks
1.26.3 Time Breaker Power Tokens
Power tokens fall from the screen as you play. Catch power tokens with your ship to get bonus abilities that
affect your ship or energy balls. Most abilities are positive, but some are negative.
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You don't have to catch all the power tokens in the game, but most of them will help you progress in the
game.
Two of the power tokens, Catch and Laser, give you powers that cannot be used until you activate them; your
ship will change to indicate that these powers are available. To activate these powers, click your mouse or
press the Spacebar on your keyboard.
Power Tokens in Time Breaker
Catch
Catches the next energy ball that hits your ship,
allowing you to release it whenever you like. This power
lasts until you catch another power token.
Laser
Adds a laser weapon to your ship that you can
shoot straight upwards, one shot at a time. This power
lasts until you catch another power token.
Slow
Slows down the energy ball, making it easier to
deflect.
Speeds up the energy ball, making it harder to
Speed Up
deflect.
Grow
Enlarges your ship, making it easier for you to
deflect balls.
Shrink
Shrinks your ship, making it harder for you to
deflect balls.
Turbo
Makes your next hit of the energy ball break
through all the destructible rows of blocks it hits. (The
energy ball will bounce off indestructible blocks.)
Turns the energy ball into a missile ball, enabling
you to help direct the ball into its target as it's moving using
the mouse or keyboard.
Missile
Bomb
Makes blocks hit by the energy ball explode,
destroying adjacent blocks. This power lasts until you catch
another power token.
Clone Ball
Clones the next energy ball you hit, shooting
additional energy balls from your ship so that you can
destroy more blocks.
Cloned balls remain as long as you can keep them in play.
Note: you'll only lose one ship if all the cloned balls (and
the original ball) go past your ship off the screen.
Drain
Drains energy from the energy ball, making it
powerless for a certain number of bounces. During this
time, it will not destroy anything it hits.
Free
Gives you an extra ship.
Life
See Also
1.26.4 Time Breaker Obstacles and Enemies
Time travel is not without its perils. You'll encounter a number of obstacles as you play the game.
Furthermore, your enemies want to conquer time before you do; eliminating and avoiding them will be to
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your advantage.
Some of the obstacles and enemies you'll encounter are described below.
Wormhole
Rift
A wormhole appears from nowhere, then disappears. If
an energy ball hits a wormhole, it will get caught in it and flung out
in a random direction.
A rift in time appears. If an energy ball enters a rift, it
disappears, and another rift will appear in a different location on
the board; the ball will be flung out of the new rift. A rift will
eventually shrink and disappear.
Tanker
A slow ship that's easy to destroy.
A sleek ship that cannot be destroyed.
Destroyer
Cruiser
A mysterious ship that throws out mines. Mines get in
your way, and if they hit your ship, they remove your current power.
You can remove them by hitting them with the energy ball.
Phantom
A malfunctioning ship. If you hit this ship, you wipe it out
and it explodes, possibly taking nearby blocks with it.
See Also
Time Breaker Strategy
Time Breaker Background
1.26.5 Time Breaker Strategy
Try these hints and tips to improve your Time Breaker game:
Learn the power tokens and their effects to improve your game; especially learn to avoid the tokens
with negative effects: Speed Up, Shrink, and Drain.
Anticipate bad bounces off unusually-shaped obstacles and blocks. Be ready for the ball to come out
of nowhere.
When you get the Clone Ball power, try to concentrate on deflecting one or two of the cloned energy
balls, rather than trying to deflect them all.
Don't let the power tokens distract you from the more important task of deflecting the energy ball.
Avoid catching other power tokens if you get the Catch or Laser power (or other favorite powers); these
powers are very useful, since you can decide when to use them.
Practice a lot! You'll get familiar with the tokens and you'll get the hang of using your ship. And be sure
to relax, there are a lot of levels to get through!
See Also
Time Breaker Obstacles and Enemies
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1.26.6 Time Breaker Background
Time Breaker is an update of a classic—an exciting twist on the usual "break the blocks" style arcade game.
In Time Breaker, you pilot a time-traveling ship through four different ages: Primitive, Egyptian, Medieval, and
Future. Your mission is to travel through several different levels of each age, clearing the blocks using the
weapons and equipment at your disposal. Enemy ships chase you through time and try to prevent you from
completing your mission. Each age features unique challenges and rewards. Buckle your space-belt!
1.27
How to Play Rays
Rays is a unique game of hide-and-seek. You are seeking "nodes" hidden on a 10 x 10 grid, and you find
them by firing rays of light into the grid from the perimeter. Based on where the rays emerge from the grid
you have to discern where the nodes are located, but use your rays wisely, they are in limited supply!
How to Play Rays
In one player mode, the computer hides the nodes on the grid, and it is your task to find them. Start by
choosing a perimeter square and clicking on it. A ray fires into the grid from that square, and then emerges
somewhere on the perimeter. Each time you fire a ray, it uses up one charge on your battery, which is
shown to the right of your picture.
Rays change course when they strike or pass near a node. The easiest way to visualize how rays interact
with nodes is to imagine a force field around each node that extends out around it. When a ray strikes the
force field around a node, it either bounces back the way it came, or bounces off it at a right angle.
Figure 1: Rays Interacting with a Node
There are four ways to describe the path of a ray: it can be deflected or reflected, and each reflection or
deflection can be simple or complex. Let's look at how each of these ray paths could occur.
Simple Deflection
Simple deflections occur when a ray changes direction once, and exits the grid from a different point than
where it entered. These are the most informative results you can get from firing a ray, and are therefore very
desirable. Based on the entry point and exit point of a ray that is simply deflected, you can tell exactly where
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one node has to be. The corner made by the path of a simple deflection always "points" to the square
containing the node. In the picture above, rays 2 & 3 are simple deflections. There is no other node
placement that will produce a simple deflection with that entry and exit point.
Another kind of "simple deflection" occurs when a node doesn't affect the ray at all, and the ray travels
straight through the grid. In this case, the ray isn't really deflected by anything, but it is labeled as part of the
"simple deflection" group just the same. Even when nothing happens, it tells you something important.
When no nodes affect the path of a ray, you know there are three full rows without a node in them.
Complex Deflection
When a ray changes direction two or more times and then exits the grid from a different spot from where it
entered, it is a complex deflection. The entry and exit points of a complex deflection are marked with a
double-arrow icon. Ray one in Figure 2 is an example of a complex deflection. Complex deflections aren't as
clearly informative as simple deflections, since multiple node combinations could produce the same entry
and exit points.
Figure 2: A Complex Deflection
Simple Reflections
A simple reflection happens when the ray changes direction once, and comes back out where it went in. The
entry and exit point of a simple reflection is marked with a circle. The simplest way for this to happen is that
you fire a ray directly into a node. See ray one in Figure 3. Rays three and four show simple reflections that
are, well, more complex. They change direction once and come out where they went in, though, so they are
still simple reflections. Note that a simple reflection doesn't always indicate a node in that row or column.
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Figure 3: Simple Reflections
Complex Reflections
Complex reflections occur when a ray changes direction more than once, and exits at the same point it
entered. The entry and exit point of a complex reflection is marked with a double-circle. This can only happen
when a ray is deflected into a node. The ray bounces off the node and retraces its path, heading out the
same way it came in. Ray two of Figure 4 shows a complex reflection.
Figure 4: A Complex Reflection
Guesses
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In "One at a Time" guess mode (the default setting), you can guess the location of a node after you fire each
ray. When you are correct, you earn an additional guess. To guess, click on a square you think contains a
node. This places a purple X on the square. Then click "Guess." If you are correct, the node will be revealed.
If you are incorrect, the X will turn red, reminding you that there is no node there.
In "All at Once" mode, you guess where all the nodes are at once. If any of your guesses are wrong, all the
nodes stay hidden and you shoot another ray. The nodes are only revealed when all of your guesses are
correct, or when your guess is incorrect and you are out of rays.
You can change your guess after placing a purple X in "All at Once" mode by clicking on the X you want to
change. This "picks up" the X, allowing you to re-place it. In "One at a Time" mode, clicking on a square will
move the X to it.
There is no penalty for guessing in either mode, but in "All at Once" mode, the chances are slim that you will
be correct unless you have some information to work with, so you may want to skip your guess early on. In
"One at a Time" mode, guessing gives you extra information about the grid even if you are incorrect, and can
confirm or deny an educated guess you might have, so use each guess you have.
Two-Player Mode
In two-player mode, each player places nodes on their opponent's grid (no peeking), or either player can
have the computer place the nodes by clicking "Computer Pick." Players take turns firing rays into their grid.
The first player to accurately guess the location of all the nodes is the winner. However, if the player who
went first finds all the nodes first, the other player takes one more turn, giving each player the same number
of total rays fired.
Actions
Guess
If Xs have been placed on the grid for a guess, press G or click the
"Guess" button to submit the guess. If not, G skips the guess.
Skip Guess
If it is time to make a guess and you do not wish to make one,
press G or click "Skip Guess."
Solution
To reveal the location of all nodes and end the game, press S.
Game Options
To change game options for Rays, click Rays Settings on the Options menu. You can set the number of
nodes used in the game, the difficulty level of the node placement, and whether you guess the location of
nodes one at a time or all at once. For help on these options, see the help area in the Settings dialog box.
See Also
Rays Strategy
Rays Background
1.27.1 Rays Strategy
Every shot and guess in Rays gives you information. The key to becoming a "Rays Expert" is knowing how to
extract all the information from each shot, take shots that reveal the most useful information, and use your
guesses wisely.
Color-Coding
The first tip is to use the color-coding feature in Rays to help keep track of what you know. If you right-click on
a square in rays, it will turn red. If you right click again, it will turn green. A third right-click returns it to black.
Right-clicking on a perimeter square will turn the entire row or column red, and right-clicking a second time
will turn the entire row or column black again. Use this feature to turn squares you know cannot contain
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nodes red.
Shoot Wisely
Try to take shots that have the potential to give you the most new information about the board, or that
pinpoint the location of a node you only have partial information about. Here are some tips for shot selection:
Fire shots that would eliminate the most squares from "node contention" should the ray "miss."
Remember that your ray is essentially three squares wide. Try to fire into areas you don't know much
about, and get the most coverage you can out of each ray.
Use follow-up shots to clarify complex deflections and reflections. When a ray results in partial
information, try to turn it into concrete information via guesses and follow-up shots. For example, after a
simple reflection, a follow-up shot one square away will frequently produce a simple deflection off of the
node you found with the simple reflection, pinpointing the node's location.
Informed Guessing
When a ray results in a simple deflection, use your guess (in "One at a Time" mode) to reveal that node, as
you will earn an extra guess. Use your guesses every turn in "One at a Time" mode; you have nothing to
lose, even if you are guessing randomly.
Frequently, you will be able to narrow down the location of a node to two or three potential squares. Use your
guesses to figure out which of the possible squares the node is actually in. In Figure 5, it is likely that ray
three reflected off of one of the two known nodes to make the complex deflection. Using your guess on the
square at the intersection of 2 & 39 or 6 & 12 would be a good way to go.
Figure 5: Using Guesses Wisely
Tricky Node Placement
In two-player mode, you are both a hider and a seeker. Hiding nodes to confound your opponent is as much
of an art as searching for them is. Here are some tips for node placement:
Clumped nodes are hard to find. When nodes are placed near each other, it reduces the ability for
rays to reach some of the nodes. Three nodes in a row or two nodes separated by an empty space are
particularly tricky, as all rays fired into the area will produce the same result whether the middle node is
there or not.
Edge and corner nodes are hard to find. Nodes hidden on the outer edge of the grid produce more
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simple reflections than a node hidden on the interior.
Know your opponent. Does your opponent frequently fire from the same square to start out with? Do
they adhere strictly to the strategy tips above? If so, you can use that to your advantage.
Vary your strategy. The first couple of tips are only difficult if you don't use them every time. If you
always place clumped nodes in the corner because they are the most difficult to find, it will actually
become easy for your opponent to guess where you have placed your nodes. Variety is key for keeping
your opponents on their toes.
See Also
How to Play Rays
1.27.2 Rays Background
Rays is a unique game of hide-and-seek. It bears some similarity to Battling Ships, where you fire missiles
at ships hidden on your opponent's grid. In Rays, you also find hidden objects on a grid, but it's not as
simple as naming coordinates and finding out if it was a hit or a miss. Instead, you fire rays of light into the
grid from the perimeter. Based on where the rays emerge from the grid, you have to discern where the
"nodes" are located—but use your rays wisely, you only have eight!
1.28
How to Play Word Searches
In Word Searches, you try to find all the words hidden in the grid. The words you need to find are listed on
the right side of the screen.
Words can be found across, down, diagonally, and backwards in the puzzle.
Selecting a Puzzle in Word Searches
A random puzzle is selected for you when you start Word Searches. You can choose another random puzzle,
or choose from a categorized list of puzzles.
To select a puzzle:
To select a particular puzzle, click the Choose button on the screen. Choose a category, and then
choose a puzzle within that category.
To select a new random puzzle, click the New button on the screen.
Notes:
Each time you play, a random set of words is chosen from the word list and the puzzle is scrambled.
You can play your favorite puzzles again and again!
You can make your own word lists for Word Searches; word lists you create appear in the
Word Lists (custom) category. Click here to find out how to create word lists: .
Playing Word Searches
When you find a word, you circle it using your mouse. Words you find are automatically crossed off in the list.
You win when you find all the words in the list.
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To circle a word:
Click the first letter in the word. Holding down your mouse button, drag the mouse to the last letter,
and then release it.
OR
Click the first and last letter of the word.
Notes and Tips:
If you are stumped on the current word, click Find Word, and the word will be circled for you.
To narrow down your search, turn on the Show First Letter feature in the game settings. This will
highlight the first letter of the current word in the word list within the grid, in every place it is found.
To quickly move to a different word in the word list, type the first letter of that word.
Other game settings can make the puzzle easier or harder:
To make the puzzle easier, you can turn off Use Backwards Words and Use Diagonal Words
, or you can decrease the grid size and the number of words used in the puzzle.
To make the puzzle harder, you can hide the word list or increase the grid size and the
number of words used in the puzzle. Note that hiding the word list may make a puzzle too difficult to
play unless you use a smaller grid size or reduce the number of words.
After you solve a puzzle, you can play the same puzzle again by clicking the Clear button and then the
Scramble button.
Playing Word Searches with Another Person
You can play Word Searches competitively with another friend or family member on the same computer.
This is called playing head to head.
To start a head to head game:
Click the Go To menu, click Word Searches, and click Two Players.
If a second player is not already signed in, you are asked to select the player you want to play with.
Select a player from the Players list, and click OK.
You can also add a player from within Word Searches. If you add a player after you've already started a
puzzle, a new puzzle will be started.
To add a player after starting Word Searches:
1
2
3
4
Click Word Searches Players on the Options menu.
Click the Add button in the empty player position, and select Real Person.
Select a player to add.
Click OK, and then click OK again to close the Players dialog box.
To play head to head:
1
2
3
4
Start Word Searches with two players (see above).
You and the other player take turns finding words in the word list. You each have a certain amount of
time for your turn. On your turn, circle a word just as you would in the single player game.
When you find a word, you score a point, and the turn is passed to the other player. If you can't find a
word in the time limit, your turn is passed to the other player.
The game ends when the puzzle is completed or when neither player can find a word in his or her
turn. The player who finds the most words wins.
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Notes:
The standard time limit is 30 seconds but can be changed to 45 or 60 seconds in the game settings.
You can only change game settings during a head to head game after a game has started. You can
change the settings anytime before a word is circled.
During a two-player game, most actions are unavailable.
Actions
New
Selects a new random puzzle. Click the New button on the screen
or click New on the File menu.
Choose Puzzle
Lets you choose a puzzle from a list arranged by category. Click
the Choose button on the screen or click Choose Puzzle on the File menu.
Create Word List
Lets you create your own word lists for Word Searches. Click
Create Word List on the File menu. Click here to find out more:
Delete Word List
Lets you remove word lists you created. Click Delete Word List on
the File menu.
Save
Saves the current puzzle, so you can continue playing it later. The
puzzle is saved in its current state. Click Save on the File menu.
Restore
Restores a saved puzzle, so you can play it. The restored puzzle
will replace any puzzle you are currently working on. Click Restore on the
File menu.
Print
Prints the current puzzle to your printer, so you can take it with you.
The puzzle is printed in its current state, so any words you have already
found are circled on the puzzle and crossed off in the list. Click Print on the
File menu.
Scramble Puzzle
Rearranges all the letters in the puzzle. Any words you have found
remain circled. Click the Scramble button on the screen or click Scramble
Puzzle on the Actions menu.
Clear Puzzle
Clears the entire puzzle, and removes any words you've found. You
are asked to confirm that you really want to clear the puzzle. Click the Clear
button on the screen or click Clear Puzzle on the Actions menu.
Find Word
Circles the current word (the word selected in the word list) in the
puzzle. If the current word is already found, the Find Word button isn't
available. Click the Find button on the screen or click Find Word on the
Actions menu.
Solve Puzzle
Circles all the words in the puzzle. You are asked to confirm that
you really want to solve the puzzle. Click the Solve button on the screen or
click Solve Puzzle on the Actions menu.
Pause/Resume Timer
Pause Timer pauses the timer (if active) and hides the puzzle grid.
This is useful if you are tracking your time and want to stop working on the
puzzle to do something else. Click the Pause button on the screen or click
Pause on the Actions menu.
Resume Timer starts the timer again and reveals the puzzle. Click
the Resume button on the screen or click Resume on the Actions menu.
Shortcut Keys
Letters A-Z
Moves to the first word in the word list that starts with that letter.
Arrow keys (up and down)
Moves up and down through the word list one word at a time.
Game Options
To change game options for Word Searches, click Word Searches Settings on the Options menu. You can
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set whether to show the word list, whether to highlight the first letter of the current word everywhere it is
found (to make puzzles easier), whether to allow backwards and diagonal words in the puzzle, how many
words are fit into the grid, whether to use a square grid, and the width and height of the grid. You can also
set whether to use a timer and what background to use. In a two-player game, you can set how much time
each player has on his or her turn.
For help on these options, see the help area in the Settings dialog box.
See Also
Creating Your Own Word Lists for Word Searches
Printing Word Searches
Word Searches Strategy
Word Searches Background
1.28.1 Creating Your Own Word Lists for Word Searches
You can create your own word lists for Word Searches so you can play puzzles using those words. Some
ideas for word lists you could make: your hobbies, the names of friends or family members, your favorite
foods, cities you have lived in, spelling lists for your kids, pets you have had, your favorite sports figures.
In addition, you can make word lists based on word lists that are already in Word Games.
Words in your word list must be from 3-21 letters.
To create your own word list:
1
2
3
In Word Searches, click Create New Word List on the File menu.
To add a word to your list, type it in the Add New Word box, and click the Add button.
To copy a word from an existing word list, select the group, list, and word you want from the Group,
List, and Word boxes at the right of the dialog box. Then, click the Add button. Or click the Add All button
to copy all the words in the selected list to your new list.
4
Click Save when you are done adding words.
5
Type a name for your list, and click OK.
Lists you make appear in the Word Lists (custom) category.
To play a puzzle with a word list you created:
1
2
3
In Word Searches, click the Choose button, or click Choose Puzzle on the File menu.
In the Select a Category box, select the Word Lists (Custom) category.
In the Select a Puzzle box, select the puzzle you want.
Note:
Puzzles you create also may appear in Hangman games that use categories.
See Also
1.28.2 Printing Word Searches
You can print a puzzle on your printer, so you can take it with you. The puzzle is printed in its current state, so
any words you have already found are circled and crossed off in the list.
To print a puzzle:
Click Print on the File menu, and click OK to print.
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Tip:
You can use the Print feature to print puzzles and puzzle solutions. Select a puzzle, print it, and then
solve it (by clicking the Solve Puzzle button) and print it again.
See Also
1.28.3 Word Searches Strategy
Try the following hints and tips to improve your Word Searches skill:
When you are just starting a puzzle, look for longer words. They are often easiest to find.
Looking for words across and down is easier than diagonal words. Try quickly scanning each line
with your eyes.
Look for patterns in the grid; if you see common consonants and vowels together, they might make a
word.
Try to look for the rarest letter in a word. For instance, if you are looking for the word DIVINE, try looking
for the letter V in all the places it is found in the grid. Some relatively rare letters are: Z, Q, X, V, F, G, Y, U,
J, H, and K.
Words with double letters (two consecutive letters that are the same, such as L in YELLOW or E in
BEEF) may be easier to find, because you can look for clusters of the same letters.
If you are really stumped on a word but don't want to have it solved for you, try scrambling the puzzle
(click the Scramble button on the screen) to get a fresh look at the puzzle.
See Also
1.28.4 Word Searches Background
Word Search puzzles are entertaining puzzles that can be found in most word puzzle books and magazines.
In a Word Search puzzle, words (often related to a particular subject) are hidden up, down, forwards,
backwards, and diagonally within a grid of letters.
The word FOX is found in the grid
The words you need to find are listed in a word list. When you find a word, you circle it in the puzzle and
cross it off the list.
There is probably a Word Search puzzle on every imaginable topic. Topics for Word Searches include
hobbies, animals, food, science, cities, and more!
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1.29
How to Play Panic
In Panic, pieces of several different shapes fall from the top of the game board, and you move and rotate
them as they drop to fit them onto the board. Panic has three unique games; you can choose the game you
want to play in the Panic Settings dialog box.
Click on a game name below to learn how to play that game.
Classic
Clear lines from the board by filling them with blocks.
Lineout
Clear specific lines by filling them with blocks.
Packer
Pack the board with pieces while keeping blocks of like color together.
All games have these common features:
There are seven shapes of pieces, representing all possible configurations of four adjacent squares.
In the Classic and Lineout games, each shape is a unique color (so that you can more easily identify it);
in the Packer game, each shape is made up of two different colors.
Pieces can be rotated clockwise or counter-clockwise and moved left and right as they drop down the
screen.
The piece to be dropped next is shown at the top left of the screen.
If a piece can't be dropped because there are blocks at the top of the game board, the game (or level,
for Packer) ends.
Game levels get progressively more difficult. You can start a new game at any level you reached in a
previous game. To start from a level other than the first, adjust the Starting Level indicator in the Panic
options.
You play Panic using the keyboard, as shown below. You can specify different keys in the game options.
Key
Action
Left arrow
Move piece to the left
Right arrow
Move piece to the right
Up arrow or S
Rotate piece clockwise
A
Rotate piece counter-clockwise
Down Arrow
Move piece more rapidly towards the bottom of the board
Spacebar
Drop piece
Esc
Pause the game or resume a paused game
How to Play Classic
In the Classic game, you arrange the falling pieces to create horizontal lines of blocks across the playing
board. A line is removed if it is filled with blocks. You can remove more than one line at once; the more lines
you remove at once, the more points you earn.
When you remove a line, any blocks above the line you removed move down to fill in the void.
You complete a level if you remove the number of lines shown in the Lines to Go indicator. In later levels,
you'll need to remove more lines.
When you complete a level, you get a bonus for every empty line on the game board. Each empty line is
worth progressively more points, so keep your board as low as possible to maximize your score. The game
board is then cleared, and you proceed to the next level. For details on scoring, see Scoring in the Classic
Game.
The game ends if a piece can't be dropped because there are blocks at the top of the game board.
Game Elements in Classic Panic
The Classic game includes several special game elements: bombs, siren bricks, obstacle blocks, extra
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lines, and onyx blocks. Some elements appear in later levels, and some may only appear when the game
difficulty is set to Hard. These elements are described below.
Bombs
Bombs appear from time to time in place of regular pieces, and you can move and drop them as you would
regular pieces. Rotating a bomb does nothing.
A bomb explodes when it lands and removes all lines that it touches (a bomb touches a line if it shares a
side with a block in that line). If you maneuver a bomb so that it touches three different lines (the top, bottom,
and one side of the bomb each touch a block on a different line), it will take out all three lines.
Note that lines removed by bombs do not score points or count towards the Lines to Go goal.
You can play the game without bombs by changing the game options.
Siren Bricks
Siren bricks appear from time to time within regular pieces. If you can remove the line containing the siren
brick from the game within several turns, you score bonus points and get to remove extra lines from the
bottom of the board. Note that you only have to remove the block containing the siren brick, not the entire
piece.
When the brick first appears, it displays a 4. If it lands such that the line the brick is in removed, you score
2500 points, and four lines are immediately removed from the bottom of the board (if you have less than four
lines on the board, all lines are removed). If the line is not removed, the brick number is reduced to a 3 and
play continues.
When each of the three subsequent pieces drop, you have another chance to remove the siren brick. If you
can remove the line containing the brick, you receive a bonus (500 points lower each time the brick number
is reduced) and a number of lines equal to the number on the siren brick are removed from the bottom of
the screen. If you don't remove the line, the brick number is decreased by one. When the number reaches 0,
the siren brick disappears, and the block containing the siren brick returns to its original color.
You can play the game without siren bricks by changing the game options.
Obstacle Blocks
Some levels begin with blocks already placed on the game board. You play the game normally, as if you had
dropped those blocks there yourself.
Extra Lines
In some levels, extra lines of gray blocks are added to the bottom of the screen at regular intervals, pushing
the other blocks on the board up. Extra lines contain one or more spaces, and can be removed the same
way as regular lines of blocks. These lines appear more and more rapidly as you reach higher levels.
Onyx Blocks
If you're playing a game on the Normal or Hard level, onyx blocks appear on the board at the beginning of
some levels. Onyx blocks can only be removed if they are part of a double, triple or quadruple line removal.
Bombs and siren bricks do not remove onyx blocks. When you remove a single line that contains onyx
blocks, the onyx blocks are not removed.
In some levels, it is possible to end up with a complete line of Onyx blocks. If you pull this off, the Onyx
blocks will be removed.
Scoring in the Classic Game
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You get points for dropping pieces, removing lines (removing several lines at once is worth substantially
more points), and completing a level.
You get bonus points for removing siren bricks (2500, 2000, 1500, or 1000 points, depending on the brick
number).
You also get bonus points for any lines remaining at the top of the board when you end a level: 50 points for
the first line and 50 additional points for each subsequent line (50, 100, 150, and so on).
Note that you do not get points for removing lines using a bomb.
How to Play Lineout
You play Lineout as you would the Classic game, but instead of trying to remove any lines you can, you must
remove specific target lines to complete the level. Target lines are highlighted on the game board. The Lines
Remaining indicator will show you how many lines you have to remove to complete the level. You will need
to remove more lines in later levels.
Note: In Lineout, as in Classic, a line is removed if the line is filled with blocks, so you should try not to
inadvertently complete lines that are lower than your target line.
Initially, you only need to remove single lines. Later levels may include one or both of these elements:
Multiple lines: These are adjacent lines that must be removed at the same time to be removed at all.
Multiple lines include double lines, triple lines, and quadruple lines.
Progressive lines: In some levels, only one target line is revealed at a time. This can either be a
single line or a multiple line. When you remove a target line in a progressive level, the next target line
appears somewhere else on the board. New target lines are always within four lines of the line you just
completed (either above or below it), and will not appear above a certain point on the game board.
You complete a level by removing all the required target lines (as shown in the Lines Remaining indicator).
Lineout includes a bonus meter that starts at 10,000. Each dropped piece reduces the bonus by 15 points.
When you complete a level, you get any bonus points shown in the bonus meter, so completing a level more
quickly gives you more points. If the bonus meter runs out, you will need to restart the level.
At the end of a level, the bonus meter resets to 10,000.
The game ends if a piece can't be dropped because there are blocks at the top of the game board, or if your
bonus meter drops to 0.
Scoring in Lineout
In Lineout, you score points for removing target lines, and higher lines are worth more points.
You also get any points in the bonus meter for completing the level.
You'll get bonus points if you remove more than one target line in one turn (regardless of the line type; for
example, removing three single lines gives you the same bonus as removing a single line and a double
line). You lose points in the bonus meter for each dropped piece.
You also receive a small amount of points for removing regular (non-target) lines.
How to Play Packer
In Packer, all the pieces are made up of two colors, chosen from three possible colors: blue, red and green.
All pieces are split evenly into these two colors (two blocks of one color, two blocks of a different color),
except for the T-shaped piece, which contains three blocks of one color and one block of another.
The Packer board contains a fill line; only blocks under this line (in the fill area) are counted in the game.
You drop pieces into the game board in Packer just as you would in Classic, but lines are not removed
when they are filled.
You have two goals in Packer:
To pack pieces in the fill area tightly, leaving as few gaps (spaces) as possible.
To group colors together in clusters: adjacent groups of four or more same-colored blocks. To be
considered adjacent, blocks must share at least one side; diagonal blocks are not considered to be
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touching.
You drop pieces until each column contains a block at or above the fill line, or until a piece can't be dropped
because there are blocks at the top of the game board.
The level is then scored as follows:
1
2
3
All blocks above the fill line are removed.
Any gaps in the fill area are filled with filler blocks (white squares). If you have no gaps, you'll receive a
Perfect Packing bonus.
Clusters (adjacent groups of four or more blocks of the same color) score points and are then
removed from the board. Larger clusters are worth significantly more points.
4
Any remaining colored blocks and rubble fall straight down to the bottom of the board. If a column was
completely removed, columns on other side of it move together to fill the empty column (collapsing the
blocks and rubble on the board).
5
Step 3 and 4 are repeated (any new clusters that are formed are scored and removed; any remaining
colored blocks and rubble fall) until the resulting board produces no more clusters. You get a Chain
Reaction bonus for any additional clusters that are formed.
6
When no more clusters can be removed, the remaining blocks (including any filler blocks)
are removed one at a time and subtracted from your Block Counter, which starts at 60, 50 or 40, depending
on your difficulty setting. If your Block Counter reaches zero, the game ends. If there were no blocks to
remove in this step, you'll get a perfect level bonus, and your Block Counter goes up by ten.
You play additional levels until the Block Counter reaches zero, at which point the game ends.
Scoring in Packer
You receive points for removing clusters, and larger clusters give you more points.
If you pack the board perfectly (with no empty spaces), you get the Perfect Packing bonus of 2000 points and
five blocks added to your Block Counter.
You get the Perfect Level bonus (5000 points, and ten blocks added to the Block Counter) if you pack the
board perfectly and remove all the blocks in clusters.
You get a Chain Reaction bonus (1000 points) each time additional clusters are removed after the board
collapses during the board scoring.
Actions
Pause/Resume
Pauses the game, or resumes a paused game. Click the Pause
or Resume button on the screen, click Pause or Remove on the Actions
menu, or press Esc on your keyboard.
Game Options
To change game options for Panic, click Panic Settings on the Options menu. You can set the keyboard
controls for the game, the starting level (this can be any level you have completed at the current difficulty
level), whether to include bombs and siren bricks in the Classic game, and the game difficulty. For help on
See Also
Panic Strategy
Panic Background
1.29.1 Panic Strategy
Classic Strategy
To get a higher score, keep the overall game board low, and try to remove multiple lines at the same
time.
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When you're close to finishing up the level, don't worry too much about filling gaps in the board; the
bonus for keeping the board game low is more important.
Orange pieces fit well with other orange pieces, and blue pieces with other blue pieces. Green pieces
often work well at the edge of the board.
Try not to perpetuate a "trench" that requires one to two purple (straight) pieces to fill. If necessary, give
up on filling the trench completely and fill it as much as you can.
Always leave yourself a flat surface (two blocks wide) for a red (square) piece to land on, otherwise
you'll have trouble placing these pieces.
Lineout Strategy
To get a higher score, get rid of target lines as fast as possible to get the maximum bonus points.
When trying to reach higher target lines, rotate your pieces to be the maximum height possible,
disregarding their position. This helps you get to the target line faster, increasing your possible bonus.
Note that in levels using Progressive target lines, this may not be as sound a strategy, since the next line
you have to remove may be underneath you, and bad piece placement might hurt you later.
Packer Strategy
To get a higher score, try to make clusters as large as possible. The point value of each cluster goes
up with the number of blocks in the cluster. You can help make larger clusters by picking one color early,
based on the pieces that come up, and trying to create a huge area of that color.
If you're close to packing the board perfectly (getting the Perfect Packing bonus), focus on that goal
ahead of matching colors; if you get the bonus, it adds five points to your Block Counter, making it
equivalent in scoring to five unmatched blocks. However, if you do happen to get a gap that you cannot fill,
switch gears and concentrate on color matching and making large clusters.
If a small number of blocks of one color become buried, with no way to make a cluster out of them,
you can intentionally place a couple of non-clustered blocks of that color above them. Then, when the
board collapses, they will group together to form a cluster and earn you a Chain Reaction bonus.
See Also
How to Play Panic
1.29.2 Panic Background
Panic is based on the classic computer game Tetris™, the top-selling computer game of 1988. Tetris was
the first game many people first played on a personal computer.
The original Tetris game, invented by Alexey Pazhitnov, is one of the most simple computer games to play,
but one of the most complex. Pazhitnov was inspired by a Pentominoes set he had bought. Pentominoes,
popularized by Solomon W. Golomb, is a set of the 12 unique pieces that can be made by combining five
squares in different shapes. The object of most pentominoes problems is to combine the different pieces to
fill a 60-square shape. Pentominoes enthusiasts propose different puzzles to each other and enjoy sharing
puzzle solutions.
Tetris uses a different set of pieces than Pentominoes: the seven unique pieces that can be made by
combining four squares. In Tetris, pieces fall into a game board and you must fit them together in optimum
ways to try to clear lines from the board.
Panic is a reinvention of Tetris that includes several types of games, such as the unique Packer variation, in
which you combine colors as well as shapes, and Lineout, in which you must remove specific lines from the
board.
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References
Books
The Book of Games, Richard Sharp and John Piggott, 1977
Botticelli and Beyond: Over 100 of the World’s Best Word Games, David Parlett, 1981
The Encyclopedia of Games, Brian Burns, 1998
Encyclopedia of Puzzles and Pastimes, Clark Kinnaird, 1946
Games of the World, Frederic Grunfeld (editor) (1975)
The New Games Treasury, Merilyn Simonds Mohr (1993)
The Oxford Guide to Word Games, Tony Augarde, 1984
The Past of Pastimes, Vernon Bartlett (1969)
Polyominoes: Puzzles, Patterns, Problems, and Packings, Solomon W. Golomb (1996)
The World’s Best Indoor Games, Gyles Brandreth, 1981
Internet Resources
Internet Anagram Server: www.wordsmith.org/anagram/
The About.com Crosswords/Puzzles page: crosswords.about.com
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles, rec.puzzles.crosswords, and alt.anagrams (access via groups.google.com)
The World Puzzle Championship: www.puzzles-usa.org
The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament: www.crosswordtournament.com
Adrian Fisher’s Maze Website: www.mazemaker.com/research_info.htm
The Official Rube Goldberg Page: www.rubegoldberg.com
1.31
Contact Information
Technical Support
Please visit our technical support knowledgebase at http://support.encoreusa.com and have the following
information available:
Product name
·
·
·
Type of computer, amount of RAM, video card and system information
A description of the problem, including any error messages
A list of steps that lead to the problem
If you are unable to resolve your issue using the knowledgebase articles, you may contact us through email via
our web form support section by clicking on the link to submit an Online Support Request.
If you contact us using our web-form, please remember to include the basic hardware details and we would
also ask that you attach your “dxdiag” file.
To do this please:
1.
2.
Click Start
Click Run
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3.
4.
5.
Type dxdiag and click OK
The DirectX diagnosis program should now start up. (This may take a few minutes)
Click below on “save all information” and a file by the name of dxdiag.txt will be created.
You should save this to your desktop. While using our web form, you will be prompted to attach the file to your
request. This will allow us to provide the best possible support regarding your system.
Unfortunately, we do not provide game play or “how-to” support on the products we distribute. Our tech support
is limited to ensure that your software runs on your computer as designed. Many of our products have built in
readme files or help files that accompany them. There is often helpful information and tips in these files.
Beyond that, the Internet is a great resource for information.
Customer Service
Our customer service representatives can be reached at (310) 719-2894 Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm PST.
Customer service has the ability to handle refunds, exchanges, and replacements. You may also use our web
form and send your request via the Internet by visiting http://support.encoreusa.com, typing the product name in
the search field, and clicking to submit an Online Customer Service Request. Please be advised that the
phone support is not a toll free call and we do not provide product functionality or technical support.
Limited Warranty
Excluding the internet website link(s), Encore Software, Inc. (“Encore”) warrants, for your benefit alone, for a
period of 90 days from the date of commencement of this License Agreement (referred to as "Warranty Period")
that the Software CD-ROM in which the Software is contained is free from defects in material and
workmanship. If during the Warranty Period, a defect in the Software appears, you may return the physical
CD-ROM containing the Software to Encore or notify the Electronic Software Delivery ("ESD") provider from
which you purchased the electronic download of the Software of such defect for either replacement, or, if so
elected by Encore or the ESD Provider, as applicable, refund of amounts paid by you under this License
Agreement or the license agreement accepted by you in connection with the ESD (“ ESD Agreement”),
respectively. You agree that the foregoing constitutes your sole and exclusive remedy for breach by Encore of
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SOFTWARE, AND THE SOFTWARE CONTAINED THEREIN, ARE LICENSED "AS IS," AND ENCORE
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Contents
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Remedies
Your exclusive remedy shall be, at Encore’s sole option, (i) the refund of the amount you paid for the Software;
or (ii) repair or replacement of the Software, provided that, if a physical CD-ROM containing the Software was
purchased, such defective CD-ROM is returned to Encore (at Encore Software, Inc., Attn: Customer Service,
999 N. Sepulveda Blvd. Suite 700, El Segundo, CA 90245.), and regardless of the format of the originally
purchased Software, proof of the date of purchase is submitted to Encore (for physical CD-ROMs) or the ESD
provider (for electronic downloads) within ninety (90) days from the date of purchase. This Limited Warranty is
void if failure of the Software has resulted from accident, abuse, neglect or misapplication. Any replacement
Software will be warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period or thirty (30) days, whichever is
longer. Except as set forth above, the Software is sold "as-is", without any express or implied warranties of any
kind.
Hoyle Board Games Help
Welcome to Hoyle Board Games Help. To find out how to play the games, click the items below.
Getting Started
Signing In
Making a Face in Face Maker
Starting a Game
Playing Games
Backgammon
Battling Ships
Checkers
Chess
Chinese Checkers
Dominoes
Line ‘em Up
Mahjong Tiles
Game Options
Customizing Hoyle Board Games
Playing Games in Full Screen Mode
Managing Games
Viewing Statistics
Shortcut Keys
Quitting a Game
Mancala
Master Match
Pachisi
Placer Racer
Reversi
Rummy Squares
Snakes & Ladders
Yacht
Signing In
When you start Hoyle Board Games, you must first sign in, choosing a name and a picture to represent
yourself. You must create at least one player to play the games, and you can create additional players for
yourself, your friends, and your family members. One reason for creating multiple players is that some
games allow more than one player on the same computer. Another reason is that your high scores and
other statistics are tracked based on your player name.
The first time you sign in, you are asked to create a new player. After that, you can sign in as an existing
player. You can create new players at any time, and you can change your character face at any time.
To create a new player:
1 Click the New button.
2 Type a name for the new player, and click OK.
3 To create your own unique face, click the Face Maker button. Click here to learn more about using
Face Maker:
OR
To select an existing face, select Standard to select one of the pictures provided for you, or select
Custom to use a picture you have already made using Face Maker. Then, select the face you want to
use by moving the horizontal scroll bar.
4 Click OK to create the new player.
To sign in a player created during a previous session:
1 Click the player’s name in the list. If necessary, scroll through the list using the vertical scroll bar.
To change the face for this player, see step 3, above.
2 Click OK to start playing games as this player.
Notes:
You can remove a player from the list of players by selecting the player name and clicking the Delete
button. The player (and all of his or her statistics) is removed permanently.
You can sign in as a different player after you’ve started Hoyle Board Games. You might do this if
someone else wants to play games and you don’t want to exit. From the Main Screen (click Main
Screen on the Go To menu if you’re in a game), click Sign In on the File menu to sign in as a different
player.
Starting a Game
You can start a game from the Main Screen or from the Go To menu.
To start a game:
From the Main Screen, click the game you want to play, or click the name of the game on the Go To
menu.
From within a game, click the name of the game on the Go To menu. To get to the Main Screen from
within a game, click Main Screen on the Go To menu.
To switch from one game to another:
Click the Go To menu, and then click the name of the game you want to switch to. If you’re in the
middle of a game, you are asked if you are sure you want to exit the current game.
Note: You can save a game and come back to play it later by using the Save and Restore commands
on the File menu.
Customizing Hoyle Board Games
In Board Games, you can change certain environment settings like speed of play, background music,
animations, and character speech. All of these settings are changed using options on the Options menu.
These settings can be changed from anywhere in Hoyle Board Games and affect all the games.
To change the game environment:
Click Environment on the Options menu and change settings as described below.
Setting
Description
Character Speech
Sets whether computer players talk while you play. Players only talk
when you have the Hoyle Board Games CD-ROM in your CD-ROM
drive.
Sets whether computer players and game elements animate.
Animations only play when you have the Hoyle Board Games CD-ROM
in your CD-ROM drive.
Sets whether you hear background music while you play the games.
Specify which music you want to hear by selecting it in the Background
Music list. Background music only plays when you have the Hoyle
Board Games CD-ROM in your CD-ROM drive.
Sets whether you hear sound effects during games, such as dealing
cards.
Plays the introductory movie whenever you start Board Games with the
Hoyle CD in your computer.
Shows the Internet/CD screen whenever you start Board Games.
Sets the overall speed of all the games. You might want to slow down
the games if they don’t perform well on your computer. Move the Game
Speed slider to the left (Slow) or right (Fast) to adjust the speed.
Sets how talkative and animated computer players are during the game.
Move the Character Attitude slider to the left towards Serious for less
attitude or to the right towards Talkative for more attitude.
Note: The attitude is set for all computer players in the game. You
cannot set each player’s attitude individually.
Animations
Background Music
Sound Effects
Show Intro Movie
Show Internet/CD choice
Game Speed
Character Attitude
Playing Games in Full Screen Mode
You can make Hoyle Board Games fill your entire computer screen so that the games are easier to see.
To play in full screen mode:
Click Full Screen on the Options menu. The program resizes to fill the screen.
To return to a windowed mode:
Click Window on the Options menu. The program fits in a window again.
Notes:
Maximizing the game window will not make the screen bigger; you must go to full screen mode. This
may not work on all computers.
Windows users: If you open the online help while in full screen mode, the full screen mode is turned
off.
You can press ALT+ENTER to quickly switch between viewing
the program in full screen or in a window.
When you sign in to Hoyle Board Games, you are the “host. Up to three other people can play games
with you on your computer; this is called “head to head play. All the games except for Dominoes allow
head-to-head-play.
In addition, you can play against the Hoyle Computer Players. To learn more about the Hoyle Computer
Players, click here:
When you start a game, all of the actively signed-in people are seated in the game, if possible, along with
one or more computer players to fill any empty seats.
You can add or remove players in a game only before you start playing a game. However, you can
substitute one computer player for another at any time, and you can change your player picture at any
time.
To change player settings:
1 Within a game, click the Players menu item on the Options menu.
2 Change player settings as described below. Some settings can only be changed before a game starts.
To replace a player, click the Replace button next to that player. To replace a player with someone
who will play with you on your computer, select Real Person; otherwise, select a computer player.
You can’t change the host of a game within a game; to change the host, you must go to the Main
Screen and use the Sign In command on the File menu.
Tip: You can quickly replace players within a game by clicking on the player’s picture in the game,
and then selecting a new player on the pop-up menu that appears.
To remove a player, click the Clear button next to that player. In games that require a certain
number of players, you won’t be able to clear players if you won’t have enough players to play.
To add another player to a game, click the Add button in an empty position in the Players dialog
box. To add someone who will play with you on your computer, select Real Person; otherwise,
select a computer player.
To see a description of a computer player, click the Bio button next to that player.
To change the face of a human player, click the Face button next to that player.
Other settings for players in a game, such as player color, are shown underneath each player.
Note:
When you start a game that includes computer players, random players are chosen for you. If you
want to play with a certain player, you can set that players to be “preferred so he or she plays with you
in every game. To do this, check the Preferred Player box under that player.
You can set a few players as preferred, or set all players as preferred but one or two (if there are
players you don’t ever want to play games with).
Hoyle Computer Players
Hoyle Board Games offers an array of computer players for you to play games with. To learn how to
change the computer players playing in a particular game, click here:
Bart
Bart is a country gentleman who earned his gaming experience aboard the
riverboats near his home town. While his cordial demeanor might put you at
ease, don't let down your guard...he'll make his move faster than you can say
"sissified pretty boy."
Elayne
Elayne is a native Manhattanite who doesn't see why she should ever leave.
This fast-track advertising exec unwinds from a hectic day on Madison Avenue
with some of the most popular games of all time.
Ethel
Originally from Red Cloud, Nebraska, Ethel raised a family of five children, and
now has eight grandchildren. She enjoys the simple things in life, like visiting
with family and friends and beating the pants off of them in classic games.
Sharp as a tack and a crafty veteran of many games, she will provide ample
challenge for even the best players.
Gax
Gax can rearrange his molecules to look like anyone he wants. What started as
a party trick has led to a lucrative career. He hopes to earn enough money to
eventually rebuild his ship and return to his home planet.
Harley
Harley is a talking bear who likes food and rolling in the grass naked. He doesn’t
like forest fires, tourists, and hikers who think they can run away. He learned to
play games by watching the park rangers play games in their cabin on breaks
(when he wasn’t sneaking food out of their fridge). Underneath the growly
exterior, he’s a pussycat (unless you are eating and don’t offer to share).
Jasper
Since Jasper left Jamaica years ago, he has traveled the world as a jazz bass
player. All that time on the road has made him a world class gamer. Jasper
points out, "A good game is like a song that starts slowly and builds to a
strategic crescendo."
Marvin
For a fierce T-Rex, Marvin is quite likeable. Although self-conscious about his
tiny arms and still bitter about the ice age, Marvin hasn't eaten an opponent yet.
Marvin spends his time bird watching, playing games, and avoiding extinction.
Maurice
Maurice, a fur trapper from 1837, was abducted by aliens and traveled
hundreds of light-years to a distant civilization. He was returned to Earth 150
years later, shaken by the ordeal, and now consults his beaver puppet for
strategic advice.
Robin
Robin chucked her big-city brokerage job for the National Forest Service. Now
she spends her days hiking forest trails and communing with nature. But don't
think that being out in the woods all day means she's forgotten anything about
gaming.
Roswell
Roswell is the sole survivor of the famous “crash in Roswell, New Mexico, 1947.
In an extensive effort to keep this UFO incident hidden from the public, the
government employed Roswell for years as a janitor at Area 51. Eventually
granted a reasonable retirement package, Roswell now keeps his oversized
brain (and his unchecked sarcasm) exercised by playing games.
You can set game settings for each game, such as rules for the game, how the game is set up, and how
the game is played.
You can change all the settings for a game before the game begins. Once the game has begun, changing
settings may require you to restart the game.
To set game rules and options:
1 While in the game, click the <Game> Settings menu item on the Options menu. (In Checkers, for
example, you would click Checkers Settings on the Options menu.)
2 Make the changes you want.
3 Click OK to change the settings.
You can save a game you are currently playing so you can play it later. The next time you start the game,
you can open your saved game using the Restore command. You will then be back in the game at the
same point you left it, with the same players and game settings.
To save a game:
1 Click Save on the File menu.
2 Type a name for the saved game. This can be a descriptive name such as “Second game with
Roswell. (You will see a picture of the game when you restore it, to help you identify it.)
To restore a game:
1 Click Restore on the File menu, and then select the game you want to restore.
You can see a picture of each game and the date and time it was saved by selecting the name of the
saved game.
2 Click OK to restore the selected game. It will replace any game you are currently playing (you are
asked if you want to replace it.)
Important! When you try to restore games, you only see games if you saved them with the player name
you are currently signed in with. For example, if you are signed in as Madeline, you won’t see any games
that were saved by Emmy.
Notes:
Some games can only be saved when it is a human player’s turn.
Viewing Statistics
You can display statistics, including information on wins, losses, and points as they apply to each game.
You must finish at least one game to see statistics for that game.
To view statistics:
1 Click Statistics on the File menu.
2 Click the name of the player you want statistics for.
3 Select the name of the game you want statistics for.
Notes:
To clear statistics for the current player and game, click the Clear button. Statistics are permanently
cleared for that game for that player.
Shortcut Keys
The following shortcut keys are available to you during game play:
Backgammon
Actions
Shortcut key
Double
Roll Dice
Resign
Undo
D
Spacebar
R
Ctrl+Z
Battling Ships
Actions
Shortcut key
Fire (Missiles)
Clear All (Targets)
Spacebar
Backspace
Checkers
Actions
Shortcut key
Resign
Request Draw
Pass
R
D
Enter (This option is only available when the Must Jump option is unchecked.)
Chess
Actions
Shortcut key
Undo
Resign
Request Draw
Show 2D/3D Board
Ctrl+Z
R
D
Spacebar
Chinese Checkers
No actions are necessary for Chinese Checkers.
Dominoes
Actions
Shortcut key
Pass
Enter
Line 'em Up
Actions
Shortcut key
Undo
Resign
Ctrl+Z
R
Mancala
Actions
Shortcut key
Undo
Ctrl+Z
Resign
R
Mahjong Tiles (Classic)
Actions
Shortcut key
Find Match
Remove Pair
M
Enter
Undo
Ctrl+Z
Mahjong Tiles (Gravity)
Actions
Shortcut key
Undo
Ctrl+Z
Master Match
Actions
Shortcut key
Submit Puzzle
Spacebar
Match
Spacebar
Pachisi
Actions
Shortcut key
Pass
Roll Dice
Enter
Spacebar
Placer Racer
Actions
Shortcut key
Pause
Esc
Reversi
Actions
Shortcut key
Undo
Resign
Ctrl+Z
R
Rummy Squares
Actions
Shortcut key
Pass
Submit
Reset
P
S
R
Snakes & Ladders
Actions
Shortcut key
Draw Ball
Spacebar
Yacht
Actions
Shortcut key
Roll Dice
Keep Dice
Spacebar
<Type each die number>
Release Dice
Backspace
Quitting a Game
You can quit a particular game or exit Hoyle Board Games altogether. If you want to resume playing a
game later, save the game before quitting.
To save the current game before quitting:
To exit a game:
Click Main Screen on the Go To menu. You will return to the Main Screen where you can choose a
different game to play. Or click a game name on the Go To menu to go directly to that game.
To quit the program:
Choose Exit on the File menu.
Making a Face in Face Maker
You can use Face Maker to create a unique picture to represent yourself in Hoyle Board Games. This
picture is shown on the screen when you play games on your computer. You can make just one face to
represent yourself, or make several different faces and choose a different face each time you play!
Click one of the topics below to learn more about Face Maker:
Starting Face Maker
Using Face Maker
The Face Maker Screen
Deleting a Face Maker Face
Starting Face Maker
There are several different ways to start Face Maker.
To start Face Maker
Click the Create button on the Sign In screen
Or
Click Face Maker on the main screen
Or
On the Players dialog box, click the Replace button next to your face. You’ll be taken to the Sign In
screen; click the Create button to start Face Maker.
Note: If you start Face Maker from the Sign In screen, the face you make is automatically assigned to the
currently selected player. And if you make a face when you’re already signed in to Board Games, it is
automatically assigned to you.
To change an existing Face Maker face
Select the face in the Sign In screen and click the Edit button
Or
In Face Maker, click the Load button, select the name of the face you want to change, and then click
OK to load that face into Face Maker.
Click here to learn how to use Face Maker:
Tip:
You can delete a Face Maker face from the Sign In dialog or when loading a face.
Using Face Maker
You can create a unique picture for yourself using Face Maker. You can start with a new face, or load a
previously created face by clicking the Load button.
For a detailed explanation of the Face Maker screen, click here:
To make a face in Face Maker:
1 Click a feature (head, eyes, nose, and so on) on the Face Maker keyboard.
You can select features in any order, and you don’t have to specify every feature (your face can have
no nose, for example).
2 Select the picture you want to use for that feature.
You can select eyes and eyebrows that match, or you can select different left and right ones, if you
like. To select matching eyes or eyebrows, click the mannequin head for the picture you want; to
select each eye or eyebrow separately, click the left and right sides of the pictures you want.
3 You can move features around on the face by clicking the arrow buttons on the Face Maker screen or
by clicking the arrow keys on your keyboard. All features except the body and clothes can be moved.
4 Add any other features you want.
5 Select one of the four skin tones for your face.
6 Click Save to save the face; you’re asked to give it a name. You can use the name of the player you
want to use this face with, or a descriptive name for the face (“brunette with ponytail). (Note that
naming the face doesn’t automatically associate it with a player.)
7 Click Exit to exit Face Maker.
The face you created can be associated with a player using the Players dialog box or the initial Sign In
screen.
To remove a feature from the face:
With the feature you want to remove selected, click the Clear Item button.
To clear the entire face:
Click the Reset button to start a new face from scratch. Your current face will be cleared.
Notes and Tips:
Moving eyebrows to different heights is a good subtle way to add personality to your face.
Moving a nose downward can create an impression of a longer nose; moving it upward can make a
shorter nose.
Be creative! Many items can be moved anywhere on the face.
Clothing is specific to the body you select. If you select an article of clothing and then change your
body, you may need to select new clothes for your new body.
To quickly create a unique new face, click the Randomize button. (This is good if you’re not feeling
creative, but still want a change.) You can still make changes to the random face, if you want. Be
careful when using this button as this will erase the face currently on the screen.
You can give faces you have made to other people (on a disk, or via e-mail). For instance, you might
want to give faces to other people you know who have Hoyle games.
In Windows, you can find Face Maker faces in the \Program Files\Won\facemaker folder on your
computer.
The file names look like this: Girl with Cowboy Hat.FAC (the first part of the filename is the name you
saved the face with, and the file extension is always .FAC). Tell the person to whom you're giving the
file to copy the Face Maker file to the same folder on his or her computer.
The Face Maker Screen
Click the picture of Face Maker below for descriptions of the Face Maker features:
To get a step-by-step description of how to use Face Maker, click here:
Facial Features
Shows all of the available options for the current feature you are working with. Click the left and right arrow
buttons to move through the pages of options, or click a numbered button to move to a specific page.
Body
Selects your body type. Both male and female body types are shown.
Clothes
Selects clothing for your body. You will only see clothes that fit the body shape you chose.
Head
Selects the shape of your head.
Hair and Hats
Selects hair and hat combinations.
Eyebrows
Selects eyebrows. To select matching eyebrows, click the mannequin head on the picture of eyebrows you
want. To select different left and right eyebrows, click the left and right sides of the pictures of the eyebrows
you want.
Eyes
Selects eyes. To select matching eyes, click the mannequin head on the picture of eyes you want. To select
different left and right eyes, click the left and right sides of the pictures of the eyes you want.
Nose
Selects a nose. Move the nose up and down to lengthen or shorten it.
Mouth
Selects a mouth.
Glasses
Selects glasses for your face. Some glasses will hide your eyes.
Facial Hair
Selects a variety of types of facial hair.
Randomize
Randomly selects a number of features for your face (gives you a face you can use right away). You can
make changes to a random face, if desired.
Reset
Resets the current face, and removes all of the face’s features, so you can start a new face from scratch.
Face
Shows the face in progress, with any features you have added to your face.
Skin Tone
Selects the skin tone for your head and body.
Clear Item
Removes the currently selected feature from your face.
Arrows
Moves the currently selected feature around in the face. Not all features can be moved.
Help
Opens this help file.
Load
Loads a previously saved face. In addition, you can delete existing faces in the Load dialog box.
Save
Saves the current face. The face will be available in the Sign In and Players dialog boxes.
Exit
Exits Face Maker without saving the current face.
Deleting a Face Maker Face
You can only delete a face within Face Maker.
In Face Maker, click the Load button (as if to load a face). Click the face you want to delete, and then
click the Delete button. Click the Cancel button when you are done deleting faces.
How to Play Backgammon
Backgammon is played by two players on a special board with 15 pieces to a side. The pieces making up
each side are called stones. Though they may be of any color, the darker-colored pieces are called Black
while the lighter ones are called White.
The board is divided into two halves, or tables, by a partition running down the center. This is called the
bar. The outer table is on your left, the inner table is on your right. In each table there are six points
(long, thin triangles).
The pieces move according to your throw of the two dice. The players roll the dice to see who goes first,
with the higher roll winning. (If the numbers are the same, you just roll again.) The player with the higher
number uses that for his first turn, if the rules are set that way (in Backgammon game settings). From
then on turns alternate, and you always throw the dice to begin your turn. (The exception to this is when
you are shut out, which can occur when your blot is on the bar. If your enemy's stones have crowded all
available space so no possible points are open, you don't get to throw the dice and your turn is over. For
details see Sending Blots to the Bar.)
The object of the game seems odd at first: You win by being the first player to transport all of your stones
off the board! To do that you must first get all of your stones into your inner, or home, table. Once they're
all safely home, you can proceed to move them off the board. Pieces move from point to point.
Like a Rolling Stone
After you've thrown the dice to begin your turn, you can apply both numbers to one stone or each number
separately to two stones. If, for example, you throw a 5 and a 4, you can move one piece a distance of
nine points, or you can move one piece five and a second piece four.
Note When you use both die numbers for one stone, the points must be open for each die value, just as
they need to be open for moving two stones separately.
If you throw doubles, say a 3 and a 3, you play that number four times rather than twice: you can move
one piece 12 points, or one piece nine points and one piece three, or two pieces six points each, or four
pieces three points each.
A stone cannot land on a point occupied by two or more of the opponent's stones. You are not allowed to
make that move, even if you have only one piece left and there is no other move you can make. A point
occupied by two more stones is an indestructible fortress; that point is said to be closed or made.
However, though you can't share a point with enemy pieces, you can jump over them.
Any number of pieces of the same color can rest on one point. If necessary they are piled on top of each
other. This keeps one side's pieces from encroaching on the other side's.
Moves are always compulsory, even when it's in your best interests to stand still. If you can only use one
of the two numbers you rolled, then you must do so. You must always try to use the higher number.
Sending Blots to the Bar
A single stone resting on a point is a target. It's called a blot, and when you land directly on an enemy
blot it's called a hit. The blot is then retired to the bar. The blot must be entered and become a stone
again before you can move any of your other pieces. Plus, the lonely blot must enter the enemy's home
table on an open point. For example, if you roll a 5-2, and if points 5 and 2 in the enemy's home table are
open, you can choose either one and place your blot there. If you placed it on point 5, you can now move
it two points.
If one of those points is occupied by a single stone of the enemy's, you can hit it and send it to the bar. If
none of the points are open, if your enemy's stones have crowded all available space, you are shut out
and you don't even get to throw the dice. Your blot remains on the bar and you can't move any other.
Your turn is over.
When you've collected all of your stones in your home table, you can bear off: that is, remove all your
stones from the game, in the order determined by the dice. If the number you rolled is higher than the
number of points you have yet to travel, you simply bear off the piece that's farthest away.
If you're hit after you've started to bear off, your stone becomes a blot on the bar. You must enter it and
bring it around to your home table before you can go back to bearing off.
Gammon and Backgammon
The game ends when either player bears off his or her last stone. If the loser has borne off at least one
stone, then the loser has lost just one game. But if he or she has not borne off at least one stone, the loss
counts double. This is called a gammon. If the loser has a stone left in the winner's inner table, or on the
bar, the loss counts triple. This is called a backgammon.
Doubling
You can really ratchet up the stakes by using a tactic called doubling. Either player may make the first
double of the game. You simply declare your intention to double before rolling the dice. Thereafter, the
right to double alternates. When one player chooses to double, the other must decide whether to play on
for a double game, or resign right there and lose the current value of the game. The doubling cube is
used for this (a single die with the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 on it). The double for gammon and
triple for backgammon both apply to the final score; this is in addition to whatever voluntary doubles have
been made. Automatic doubling applies when the roll for first play results in like numbers on the two
dice. You must specify this option before play begins.
Playing Backgammon
When you are ready to start play, click your cup to roll the dice.
If you win the roll and you must use or have the option to use the first roll, move your pieces based on the
roll of both you and your opponent's dice. If you cannot use the first roll, or choose not to, roll again, then
move.
Move any stone in a counter-clockwise direction towards your home, which is the inner table (right side)
next to you. Click and drag the stone to move it to the desired point.
Actions
Roll Dice
Double
Resign
Undo
Rolls the dice for first roll and subsequent rolls for moving your pieces.
You can roll the dice by clicking the dice cup, pressing the Spacebar, or
clicking Roll Dice on the Actions menu.
If you have enabled the doubling cube in your game settings, you have
the option of using it at appropriate times during play. You can double
by clicking the doubling cube on the table, pressing D, or clicking
Double on the Actions menu.
Resigns your player from the current game. This is counted as a loss.
You can resign by clicking S or clicking Resign on the Actions menu.
Returns your most recently moved piece to its previous position. You
can undo by clicking Ctrl+Z or clicking Undo on the Actions menu.
Game Options
To change game options for Backgammon, click Backgammon Settings on the Options menu. You can
set options for the doubling cube, how to use the first roll, whether to show the possible destinations for a
stone, and the skill level for computer players. For help on the options, see the help area in the Settings
dialog box.
How to Play Battling Ships
Battling Ships is a game for two people played on two 10x10 grids. This is the ocean on which your fleets
will fight their battle.
Each side has a fleet consisting of an aircraft carrier (five squares long), a battleship (four squares), a
destroyer and a submarine (three squares each), and a PT boat (two squares). You place these on your
grid, out of sight of your opponent.
Each player can fire a salvo of up to six shots per turn. You choose the squares your missiles will strike.
Hits and misses are reported to you so you can plan your firing patterns.
A ship is sunk when every one of the squares it occupies has been hit. Play continues then in one of two
ways: You can choose to have your barrage reduced for every ship you lose (the Aircraft Carrier Nimitz
supplies 2 shots; all other ships supply 1 shot each), or you can choose to play with a fixed number of
shots on each turn.
The first player to sink all of the enemy's ships is the winner. If both players lose their last ship in the
same round, the game is tied.
Playing Battling Ships
Before you can begin a game of Battling Ships, you must first position your ships on your grid. Click and
drag the ships to move them. To rotate a ship, select it, then click Rotate 90 degrees.
Click a square on the screen to place your target. The lights on the right side of the playing grid indicate
how many shots you have left. When you finish placing all available targets, click Fire. Click Clear to wipe
away your current target selections and choose new targets.
Actions
Fire
Clear All
Starts firing missiles at all targets for that turn. You can fire missiles at
ships during play by clicking the Fire button, pressing the Spacebar, or
clicking Fire on the Actions menu.
Clears all target settings on the sea grid. You can clear all grid targets
(before firing) during play by clicking the Clear button on the game
board, pressing Backspace, or choosing Clear All from the Actions
menu.
Game Options
To change game options for Battling Ships, click Battling Ships Settings on the Options menu. You can
set options for the number of missiles allowed per turn, whether you can see the other players’ sunk
ships, and the skill level for computer players. For help on the options, see the help area in the Settings
dialog box.
How to Play Checkers
Checkers is played by two people on the same checkered board that is used for Chess, but there all
similarities end. The pieces that make up your army are also called checkers (or simply men), and each
army has 12 of them. The checkers of each army are the same color. Whichever colors are used, the side
with the darker pieces is called Black and the side with the lighter pieces is called White.
The board is placed so that each player has a light-colored square in the corner on the right. The pieces
move only on the dark-colored squares.
To begin a game, set your pieces up on the 12 dark squares of the first 3 rows of the board. Your
opponent does the same.
By tradition, Black moves first. Moves alternate after that. You lose the game if your turn comes and you
can't make any moves. This usually occurs because all of your pieces have been captured, but
sometimes because the ones you have left have been immobilized by your opponent. If neither you nor
your opponent has enough of an advantage to win, you can agree to a draw.
The pieces move one square at a time, always forward and always diagonally to an adjacent dark square.
The exception to the one-square-at-a-time rule is when you are capturing, or jumping, an enemy piece.
You can jump if your piece occupies a square adjacent to the enemy, and if there is an empty square on
the other side of the enemy. That empty square is the one your piece will jump to. The enemy piece is
then removed from the board. If, after capturing an enemy piece, you find yourself next to another enemy
and the square beyond that one is empty, you can capture that second piece, too. And so on. You can
change direction in these multiple captures, so long as you keep moving forward.
Normally in Hoyle Checkers, capturing is compulsory: if the opportunity to capture comes up, you must
take it. If you have the option of capturing a piece in either of two directions, you can choose which one to
grab.
You can change the game settings so that you do not have to jump when a jump opportunity is available;
to do this, uncheck the Must Jump If Possible box in the Checkers game settings (click Checkers Settings
on the Options menu). This lets you ignore a jump move, if you want, and make a different move. Note
that if you do make a jump and have an opportunity to make a second jump on your turn, a Pass button
appears on your screen, allowing you to choose not to make the second jump.
King Me
The row of squares farthest from each player is that player's King row. On reaching the King row, your
piece is crowned and becomes a King. Now it can move backward as well as forward. (If by jumping over
one or more of your enemies you land on the King row, your new King can't continue jumping in the same
turn even if the opportunity is right there. The act of being crowned requires that the new King end its turn
on the King row.)
Playing Checkers
If you are playing Black (or Blue for frogs), you must move first. Click a piece and drag it to the square
you want to move it to (forward and diagonally to an adjacent dark square). When you have a King, you
can move it forward or backward diagonally.
To make a jump, move the piece to its destination. In a double-jump, make each jump separately.
Actions
Resign
Request Draw
Pass
You can resign during play by pressing R or clicking Resign on the
Actions menu.
Requests a draw from your opponent. You can request a draw during
play by pressing D or clicking Request Draw on the Actions menu.
Passes the turn to the next player when you choose not to make a play.
You can pass in the middle of a multi-jump situation. For example, if you
make one jump and have another jump available that you don't want to
take, you can choose to pass instead.
Pass is only available when the Must Jump option is turned off in the
Checkers game settings. If Must Jump is on, there is no Pass option;
you must always make a jump when it is available. You can pass during
play by clicking the Pass button on the table (if available), pressing
Enter on the keyboard, or clicking Pass on the Actions menu.
Game Options
To change game options for Checkers, click Checkers Settings on the Options menu. You can set the
board type (standard, frogs, or perspective), whether players must jump opponents when a jump is
possible, the skill level for computer players, and more. For help on the options, see the help area in the
To change your piece color, click the Players tab of the Settings dialog.
Checkers Strategy
Don't start out with the sole idea of trading pieces as quickly as possible. Trade only when you can win
a positional advantage (for example, trade pieces if it helps you open a path toward the King Row).
The weakest sector in your half of the board is the one with the "Double Corner" (the corner with two
playing squares instead of one). This is also your opponent's weakest point. The first Kings are usually
crowned here.
You'll command the board if you can place your pieces on the center squares (the two immediately in
front of your lines and the two immediately in front of them).
Once you've occupied the center squares with your pieces, try to exchange in the direction of your
opponent's Double Corner.
Consolidate your pieces as you advance. A wedge-shaped formation gives you the most security and
the most punching power. As you advance each checker, follow it up with a checker from the line
behind.
Attack as hard as you can when you see large gaps and straggling men in your opponent's position.
The best defense is almost always to try to force an exchange of men. This lessens the attacker's
power.
Never keep all four men on your back row -- you'll find yourself outgunned everywhere else! Keep two
men there, preferably one in the Double Corner and one two squares away.
Always ask yourself: "Where will I land if I jump?" and "Will that leave my opponent with an opening?"
Look closely. Sometimes by offering one man, you can capture two!
Don't move to the sides! A piece on the "rim" has had its reach cut in half. This is a typical beginner's
error.
In the endgame, you must keep your checkers out of the reach of any enemy Kings, and you must
push them through to the King Row.
Endgames are often won or lost by who has "the move"—in other words, by who moves LAST.
Generally, the player moving last will win. If your opponent has "the move," you can take that
advantage away from him or her by forcing a one-for-one exchange.
In the endgame, one King against one King is a draw (if one can take shelter in a Double Corner). Two
Kings against one King is usually a win for the majority side, but three Kings against two Kings is often
a draw -- provided the minority side can place one King in each Double Corner.
If you have two Kings against three Kings, avoid a one-for-one exchange—you have a good chance to
draw with two against three, but not much chance at all with one against two!
How to Play Chess
When you set up the board to play Chess, there should always be a dark square in the left corner nearest
you and a light square in the right corner. Remember: "Light on the right."
The armies are always referred to as White and Black, though Chess pieces are available in many colors.
The person commanding the White, or lighter, pieces always moves first. (A player can never refuse to
move, no matter how disastrous his options may be!)
Each army has 16 pieces: one King, one Queen, two Bishops, two Knights, two Rooks, and eight pawns.
The King
If the King is trapped with no escape possible, the game is lost. Therefore the King is by far the most
valuable piece on the board. However, as a fighting unit His Highness is simple and slow. The monarch
can move in any direction (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally), but only one square at a time.
(There is one exception to the King's one-square-per-move plodding. See below for an explanation of
castling.)
The King can capture an enemy soldier only if that soldier is occupying a square adjacent to the King.
(Capture describes the removal of a piece during a game. Captures are always optional in Chess, except
where the survival of the King is concerned -- see the sections on check and checkmate.) The soldier is
removed from the board and the King steps onto the square the soldier had guarded.
All of the pieces (except, in one special case, the pawn) capture by removing the enemy piece from the
board and then occupying the enemy's square. Once a piece is gone, by the way, it's gone: if you lose
your Queen, you won't have the use of a Queen for the remainder of the game. (Unless you are able to
promote a pawn! See the section on pawns below.)
Unlike Checkers, it's illegal in Chess to capture more than one piece at a time.
The Queen
The White Queen, at the beginning of the game, stands on a light square in the center of the back rank;
the Black Queen stands on a dark one. Two handy mnemonics for remembering where to start the Queen
are "Queen on her own color" and "The Queen's dress matches her shoes." The King takes his station on
the center square closest to the Queen.
The Queen, as a soldier in your army, is as swift as the King is slow. The Queen can move in any
direction, and can charge from one end of the board to the other in the same turn.
There are two things the Queen cannot do. First, the Queen can't jump over another piece, whether friend
or foe. (This is true of all the pieces, except the Knight.) The sovereign must either stop before running
into the obstruction or, in the case of an enemy soldier, capture it.
Second, the Queen cannot change directions while moving. If the Queen sets out on a diagonal course,
for example, that diagonal must be kept to. (Again, this is true of all the pieces, except the Knight.)
The Rook
Each army has a pair of Rooks. Each Rook occupies a corner of the board when beginning a game. The
Rook has half the firepower of a Queen, as it moves vertically and horizontally but not diagonally.
The Bishop
You have two Bishops in your arsenal. Centuries ago, the Bishop was called the "Counselor," and you
can understand why when you look at the Bishops' initial positions: one on the Queen's left and one on
the King's right, as if one of the royals might ask them for advice.
The Bishops move diagonally only. A Bishop can never leave its assigned color.
The Knight
Two Knights make up your cavalry. They are stabled one on each flank, between the Rook and the
Bishop.
The Knight is the oddest soldier in your army, and the one that gives new field marshals the most trouble.
That's because the Knight can do two things that no other Chess piece can:
The Knight leaps over any piece that lies in its path, friend or foe.
The Knight changes direction as it leaps.
When the Knight is positioned in or near the center of the board, it can leap to any of eight possible
squares.
Though the Knight jumps as if it were a piece in Checkers, it can't capture that way. The Knight can only
capture an enemy piece if that piece occupies one of the Knight's landing zones.
The Pawn
The stubborn, one-step-at-a-time pawn has a poor reputation. We call people pawns when they appear to
be powerless. And yet the pawn is the heart of Chess. Never take your infantry for granted!
The pawn has three distinguishing characteristics:
It's the only piece that moves in only one direction: forward.
It's the only piece that captures in a different manner than the way in which it moves. The King,
Queen, Rook, and Bishop capture whatever lies in their path; the Knight captures whatever occupies
the square it lands on; the pawn moves in a straight line, but captures diagonally. (The enemy must
be on an adjacent square. The pawn occupies the square that held the target piece.)
It's the only piece that can transform itself into a unit of vastly greater power.
On its first move the pawn has the option of moving one square or two. After that, the pawn may only
move one square at a time.
When a pawn fights its way through to the last rank on the opposite side of the board, it may be
exchanged for any other piece (except a King or another pawn). The new piece begins its career on the
square the pawn had occupied. Every time one of your pawns reaches that last rank, you may trade it in
for something else.
The pawn has one other trick to play, and this may be the most confusing move of all. Say that a White
pawn has penetrated Black's camp.
Black could advance his pawn one square, stopping to attack the invader.
If instead Black sends his pawn ahead two squares, he bypasses the White pawn, and seems to give
White no say in the matter.
In fact, the bypassed pawn has the right to capture the pawn that had rushed by as if it had stopped after
just one square.
This is called capturing en passant, a French term for "in passing."
The en passant capture works for Black as well as for White, of course. It's also entirely optional.
Relative Values of the Chess Pieces
It is vital that you have a clear and reliable notion of the value of each unit under your command. Just as
the Pentagon must know what it costs to field an army, you must know, too. If not, you may never get
your money's worth when you and your opponent begin capturing each other's pieces. The following table
is based on five centuries of practical play. It takes the pawn as the basic unit and calculates each piece's
value in those units.
What does this table tell us? Suppose you can capture a Bishop while letting your opponent capture your
Knight. No harm done: Bishops and Knights are the same value. (An even capture is called an
exchange.)
However, if you capture a pawn and your opponent captures one of your Bishops, you've made a poor
bargain. Chess players say you have "lost the exchange" (your opponent has "won the exchange").
By knowing the relative values of the pieces we can tell which captures would be profitable, which would
be costly, and which would be even. Weigh captures and exchanges carefully. When a player obtains an
edge in material, he is much more likely to win the game. Superior force usually wins!
Check and Checkmate
Your objective on this battlefield is to attack the enemy King in such a way that it cannot escape. An
attack on the King is called a check. If the King cannot escape the check, then the check is actually
checkmate, and the attacking force has won the game.
When your King is checked, you must drop everything and rush to his defense. There are three ways to
fend off a check:
Move out of the path of the attacking piece.
Block the path of the attacking piece with one of your own pieces.
Capture the attacker.
If your King is in check and you can't move, block, or capture, then you've been checkmated. (Note that in
Chess the King is never actually captured. If the monarch is in check and unable to do anything about it,
the game is over.)
Minimum Requirements for Checkmate
In certain situations, with certain combinations of pieces, it's impossible to checkmate even a lone King.
Bishop, Knight, and King are the minimum requirements (even the professionals have trouble with this
one!).
A King and one Bishop can't enforce checkmate against a lone King. (Since the Bishop travels on only
one color, the hostile King is safe whenever he occupies a square of the other color.)
Nor can a King and a single Knight enforce checkmate. In any given position there are just too many
squares not controlled by the Knight. In fact, a King and two Knights can't pull this off either.
Drawn Games
So far it may seem as if all Chess games end in victory for White or Black, just as all baseball games end
in a win or a loss. Actually, a game of Chess may end in a draw (a tie). There are several ways in which a
game may be drawn:
Draw by Agreement. The players can agree to a draw. This may happen for various reasons: because
neither player thinks the game can be won, because there isn't enough time to finish the game, or
even because the position in the game is a crashing bore!
Draw by Perpetual Check. This refers to a position in which one player can keep checking the other
player's King, move after move after move, with no possibility of the defending player being able to
stop the checks. The assumption here is that the player doing the checking is at a disadvantage in
some way, and is deliberately forcing a draw rather than suffering a loss.
Draw by Insufficient Material. See Minimum requirements for checkmate above.
Draw by Stalemate. This is a situation in which the player whose turn it is to move is not in check but
has no legal moves.
Draw by Repetition of Moves. For this one you'll need to keep a record of the moves in the game
using Chess notation (see below) if playing another human; against a computer opponent, the
computer will do it for you. If the same position occurs three consecutive times, the game is drawn.
Draw by 50-Move Rule. You'll need to record the moves for this one, too (unless you're playing a
computer). If a player can demonstrate that the last 50 moves have been made without the capture of
a piece or a move by a pawn, that player may claim a draw. (This rule is most often used when one
side has only a King.)
Defending the King: Castling
If you want to ensure a long life for your King, you'd better castle. Castling is the only maneuver in Chess
that involves the simultaneous movement of two pieces: the King and one of the Rooks. Castling is
carried out with the goal of transferring the King to a safer refuge at the side of the board.
There are two types of castling: Kingside, which involves the King and the King Rook (the one in the
corner closest to the King), and Queenside, which involves the King and the Queen Rook (the one in the
corner farthest from the King).
This is the board with the Kings and Rooks prior to castling.
In Kingside castling, White moves his King two squares to the right. The King Rook hops over the King to
the square on the King's immediate left. For Black, Kingside castling means just the reverse: the King
moves two squares to the left, and the King Rook hops over to the square on the King's immediate right.
In Queenside castling, White moves his King two squares to the left. The Queen Rook hops over the King
to the square on the King's immediate right. For Black, the King moves two squares to the right, and the
Queen Rook hops over to the square on the King's immediate left. Note that in Queenside castling, there
are three squares between the King and the Rook at the start of the maneuver. The King doesn't end up
as deep in a corner as in Kingside castling, but the Rook is brought a step closer to the action in the
center.
Which kind of castling is better depends on the particular circumstances of a given game. With time and
experience will come an understanding of when to castle and on which side of the board.
When Castling Isn't Possible
There are seven restrictions on castling. Four are temporary (castling might be possible later in the game)
and three are permanent (castling will not be possible, period).
Here's the list of temporary restrictions:
If your King is in check, you can't escape by castling out of it. You can't castle out of check.
If a King must travel across a square controlled by an enemy piece, you can't castle. (You can't castle
out of check, and you can't castle through it, either.) There's no problem if the Rook rather than the
King must pass across a contested square.
If the King would end up on a square controlled by an enemy piece, you can't castle. (You can't castle
out of check, you can't castle through it, and you can't castle into it.)
If a square between your King and the Rook you want to castle with is occupied, whether by one of
your own pieces or one of your opponent's, you can't castle.
These are the permanent restrictions:
If a player has moved his King before he's had a chance to castle, he can't castle.
If a player has moved his King Rook before he's had a chance to castle Kingside, he no longer has
the option of castling Kingside.
If a player has moved his Queen Rook before he's had a chance to castle Queenside, he no longer
has the option of castling Queenside.
Even when castling is possible, you can only do it once per game.
There's much to remember about castling. It may seem like too much to remember. But it's the single
most important action you can take to protect your King. Castling defends and attacks at the same time:
simultaneously entrenching the King behind a stockade of pawns on the flank and bringing the long-range
firepower of the Rook to bear on the center.
Chess Notation
To help us describe the action in a game, we call a horizontal line of squares a rank and a vertical line a
file. Each rank has a number and each file has a letter.
Chess notation uses abbreviations for the pieces:
King = K
Queen = Q
Bishop = B
Knight = N
Rook = R
(There is no abbreviation for the pawn.)
A move is described by listing the piece, the departure square, and the arrival square. For example, a
Rook moving from a1 to a8 is recorded as Ra1-a8 (or, if you want to save space, as Ra8). A pawn
moving from e7 to e5 is recorded as e7-e5 (or simply as e5). A capture is described in the same way; you
simply list the move the capturing piece made.
Castling is recorded by the King's move from its starting point to its ending point (Ke1-g1 or Kg1).
Check is noted by adding a plus sign at the end of a move. Checkmate is two plusses.
Capturing en passant is noted by adding the abbreviation "e.p." at the end of a move.
Pawn promotion is indicated by parentheses: e7-e8(Q) or a7-a8(R), for example. The letter inside the
parentheses shows what piece the pawn was promoted to.
Playing Chess
If you are playing White, you must move first. Click a piece near its base and drag it to the square you
want to move it to. (You can also select a piece by clicking anywhere on its square.)
Actions
Show Captures
Show 2D/3D Board
Undo
Resign
Request Draw
Shows which pieces each player has captured.
Displays either the two-dimensional or three-dimensional chess board.
You can switch between boards by pressing the Spacebar.
Takes back your most recent move. You can take back a move by
pressing Ctrl+Z or clicking Undo on the Actions menu.
You can resign by pressing R or clicking Resign on the Actions menu.
Requests a draw from your opponent. You can request a draw by
pressing D or clicking Request Draw on the Actions menu.
Game Options
To change game options for Chess, click Chess Settings on the Options menu. You can set the style of
the game board, the initial board layout (for creating special game scenarios), your starting color, and
whether you alternate colors each game. For help on the options, see the help area in the Settings dialog
box.
How to Play Chinese Checkers
The goal in Chinese Checkers is to be the first to move all of your marbles into the point (triangular area)
opposite your home base. Two, three, four, or six people can play, but never five (because one player
wouldn't have an opponent opposite him or her).
Two people set up exactly opposite each other. Three people alternate every other point. Four people set
up opposite again.
Each player starts with a set of 10 marbles set up in the 10 holes or indentations of his home base. Play
passes clockwise around the board. You can move one marble on your turn. You can move to any
adjacent hole, forward, backward, diagonally, or sideways.
If the square next to your marble is occupied by your enemy or by one of your own pieces, but the square
on the other side is vacant, you can jump to that vacant square. A marble can make multiple jumps in the
same turn.
Playing Chinese Checkers
Click a marble and drag it to an adjacent hole. You can also jump over one of your own marbles to get
started.
To jump multiple marbles, click the marble, then drag it to its final destination.
Game Options
To change game options for Chinese Checkers, click Chinese Checkers Settings on the Options menu.
You can set whether home bases are indicated. For help on the options, see the help area in the Settings
dialog box.
How to Play Dominoes
Hoyle Board Games includes three versions of Dominoes (Draw, Block, and Sebastopol). These are the
general rules for Dominoes.
Dominoes are rectangular tiles marked with every combination of numbers (21 of them) that can be rolled
with two dice. The tiles are called bones. In addition, six bones are blank on one half and one bone is
blank on both halves, making 28 bones in a set or deck. The "heaviest" bone is marked with six dots or
pips on each end: 6-6. (When comparing bones, one is heavier than the other if it has more dots; the
other is lighter.)
Bones whose ends are alike (as with 6-6) are called doublets. Each doublet belongs to a single suit.
To begin a game (no matter which version), the bones are placed face-down on the table and shuffled
(moved around at random). Each player draws a certain number of bones at random to form his or her
hand. For the first play, a bone is laid face-up on the table. The next bone laid down must match the first
in some way. For example, if the first bone played is the 6-5, the next one down must have a 6 or a 5.
You set the new bone down with matching ends touching.
One object of a Dominoes game is to get rid of all the bones in your hand. There may also be scoring
involved in the course of play. Dominoes variations fall into two categories, according to what you must
do when you have no playable move. In the block category, a player with no playable move loses a turn.
In the draw category, the player draws more bones from the common pile (the boneyard) until finding
one that can be played. If no such bone turns up, the player loses a turn. The lightest hand wins the total
number of points in all other hands.
Block
This is the simplest variation. If two people are playing, they each draw seven bones for a hand. If three
or four are playing, they each draw five. (This distribution of bones is the same for Block and Draw;
Sebastopol has its own distribution, as explained below.)
The player holding the highest doublet sets it -- that is, lays it down as the first play. The turn to play then
rotates to the left. Each play is made by adding a bone to an open, or exposed, end of the layout, with
equivalent numbers touching. The layout in Block always has two open ends. Two branches are built off
the sides of the set (the doublet that began the game). All doublets are customarily placed crosswise, but
this doesn't affect the number of open ends.
If a player has no legal move, he or she passes. The game ends when a player gets rid of his or her hand
or when no player is able to add to the layout. The player with the lightest remaining hand wins the total
number of pips on all the bones remaining in the other hands. (The amount needed to win a game is
usually decided among the players before play begins.)
Sebastopol
This sounds like a battle in the Crimean War, but so far as is known the Charge of the Light Brigade has
nothing to do with it. There's no boneyard. Four people play, each drawing seven bones. The 6-6 is set,
after which play rotates to the left of the first player. The 6-6 is open four ways, and the first four plays
after the set must fill each opening -- no branch may be extended before these four bones are laid down
(unless the Use Sprout Rule option is turned off in the game settings). All other Block rules apply.
Use Sprout Rule means that branches may not be extended before the first four plays after the set. If this
option is checked, the first four branches must be set before any branches can be extended.
Draw
If you've mastered Block, then you have only one thing to remember about Draw: a player having no
playable bone must draw from the boneyard until a playable bone turns up. Once the boneyard is empty,
a player with an unplayable hand must pass.
Playing Dominoes
When you are ready to start play, click each bone you want to select for your pile. Click and drag the
bones to the position you want to play them.
If you don't have any possible moves, go back to the boneyard (main pile) and click bones until you get
one you can play. If you don't have any moves and all the bones are out of the boneyard, you may need
to pass.
Actions
Pass
Passes the turn to the next player when you can't make a play. You can
pass during play by clicking the Pass button on the table, pressing
Enter on the keyboard, or clicking Pass on the Actions menu.
Game Options
To change game options for Dominoes, click Dominoes Settings on the Options menu. You can set
which game to play and the skill level for computer players. For help on the options, see the help area in
How to Play Line 'em Up
Line ‘em Up is a two-player game similar to tic-tac-toe. Each player has a different color of checkers; each
turn, a player drops one of his or her checkers into a vertical grid.
In the standard game, each player tries to get four of his or her checkers in a row (in any direction,
including diagonally).
Another variation of the game is included in which the winner is the player with the most three-in-a-row
combinations when the grid is completely filled.
Playing the Game
Black (or green, depending on your game settings) plays first. It's your turn when the small piece next to
your player flashes. On each turn you drop one piece down any column that is not already filled. Drop the
piece by clicking above or anywhere on the column of your choice.
Actions
Undo
Resign
Takes back your most recent move. You can take back a move during
play by pressing Ctrl+Z or clicking Undo on the Actions menu.
Game Options
To change game options for Line ‘em Up, click Line ‘em Up Settings on the Options menu. You can set
which game to play, which board to play with, whether to alternate colors between games, and the skill
level for computer players. For help on the options, see the help area in the Settings dialog box.
Mahjong Tiles
In Mahjong Tiles, you play games using tiles normally used in the game of Mahjong.
There are three different versions of Mahjong Tiles. Click the version you want help with.
Mahjong Tiles
The classic solitaire game. Find and remove pairs of matching tiles. This
game is sometimes called Taipei.
Memory Tiles
Find and remove pairs of matching tiles from a grid of face down tiles by
clicking the tiles to reveal them, one pair at a time. This is similar to the
card game called Memory or Concentration.
Gravity Tiles
Remove as many tiles as possible from the grid by clicking adjacent groups
of tiles of the same color; tiles above those tiles fall down.
Mahjong Tiles and Memory Tiles can be played with one or two players.
In Mahjong Tiles, you try to find and remove matching tiles. You can only match tiles that are “free and
can be removed without moving other tiles. You can play with one or two players.
To play Mahjong Tiles:
1 Select a layout (pattern) to play. Tiles are arranged randomly into that layout.
2 Try to find pairs of matching tiles. Click a tile, then click another tile to try to find a match. If you find a
match, the tiles are removed from the layout. For more on how tiles are matched, see the section
below.
Only tiles with no other tiles on top of them, and at least one side exposed (left or right side not
touching another tile) are considered free and can be removed. Both tiles must be free.
Both of these tiles
are free and can
be selected
This tile cannot
be selected
If you’re not sure whether or not a tile is free, try clicking it. Only free tiles can be selected.
3 Keep matching pairs until there are no more pairs in the layout, trying to end with the fewest tiles
remaining. The game ends if there are no more matches, and you can then stop and begin a new
game, or reshuffle the remaining tiles and continue to try to solve the puzzle.
At the end of a game, click Shuffle Tiles for a new game with the same layout, click Don’t Shuffle Tiles
to play the same game again (you might do this to try to get a better score), or click New Layout to play a
game with a different layout.
If you didn’t win the game, you also get a chance to undo your last move or to shuffle the remaining tiles.
Both of these options give you another possible chance of winning the game.
To play two-player Mahjong Tiles:
1 On the Main Screen, or in the Go To menu, click Mahjong Tiles, then click Mahjong Tiles Two
Players.
If you don’t have two players signed in, the Players dialog appears. Click the Add button to add a
second player.
2 Select a layout (pattern) to play. Tiles are arranged randomly into that layout.
3 Click OK when you’re ready to start the game. The clock starts for the first player, counting down the
timer (normally 30 seconds).
4 On your turn, click a tile, then click another tile to try to find a match. For more on how tiles are
matched, see the section below.
If you find a match, the tiles are removed from the layout and the turn passes to the other player. If
you run out of time, the turn is passed to the other player.
5 The game continues until both players fail to find a match on their turn. The player with the most
matches wins. If players have the same number of matches, the player with the least amount of time
left wins.
Matching Tiles
There are seven categories, or suits, of tiles. Mahjong Tiles uses two different tile sets: Chinese and
Egyptian. You can change the tile set you play with in the Mahjong Tiles settings (click Mahjong Tiles
Settings on the Options menu).
In five of the seven suits, you can only match tiles that are exactly identical by number and picture. You
can’t match tiles that have the same number only. Two tiles with 9 of Circles match, but a 9 of Circles and
a 9 of Bamboo don’t match.
In two special suits, Seasons and Flowers, you can match any tiles in that suit. In Seasons, you can
match any of the seasons together (Spring and Winter or Summer and Fall, for example). In Flowers, you
can match any of the flowers together.
Seasons (Chinese)
Flowers (Chinese)
Seasons (Egyptian)
Flowers (Egyptian)
Note that the tiles you get in a game will depend on the number of tiles in the layout, so not all layouts will
include Seasons and Flowers.
Notes and tips:
For an easier game, look for a layout with a lot of free tiles. For a harder game, look for a layout with
large blocks or rows of tiles.
Sometimes a tile will have more than one free match. In this case, try to remove tiles that free up other
tiles in preference to stand-alone tiles.
You can create your own layouts to play with. Click here for information:
Actions
Find Match
Remove Pair
Undo
stumped. You cannot use Find Match in a two-player game. To find a
match, press M or click Find Match on the Actions menu.
After finding a matching pair of tiles using Find Match, use this to
remove that pair from the table. You can automatically remove the two
matching tiles by pressing Enter or clicking Remove Pair on the
Actions menu.
Returns the two matching tiles that were most recently removed back to
their original positions on the table. You can undo as many times as you
like. You cannot use Undo in a timed game. To undo a match removal,
press Ctrl+Z or click Undo on the Actions menu.
Game Options
To change game options for Mahjong Tiles, click Mahjong Tiles Settings on the Options menu. You can
change the following options:
Tile Set
Choose between Chinese tiles (traditional tiles used in the game of Mahjong) or
Egyptian tiles (tiles based on Egyptian hieroglyphic characters).
Layout
Choose a different layout to play with; you can also remove layouts you’ve created
or create new ones.
Timer
For a two-player game, you can change the time limit for each player’s turn. For a
one-player game, you can turn on a timer for a more intense game. (In a one-player
game, the game ends if your time runs out without finding a match.) Available time
limits are 15, 30, 45, or 60 seconds.
Places all tiles face down; you can only see tiles when you place your mouse over
Tiles Face Down
them. Use this option for an extraordinarily challenging game.
Creating Layouts for Mahjong Tiles
You can use the Layout Maker tool to make your own custom layouts for Mahjong Tiles. You can start
from scratch, or load in an existing layout (either one you created or one that was provided with the
game) to start a new layout based on that layout.
To create a new layout with the Layout Maker:
1 Click Mahjong Tiles on the Go To menu, then click Layout Maker.
To start with an existing layout, click Load Layout on the File menu. Select the name of an existing
layout, and click OK.
2 To add a new tile, click the screen in the spot where you want to add it. To move a tile, click it and
drag it to its desired location. To remove a tile, right-click it.
To move a new tile on top of another tile, first click an empty space on the layout to add the new tile,
and then drag it on top of the existing tile.
3 You can add up to 144 tiles to your layout. The total number of tiles you place must be a multiple of
four and cannot be greater than 144.
4 Save your layout by clicking Save Layout on the File menu and typing a name for the new layout.
(This must be a unique name, you cannot save a layout over an old layout.)
Your layout’s name will now appear in the list of layouts that appear when you start a game.
To create a new layout, click New Layout on the File menu.
Notes and tips:
A larger number of tiles usually makes a better game. Try to place at least 100 tiles.
Avoid placing tiles in long rows, as this makes a lot of tiles inaccessible.
To delete an existing layout, click Load Layout, select the layout you want to delete, and click the
Delete button.
In Gravity Tiles, you try to remove as many tiles as you can from the board by removing groups of two or
more matching tiles (you can set the game settings to require groups of three or four). Removing large
groups gives you more points.
Turn on the Moveable Tiles game setting to let you move tiles. With this option, you can slide a tile on the
top of any column either left or right, one column at a time. If a tile is blocked by another tile, or the edge
of the board, it stops and can no longer be moved in that direction. If it is moved so there is no tile
immediately beneath it, it drops. If you let go of the mouse while moving a tile, it stops. When a tile stops,
or when it is dropped, it is automatically removed if it touches other tiles that make a group.
To play Gravity Tiles:
1 Click on a group of tiles of the same color. The group of tiles is removed, and any tiles above those
tiles fall down. If you remove an entire column of tiles, any columns on the right are moved to the left.
If you’re playing with the Moveable Tiles option (see above), you can move certain tiles by dragging
them left or right.
2 Keep removing groups of tiles. See if you can remove them all! Points are awarded for clearing tiles
from the board, for removing entire columns of tiles, for removing large groups of tiles, and for
removing all tiles of one color.
3 The game ends when no more groups of tiles can be removed, or when you’ve removed all the tiles.
Note that if you’re playing with the Moveable Tiles option, the game ends when there are no more
groups of tiles, even if there is a tile that can be moved to make a removable group.
At the end of a game, click Shuffle Tiles for a new game, or click Don’t Shuffle Tiles to play the same
game again (you might do this to try to get a better score).
Actions
Undo
Undoes your most recent action. Any tiles that were removed are
returned to the board, and any fallen tiles returned to their original
positions. You can only undo the action you most recently performed.
To undo an action, press Ctrl+Z, or click Undo on the Actions menu.
Tips:
tile; make sure you are moving it to the most strategic place before moving it or letting go of the
mouse. Note that you can still move a tile to the far right of the original rightmost column.
Game Options
To change game options for Gravity Tiles, click Gravity Tiles Settings on the Options menu. You can set
the number of tile colors used in the game, whether tiles can be moved, and the minimum number of tiles
you can remove. For help on these options, see the help area in the Settings dialog box.
In Memory Tiles, tiles are dealt face down in a grid. Try to find and remove all matching pairs of tiles in the
least possible moves by remembering where tiles are located.
To play Memory Tiles:
1 Click a tile to turn it over, and then click a second tile to turn that tile over. If the tiles match, they are
removed. If not, they are turned face down again.
Important! See below for information on how tiles are matched; not all tiles that can be matched are
identical.
2 Keep trying to match pairs of tiles until there are no more tiles left. Your score is shown at the end of
the game: you get points for each match you find, (and lose points for each miss), and you get bonus
points for getting triplets (three matches in a row). Triplets are shown as golden globes under your
player plaque.
To play two-player Memory Tiles:
1 On the Main Screen, or in the Go To menu, click Mahjong Tiles, then click Memory Tiles Two
Players.
If you don’t have two players signed in, the Players dialog appears. Click the Add button to add a
second player.
2 Click OK when you’re ready to start the game.
3 On your turn, click a tile to turn it over, and then click another tile to turn that tile over. If the tiles
match, they are removed. If not, they are turned face down again.
If you found a set of matching tiles, you can try again. Otherwise, the turn passes to the other player.
4 When the grid is cleared, new tiles appear. The game continues until one player gets the number of
matches needed to win. This number is set in the game settings (normally, 20 matches are required to
win).
Matching Tiles
There are seven categories, or suits, of tiles. Memory Tiles uses two different tile sets: Chinese and
Egyptian. You can change the tile set you play with in the Memory Tiles settings.
In five of the seven suits, you can only match tiles that are exactly identical by number and picture. You
can’t match tiles that have the same number only. Two tiles with 9 of Circles match, but a 9 of Circles and
a 9 of Bamboo don’t match.
In two special suits, Seasons and Flowers, you can match any tiles in that suit. In Seasons, you can
match any of the seasons together (Spring and Winter or Summer and Fall, for example). In Flowers, you
can match any of the flowers together.
Seasons (Chinese)
Flowers (Chinese)
Seasons (Egyptian)
Flowers (Egyptian)
Note that the tiles you get in a game will depend on the number of tiles used in the grid, so not all games
will include Seasons and Flowers.
Game Options
To change game options for Memory Tiles, click Memory Tiles Settings on the Options menu. You can
change the following options:
Tile Set:
Choose between Chinese tiles (traditional tiles used in the game of
Mahjong) or Egyptian tiles (tiles based on Egyptian hieroglyphic
characters).
Peek Option:
Two-player game only: Choose this option to briefly reveal the tiles
at the beginning of rounds; every third round is a blackout round
and no tiles are revealed.
Two-player game only: Set how many pairs need to be found by a
Head-To-Head Pairs to Win:
player for that player to win the game. Most games last several
rounds.
Grid Size
Sets the number of tiles used in the grid. Select 4 x 4 for an easy
game, 6 x 4 for a medium game, and 6 x 6 for a hard game.
How to Play Mancala
The six small cups across the bottom are yours. The tall cup on the right is your mancala. (If you are
seated in the top-right position, the top cups and the left mancala are yours.)
It's your turn when your nameplate flashes. Click on one of your cups to play.
The stones from the cup you click on are distributed counter-clockwise around the board. Stones you play
are dropped in your mancala but not in your opponent's mancala.
If the last stone from the clicked cup drops into your mancala, you get to play again. This can repeat as
many times as you continue to play cups that end at your mancala.
If the last stone from the clicked cup drops into one of your empty cups, that stone plus all stones in the
opponent's cup directly across the board go into your mancala.
When one player's cups are empty, any stones left in the opponent's cups are put into the opponent's
mancala and the game ends. The player with the larger mancala wins.
Actions
Undo
Resign
Game Options
To change game options for Mancala, click Mancala Settings on the Options menu. You can set the
number of stones in each cup, whether to display the number of stones (or require players to count),
which player starts, and the skill level for computer players. For help on the options, see the help area in
How to Play Master Match
One player makes a code by combining different colored pegs, and the other player tries to guess the
code in as few tries as possible.
To play, one player secretly places a number of pegs at the top of the board; those pegs are then hidden.
The other player then makes a guess by placing pegs on the Master Match board. The results of the
guess are then shown.
The blue Correct Place & Color result tells you which pegs are the correct color and are in the correct
place, whereas the white Correct Color result tells you which pegs are the correct color but are not in the
correct place. This information helps you make an educated guess at the code in future turns.
Normally, each peg in the secret code is a different color; for a more challenging game, uncheck the No
Duplicates option in the game options. Note that regardless of this setting, you can use two or more pegs
of the same color when you guess.
Master Match Guess Example
In the example below, your first guess (on the bottom row) gives a match result of 1 | 2. This tells you that
one peg is the correct color and is in the correct place, and two pegs are the correct color, but are not in
the correct place.
For your second guess, the match result of 0 | 2 tells you that two of the pegs are the correct color, but
none of the pegs are in the correct place.
You learn at least two things from the combination of these two results:
Although you used three of the same colors of pegs in your first and second guess, in your second
guess, only two pegs were the correct color (three were correct in the first guess). So you know that
yellow (the only color you omitted) is definitely in the puzzle, and the new color, purple, is definitely not
in the puzzle.
Although you left white in the same place in each guess, the result for Correct Place & Color changed
from 1 to 0 (nothing), so you know that white is definitely not in the correct place.
For your next guess, you should add a yellow peg to your guess, and you might want to try guessing
white in a different place. Note that although you know yellow’s in the puzzle, you don’t know which of the
other colors in your first guess is correct or incorrect.
Playing Master Match
To play:
1 If necessary, create a code for the other player by moving pegs to the board. Then click the Submit
Puzzle button.
There are three ways to move pegs to the board:
Drag each peg to the appropriate peg hole.
Click a peg in a peg tray and then click a hole.
Right-click (Ctrl+click on the Macintosh) on one of the peg trays to automatically move a peg of that
color to the next available peg hole.
You can move a peg by dragging it from one peg hold to another. To remove a peg from the board,
right-click the peg, or drag it away from the current row.
2 On each turn, make a guess by moving pegs to the board (as described above). For your first guess,
use the bottom row. For each subsequent guess, move up one row.
You must place a peg in each hole.
3 When you’ve made your guess, click the Match button next to your guess to see how you did.
4 Continue guessing until you guess the code or run out of guesses (you run out when you fill every row
on the Master Match board). If you’re playing the two-board non-scoring version, the game also ends
if the other player guesses your code.
Master Match Versions
You can play Master Match with one or two boards.
In the standard two-board version, there are two Master Match boards, and each player makes a code for
the other player to guess. Then, you and the other player simultaneously try to guess each others’ codes.
In the one-board version, you play with one Master Match board. If you’re playing with a computer player,
that player makes a code for you, and you try to guess it. If you’re playing with a human player, you take
turns making and guessing codes.
Scoring
You can play with or without scoring (you can set this in the game options). If you’re playing without
scoring, you play until the code is guessed.
If you play with scoring, you play multiple games. For each game, you get one point for each row it took
the other person to guess your code. (If the other person didn’t guess it, you get one point for each row of
the board plus a bonus three points).
Actions
Submit Puzzle
Match
Submits the puzzle you created for the other player to guess. You can
submit a puzzle by clicking the Submit Puzzle button, pressing the
Spacebar, or clicking Submit Puzzle on the Actions menu.
Checks to see if the pegs you’ve placed match the hidden code, and
displays information about how well they matched. You must have all
four peg holes filled before you can try a match. To try to make a match,
click the Match button next to your current guess, press the Spacebar,
or click Match on the Actions menu.
Game Options
To change game options for Master Match, click Master Match Settings on the Options menu. You can
set whether to play with one or two boards, whether to use scoring (and how to score), whether to allow
duplicates, the number of colors and pegs to use, and the skill level for computer players. For help on
How to Play Pachisi
Players move their pieces out of their starting area, take one trip around the track, and head up the
middle toward home. The player with the lowest roll of one die goes first (ties are broken with another
roll).
A piece can't leave the starting area until a five is thrown, either on a single die, or as combination of both
dice. When you roll a five, move your piece to the black square with the dot in your color (your entry
space). After the piece is on this space, you can then use other rolls to move it. If you don't want to use
one of the die values in a given roll, choose Pass.
A piece can be bumped back to its starting area if an enemy piece lands on it. You can't bump a piece
that occupies a safety space (a black space), except in the case of entering your own entry space from
your starting area.
Two pieces on the same space form a blockade. No pieces can move past the blockade (not even pieces
of the same color). You cannot use a doubles roll to advance a blockade to a new space. No more than
two pieces can occupy a space at the same time.
When you roll doubles, you get another roll. In one game variation, if you roll doubles three times in a row
your piece closest to home is sent back to the starting area.
When you get near home, use the middle row of squares (the "home stretch") to go to the final home
square. You must roll the exact number needed to get to the home square.
Tip You have the option of bypassing your home stretch and making an additional circuit around the
board. You might want to use this tactic to bump the piece of another player who might be in the lead or
on the verge of winning.
When you get a piece home, you get a 10 space bonus, which means you can move any combination of
your pieces 10 spaces. When you bump someone, you get a 20 space bonus, which means you can
move one of your pieces 20 spaces. If you cannot or choose not to use a bonus on the present turn, you
lose it.
The first player to bring all four pieces home is the winner. After one player wins, you have the option to
have other players continue playing the game.
Playing Pachisi
When you are ready to start play, click your starting area to roll one die. The player with the lowest roll
goes first. Ties are broken by another roll. On a regular turn, click your starting area to roll two dice.
Move your pieces by dragging them to the desired space. When a move is not ambiguous, you can rightclick a piece to move it.
Actions
Pass
Roll Dice
Passes the turn to the next player when you can't move or you prefer to
pass after using one die value to move. You can pass by clicking the
Pass button, pressing Enter, or clicking Pass on the Actions menu.
Rolls the dice for your turn. You can roll the dice by clicking your starting
base on the game board, pressing the Spacebar, or clicking Roll Dice
on the Actions menu.
Game Options
To change game options for Pachisi, click Pachisi Settings on the Options menu. You can set what
happens when three doubles in a row are rolled and the skill level for computer players. For help on these
The goal of the game is to clear each level by shooting balls into the playing field. The ball bounces off
the walls and sticks to the ceiling, or to the first ball in its path. When three or more balls of the same color
touch, they disappear, along with any linked balls below them.
Try to get rid of all of the balls between the shooter and the ceiling. Be careful because the ceiling
periodically drops and pushes all of the balls down. If any ball drops below the level of the shooter, the
game is over.
Playing Placer Racer
Press Enter or your “fire key/button to start each round.
If you are using your keyboard to play, use the arrow keys to aim your shooter, and press Spacebar to
shoot the ball.
If you are using your mouse to play, move the mouse to aim the shooter and click the left mouse button to
shoot the ball.
Playing with Two Players
You can play Placer Racer against a friend or family member on the same computer. In head-to-head
play, the more balls you free from your side, the more extra balls appear on your opponent's side.
Actions
Pause/Resume
pause/resume by pressing Esc or clicking Pause on the Actions menu.
Game Options
To change game options for Placer Racer, click Placer Racer Settings on the Options menu. You can
set the ball and board type, and for two player games, when the game ends. For help on these options,
see the help area in the Settings dialog box.
To change which control you use for the game (Keyboard 1, Keyboard 2, or Mouse), click the Players tab
of the Settings dialog.
How to Play Reversi
Players take turns placing pieces on the board, with black (or purple) playing first. You can only play a
square that causes one or more of your opponent's pieces to become sandwiched between your pieces,
and thus flipped. Only sandwiches formed by newly placed pieces count; sandwiches that result from
stones being flipped do not themselves cause other stones to be flipped.
The player with the most pieces showing his or her color at the end of the game is the winner.
Playing Reversi
Your piece color shows as a dot above your player's nameplate. When your dot is flashing, it's your turn.
A transparent piece shows when the mouse pointer is over a square that is a legal play for you. Click on
the square you want to play on. If you can’t play, you lose your turn.
An L appears on the last piece played by you or the other player.
The game continues until all squares on the board are filled.
Actions
Undo
Resign
Game Options
To change game options for Reversi, click Reversi Settings on the Options menu. You can set the board
type and the skill level for computer players. For help on these options, see the help area in the Settings
dialog box.
How to Play Rummy Squares
In Rummy Squares, you and the other players play tiles to the same board, making rummy hands
(melds)—either sequences or groups. Your goal is to get rid of all of your tiles before other players do.
A sequence is a set of three or more consecutively numbered tiles of the same color:
A group is a set of three or more tiles of the same value all in different colors:
There are two Jokers which you can use to represent tiles on the board; for more information, see Using
Jokers, below.
Making the Initial Meld
In your first play—called the initial meld—you have to play one or more sets of tiles worth at least 30
points from your hand to the board. This is the only play you can make on this turn; you can’t make any
other moves until the next turn.
To figure out what tiles are worth, add up their face values. Jokers are worth the amount of the tile they
represent.
Playing Tiles
Once you have made your initial meld, you can play tiles to the board. If you can’t play any tiles, you pass
and receive one new tile.
You can lay down sequences and groups from your hand, or you can combine tiles from your hand with
tiles already on the board, in a number of different ways. You can manipulate as many tiles on the board
during your turn as you like, as long as at the end of your turn all tiles are placed in valid sequences or
groups of three or more tiles.
Some things you can do:
Extend a sequence or group by adding a new tile to the front or end of it.
Move tiles from one sequence or group to another sequence or group
Split a long sequence into two, and add a tile to the beginning or end of a sequence (this is a very
useful way to add a tile from your rack to the board).
Break up an existing sequence or group entirely and use its tiles in other groups.
Note that there are many different types of moves you can make, and you can make manipulate many
different tiles on your turn.
Using Jokers
There are two Jokers in the game; you can use Jokers to represent any other tile in a meld:
You can manipulate melds containing Jokers like any other melds on the board.
Once a Joker is on the board, you can take it to use it in a new meld by replacing it with a different tile of
the same value and color from your hand. The Joker must be used immediately with two or more tiles
from your hand.
If someone goes out, and you have a Joker in your rack, you get a penalty of 30 points.
Playing Rummy Squares
At the start of the game, you must make an initial meld. You cannot play any other tiles or manipulate tiles
on the board until you make the initial meld.
On future turns, there is no limit to the number of tiles you can play.
To play the game:
1 If you can make an initial meld, drag the tiles in the meld from your rack to the board one at a time.
Then, click the Submit button. If your meld is valid, your turn ends.
If you can’t make an initial meld, click the Pass button; you’ll receive one new tile (unless there are no
more tiles available).
2 Once you’ve made an initial meld, you can make other melds in subsequent turns. To make melds,
drag tiles from your rack to the board one at a time, placing them wherever you want them to go. To
move tiles from other melds, just drag them around the board.
To move all of the tiles in the meld, right-click it (Ctrl+click on the Macintosh) and drag it where you
want it to go.
Note on placing tiles: you must leave at least one square between each meld on the board.
3 When you’re done manipulating tiles, click the Submit button. If you have played legally (all melds on
the board are legal), your turn ends.
If you start to manipulate tiles and realize you can’t do what you’d originally planned, click the Reset
button to return all tiles to the positions they were in at the start of your turn.
The game ends when one player runs out of tiles, or when the last tile in the tile pool is drawn as a player
passes.
Scoring
If a player runs out of tiles, he or she wins the game. Players who go out score 0, and players with tiles
left in their racks score negative points for the total value of those tiles; for example, a player with a 6 and
an 11 left in her rack scores -17.
If the game ends because the last tile is drawn from the pool, the player with the least points in his or her
rack (the lowest negative score) wins. The player with -17, above, would beat a player with a 3, 7, and 9
left in his rack (a total of -19).
Tips
If you have a choice of how to play a joker, try to play it in such a way that you can use it in a future
turn.
Actions
Submit
Pass
Reset
Submits changes you’ve made to the Rummy Squares board. You can
also submit by pressing S or clicking Submit on the Actions menu.
Passes your turn without making any changes to the board. You can
also pass by pressing P or clicking Pass on the Actions menu.
Resets the board to return all tiles to the positions they were in at the
start of your turn. You can also pass by pressing R or clicking Reset on
the Actions menu.
Game Options
To change game options for Rummy Squares, click Rummy Squares Settings on the Options menu.
You can set the skill level for computer players. For help on these options, see the help area in the
How to Play Snakes & Ladders
You start at the bottom of the hill and move upward according to the values of the drums. If you land on a
square that's supporting a ladder, your player climbs that ladder to the square at the top. But if you land
on a square at the top of a snake, you slide down that snake to the square at the bottom. The first player
to get to the tree house wins.
Playing Snakes & Ladders
On your turn, click on the drums to find out how many spaces you should move, or press the Spacebar.
Move your piece that many spaces by clicking the space where it should move to. If you end on a ladder,
you will climb up. If you end on a snake, you will slide down. The first player to reach the tree house wins
the game.
Tip You can see numbers for each space on the board by pointing your mouse to the tree house.
Actions
Play Drums
Plays the drums to tell you how many spaces you can move. You can
play the drums by clicking on the drums on the lower right of the screen,
pressing the Spacebar, or clicking Play Drums on the Actions menu.
Game options
To change your piece color, click Snakes & Ladders Players on the Options menu.
How to Play Yacht
Yacht uses five dice. Any number of people can play (though with just one person the only goal is to beat
your past high score). The object is to make the best possible hand in the following categories:
Hand
Score
Ones
Total of ones
Twos
Total of twos
Threes
Total of threes
Fours
Total of fours
Fives
Total of fives
Sixes
Total of sixes
Four of a Kind
Dice total
Full House
Dice total
Four Straight
25
Five Straight
30
Yacht (Five of a Kind)
50
Choice
Dice total
There are 12 categories and you have 12 turns. On each turn you roll the dice three times. You can keep
one or more die from each roll to build your hand; you can also discard the die or dice you kept from the
first roll if the second roll changes your mind. You can stand pat after the first or second rolls if your hand
is good enough.
Your goal is to fill in each category in the chart above with the highest possible number. A 4-4-5-5-5 Full
House, for example, is 23 points. Once you fill a category, you cannot use it again. If you throw a second
Full House, say a 4-4-4-3-3, you may choose the Fours category. Your score for that category would be
12 (the threes wouldn't count for points).
(With Four of a Kind, the number on the fifth die does count in the scoring. Example: 6-6-6-6-1 is Four of
a Kind, but it counts as 25.)
Three categories have fixed scores: Four Straight (25), Five Straight (30), and Yacht (50). These numbers
are higher than the highest possible totals on your dice for those particular hands, so consider these
scores a bonus.
The Choice category is just that -- your choice. Use this category if your hand has a high point value but
doesn't fit anywhere else. You'll receive the total points showing on your dice.
If your hand isn't much of anything, choose the lowest possible category to minimize the damage. For
example, if you're left with low, miscellaneous numbers, choose Ones even if have none. You'll receive a
zero for that category, but since the category is devoted to the lowly numeral one, how many points could
you get there anyway?
At the end of 12 rounds all of the categories will be filled in and the game ends. High score wins.
Playing Yacht
When you are ready to start play, click on your cup to roll. Click each die that you want to keep, then click
the cup to roll again. If you want to re-roll a die that you previously chose to keep, you can return it to the
board by clicking it. When you are ready to roll again, click the cup. You have the option to roll up to three
times, but you can choose to record your score on any roll.
Tip To move dice from the board into your "keeper" area without clicking each die, type the number of
each die's value on the keyboard. For example, if you roll two 4s that you want to keep, press 4 on the
keyboard, then press 4 again (to pick up the second 4). To move dice from the "keeper" area back to the
play area, press Backspace.
To record your score category, click on an appropriate category on the score card. As you move your
mouse cursor over each category, you can preview the resulting score for the current roll. Be sure to
select the category carefully; once you choose it, you can't change it later. After the score is recorded, the
turn advances to the next player.
Actions
Roll Dice
Keep Dice
Release Dice
Rolls the dice. To roll the dice, click the dice cup, or press the
Spacebar.
Moves a rolled die to the keeper area of the Yacht board. Choose each
die you want to keep for your turn score by typing the number of the die
(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6) on the keyboard. To return a die from the keeper
area back to the play area for the next roll, press Backspace.
Moves a die from the keeper area back to the play area of the Yacht
board. To return a die from the keeper area back to the play area for the
next roll, press Backspace.
Game Options
To change game options for Yacht, click Yacht Settings on the Options menu. You can set the board
type and the skill level for computer players. For help on these options, see the help area in the Settings
dialog box.

- Encore Support

Transcription

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