- BGG rank
- BGG #7,282
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Reign of Witches
- 2 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,011
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Ten Dollar Words
2024
Rules assistance for Ten Dollar Words
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Ten Dollar Words
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ten Dollar Words is a board game released in 2024 for 2–4 players and 30 minutes per game. It was designed by Amabel Holland and its main mechanics are Spelling, Increase Value of Unchosen Resources, and Auction: Once Around.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,217
- BGG rating
- 6.5
City Hall
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,254
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Irish Gauge
- 3–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,947
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Iberian Gauge
- 3–5 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,016
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Northern Pacific
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,023
- BGG rating
- 7.1
The Field of the Cloth of Gold
- 2 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,842
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Table Battles
- 2 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,855
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Trans-Siberian Railroad
- 3–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,067
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Dual Gauge
- 3–5 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,531
- BGG rating
- 7.4
This Guilty Land
- 2 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,935
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Supply Lines of the American Revolution: The Northern Theater, 1775-1777
- 2 players
- 150–180 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,599
- BGG rating
- 6.8
The Soo Line
- 3–5 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2018
About the game
Ten Dollar Words is the auction word game where you use letters to make words to bid on letters to make more words, sometimes with the same letters! On your go, you’ll put up one of four lots for auction. Each player uses their letter tiles to make a word. Each tile has a Live side – with a dollar value – and a Dead side – without, and this determines the value of their bid. When you win an auction, any Live letters you used are flipped to their Dead side but remain in your available pool, to which you add the letters just won: you’ll always have access to them but they won’t contribute to the bid total. At the end of the game, everyone uses the letters they’ve accumulated to make one last word, and the most valuable word wins the game. The value of a lot depends on the letters in it and their utility in making new words, but also on which of those letters entered the game Live or Dead, which letters you’re willing to flip to gain them, and how all those factors relate to the other players and their pool of letters. Tricky letters like Q and Z will double the value of your bid, while the dreaded S will subtract from your bid total – do you use it now so you can flip it to its Dead side, so it can be used without penalty in a later auction? It's an auction game where you’re spending your resources but they’re still available, where you must spend money to make money but it’s not a matter of how much money you have at the end – you might have $20 worth of letters but if you can’t find a way to make them all fit into a word, they’re going to be worthless. —description from the publisher
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Hollandspiele
Questions and answers
Ten Dollar Words 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 Ten Dollar Words is 30 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.
Ten Dollar Words has a complexity rating of 1.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Ten Dollar Words belongs to these categories: Word Game. Its main mechanics are Spelling, Increase Value of Unchosen Resources, and Auction: Once Around. 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 Ten Dollar Words are: Amabel Holland. 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 Ten Dollar Words 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.