From: peter@techbook.com (Peter Sarrett)
Subject: The Game Report V1.2 (4 of 7): Palabra
Organization: TECHbooks --- Public Access UNIX --- (503) 220-0636
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 08:18:38 GMT



 
Game: Palabra
Info: ~$15-20.00 from Kondrick, Inc.  
P.O. Box 39133, Minneapolis, MN  55439
Players: 2-6
Playing Time: 20-60 minutes
Type of game: Word
Complexity: 8	Skill: 5
Summary: Geometric scoring system 
makes for dynamic, unpredictable games.  
Great for two players.
 
	Word games have been around for 
almost as long as language itself.  The immense 
popularity of Scrabble has inspired innumerable 
imitators, and as a result the word game has long 
languished in a rut of crossword-style games 
which require a significant amount of time to 
complete.  Palabra, despite it's complex scoring 
rules, is a welcome departure from this mold.
	In Palabra, "the word game of cards and 
colors," each card has a letter, color, and point 
value.  Players try to form the highest-scoring 
plays possible from their 7-card hands.  Plays are 
not limited to forming words, however-- scores 
are also awarded for straights (alphabetically 
adjacent letters) and flushes (cards of the same 
color).  You can even get points for dumping a 
hand full of vowels.  Flushes score double, but 
you can rack up even larger scores thanks to 
"bonus stars".  Two or three stars appear on some 
cards.  Words or straights which include these 
cards have their scores multiplied by the number 
of stars on the card.  If more than one card has 
stars, you multiply the play by each card in 
sequence (so if one card has two stars and 
another has three stars, that play's score is 
multiplied by 6.  If it's also a flush, it would be 
multiplied by 12!).  Wild Cards can be any letter 
or color, but have no point value.  Playing all 
seven cards at once is a "palabra" worth a 70 
point bonus.
	But wait, there's more.  A key element of 
the game is defensive play, or "point-shaving."  
When the player immediately preceding you plays 
words or straights, you have the option to play 
letters which match those played by an opponent.  
You then subtract the value of the matching 
letters in your opponent's play (multiplied as 
appropriate) from your opponent's score and add 
them to your own score.  Since you get to replace 
the cards you used with new ones from the deck, 
point-shaving is a valuable tactical move.
	Also in the deck are a few Jokers used as 
a last-ditch defense.  Anybody can play a joker on 
another player, cancelling out the score of the 
victim's most recent play.  And that's still not all.  
You can build on opponent's words, exchange 
cards, earn bonuses or penalties at the end of the 
game, and of course challenge disputed words.
	The rules for Palabra are easily the most 
complicated of any word game I've ever come 
across.  Fortunately, they're not only manageable 
but rich in play possibilities.  It takes a little while 
to get the hang of the game, but it's time well 
spent.  Palabra's scoring rules make for exciting 
competition.  The tide of the game can turn 
around with any play of the cards, as in one game 
where a single play earned over 1,000 points 
(compared to an average of about 30).
	 You have to admire the charm of a game 
that uses ponytail ties as rubber bands to hold the 
cards together.  A fine game for any number of 
players, Palabra is particularly good with only two.  
The high scores and quick changes of fortune 
make for an exciting and rewarding time.  

 (review copyright 1992 Peter Sarrett, all rights reserved)