How to keep score in Boggle

In Boggle, everyone hunts for words until the timer runs out. Then you read your lists aloud, cross out any word someone else found too, and score the rest by length: 1 point for 3 or 4 letters, up to 11 for 8 or more. The highest total wins.

At a glance

• Players: 1 or more

• Who wins: Highest total

• Each round: 3 minutes in the classic game

• Words: 3 letters or more, from touching cubes

Points for each word

Score only the words nobody else wrote down. Count the letters, and the Qu cube counts as two.

QUIT is four letters, so it scores 1. A word scores once, even if you can make it in two places on the grid or it has two meanings.

Crossing out words

When time is up, take turns reading your lists aloud. Any word on more than one list is crossed off every list, and nobody scores it.

A word counts if it's in the dictionary you agreed on: plurals, any tense, and words inside words, like PEAR, PEA and EAR. Proper nouns don't count.

How long a round lasts, and the end of the game

The classic round is 3 minutes. The current Hasbro box comes with a 90-second sand timer, and turning it over once more gives you the classic 3 minutes.

How long the game lasts is up to you: one round, a set number of rounds, or the first to a target such as 50 or 100. The highest total wins.

Big Boggle, teams and younger players

The bigger grids need longer words, so their scoring starts at 4 letters.

• Big Boggle (5 × 5, 3 minutes): 4 letters 1, 5 letters 2, 6 letters 3, 7 letters 5, 8 or more 11.

• Super Big Boggle (6 × 6, 4 minutes): the same up to 8 letters, then 2 points a letter for 9 or more.

• Teams: everyone writes their own list. A word found by two teammates, and nobody on the other team, counts once.

• Younger players: let them score 3-letter words for 1 point while everyone else needs 4.

A scoring example

One round, three players. Ben and Cleo both found STAR, so it's crossed off both lists. This is what was left.

Ana wins the round with 11. RESTART and STARTER have seven letters, so they score 5 each. Write the round's points under each name and play the next round.

Keep score in Tallynight

Boggle is set up for you: rounds, highest score wins. Start the 3-minute timer, and when the lists are scored, type everyone's points for the round on one keypad. The table keeps the totals and who's in front.

• A 3-minute timer for each round

• Everyone's round on one keypad

• Play to 50 or 100, and the app offers to end the game there

• Tap any round to fix it

• Get Tallynight on the App Store: free, no ads.

• Print a Boggle score sheet if you'd rather keep score on paper.

Questions

How do you score Boggle?

Score each word nobody else found by its length: 3 or 4 letters 1 point, 5 letters 2, 6 letters 3, 7 letters 5, and 8 or more 11.

How do you score Big Boggle?

Words need 4 letters or more. 4 letters score 1, 5 score 2, 6 score 3, 7 score 5, and 8 or more 11. Rounds last 3 minutes.

Does Qu count as two letters in Boggle?

Yes. The Qu cube counts as two letters, so QUIT has four letters and scores 1.

What happens if two players find the same word in Boggle?

Both cross it out. A word only scores if nobody else wrote it down.

How long is a round of Boggle?

3 minutes in the classic game. The current Hasbro box has a 90-second timer, which you can turn over once more for the classic 3 minutes.

How many points do you play to in Boggle?

It's up to you. Play a set number of rounds, or to a target such as 50 or 100, and the highest total wins.

Game names belong to their owners. Tallynight isn't connected with any game publisher.