- BGG rank
- BGG #2,444
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Scrabble
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 1948
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,508
- BGG rating
- 6.0
Lingua
1969
Rules assistance for Lingua
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Lingua
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Lingua is a board game released in 1969 for 2–4 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by S. Braude and its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Square Grid, and Spelling.
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About the game
Very good variant of Scrabble. Scoring is easier and allows for tactics in trying to outscore your opponent. The game can be forced to an end by reaching the bonus end-fields. Lingua was also published in the Ravensburger Casino Series. The game is played on a 17x17 board, the squares being one of four colours or white. A "Start" square is near one corner and there are four "finish" squares in the opposite corner. There are 132 tiles each being in one of the four board colours and players each start with 12 of these and top up to 12 after their turn. The first player must play a legal word through the Start square and thereafter players must play a word that intersects orthogonally with at least one existing word in crossword fashion. Intersection may be achieved by playing a word that adds a letter at the beginning or end of an existing word except the adding of a plural "S" is not allowed. You score for every letter in the word(s) created. Basic scoring is by tile colour, blue=1, yellow=2, green=3 and red=4. However, if you play a tile that matches the board square tile you have made an ACE. Each ACE initially scores a bonus or 10 in addition to normal score. After a player has made ten ACES, future scores are doubled, after 15 ACES trebled etc. There is a bonus of 25 if you form a word with all the letters of the same colour (a Colourword). The games ends when a). Players can no longer form words, b). when a player can no longer top up to 12 or c). when a player plays a word that goes over one or more of the Finish squares where they will earn the finish square bonus(es).
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Otto Maier Verlag
- Peter Pan Playthings
- Bookmark Verlag
- Jouets Éducatifs Universels
- Silva-Verlag
Questions and answers
Lingua supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Lingua is 60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Lingua for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Lingua has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Lingua belongs to these categories: Word Game. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Square Grid, and Spelling. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Lingua are: S. Braude. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Lingua as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.