Cryptyc is a somewhat unusual word search game. The board is a hexagonal grid (9 cells on a side), with each cell containing a number from 1 to 20. At the start of the game, English consonants are assigned to the numbers (written in an auxiliary area, not in the grid). After that, each player looks for words that can be made from chains of adjacent cells snaking in any combination of directions, ignoring vowels and allowing a single letter to stand for a double letter. Each player writes down their word on paper and then, on their turn, writes the appropriate consonants on the cells used and challenges their opponents to guess the word. A successful guess gives the points to the opponent, otherwise the player gets a point per cell used. In either case the used cells are out of play. There are a few further wrinkles, including one where, if a player manages to enclose an area with his or her color and the edge of the board, he or she may claim all the enclosed spaces.

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