Paperback

SETUP: Shuffle the letter cards and deal 5 to each player as their starting hand. Create a shared market by laying out 10 letter cards face-up. Place the common cards (vowels and frequently-used consonants) in a separate pile accessible to both players. Shuffle the book cards (worth victory points) and place them face-up in a display. Each player starts with 0 points.

GAMEPLAY: On your turn, complete these steps in order:

1. Play cards from your hand to spell a word. You must use at least one card, and words must be valid English words found in the included dictionary.
2. Score points based on your word's letter values (printed on each card). This is your "money" for purchasing.
3. Buy letter cards from the market or common pile using your earned points. Better letters cost more points. Add purchased cards to your hand.
4. Draw cards from your deck until you have 5 cards again.
5. Optionally buy a book card if you have enough points; books give permanent victory points.
6. Pass play to your opponent.

DECK BUILDING: As you purchase better letters throughout the game, your deck improves. This allows you to spell higher-value words and earn more points each turn—the classic deck-building engine.

TWO-PLAYER ADAPTATION: Paperback plays naturally with 2 players with no modifications needed. The competitive nature intensifies as each player competes for the best letter cards in the market, creating meaningful strategic decisions about when to invest in points versus book purchases.

WINNING CONDITION: The game ends when all book cards have been purchased or the letter card supply is depleted. The player with the most total victory points from book cards and bonus tokens wins. Points from played words do not carry over—only book purchases and bonuses count toward final score.