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a word nerd Word Concatenations

There are many rather fun and silly drinking games you can play with your chums down the pub. Fizz buzz, Bunnies, Names of Famous, Fuzzy duck etc. are all good for a laugh. Word Concatenations however is more suited to sad students and failed Countdown contestants downing their sorrows. The pub rules are as follows:

The player who lost the last round says a letter. The player to his left then adds a letter to go before or after the first one. The letters must form part of a word, but not be a complete word (2-letter words don't count). Players continue adding letters until either a player cannot add a letter without completing a word (in which case he takes a drink), or the next player does not believe that the previous player can make a word from the current letters, in which case he challenges him to do so. The loser of the challenge takes a drink.

Example:

Player 1: X

Player 2: AX

Player 3: AXO

Player 4: AXOP

Player 5: AXOPH

Player 6: SAXOPH

Player 1: SAXOPHO

Player 2: SAXOPHON

Player 3: SAXOPHONI

Player 4: SAXOPHONIS

Player 5: Glug, Glug, Glug.

Postal Rules:

There are as many games taking place simultaneously as there are players. Each player starts with a single letter. On the next turn, player 2 must add to player 1's word, Player 3 to player 2's.....player n to player 1's. On subsequent turns, each player continues to move along one word.

For each "Word so far", the "Previous Player" must supply a complete word (to the GM) containing the part word indicated. This word is not revealed unless there is a challenge. The "Next Player" has to add a letter to the start or end of the word, without making a complete word (2-letter words don't count). Alternatively, if he does not believe the "Previous Player" has made a valid word by extending the existing letters, then he may challenge.

Losers of a challenge or those forced to complete a word have to take a drink and immediately buy another one. The player who has taken the least drinks wins. In the envent of a tie the game is awarded to the player who in the opinion of the GM has been the nerdiest.

All players should also supply a new start letter for use in the event of a challenge being lost. If no letter is supplied by the loser, the letter supplied by the winner is used, else the GM chooses one at random.

An NMRing player never challenges, and automatically loses if challenged. Where the GM has to choose a letter for the NMRing player he picks one which allows plenty of possible words. If there are no possible words a "bluff" letter is added that looks plausible.

Example:

Prev Player   Next Player   Word So Far

Nigel             Sebastian      LLAT

Julian            Nigel             KAPH

Nigel's orders:

If challenged by Sebastian, the word is FELLATIO.

Challenge Julian over KAPH. If I lose new letter is W.

(In his orders Julian supplied TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA, so Nigel takes a drink).

The loser of the challenge must drink his pint and immediately buy another one. Similarly a player who is forced to complete a word must also drink his pint.

There are a number of options for ending the game. I have decided that after 6 turns the landlord will ring the last orders bell, which indicates that no new words may be started. Up to that point a losing player must supply a new start letter. The player drinking the least pints is the winner.

I'll be using the "Countdown" Oxford Concise as the master dictionary.

By Richard Smith 1998