A run is eight rounds
- Each round you get a wheel of 7 letters, 6 plays and a target score.
- Every real word uses a play. A non-word, or one you already played this round, costs nothing.
- You get 2 discards a round: swap any letter for a random one.
- Reach the target and the round ends. Run out of plays first and the run is over.
- The targets are 30, 45, 60, 80, 100, 125, 150 and 185. Clear the eighth and you win the run, and then you can keep going endlessly.
How a word scores
The score is the sum of the letter values times a multiplier for length. The values are those of English Scrabble.
| Letters | Value |
|---|---|
| A E I O U L N S T R | 1 |
| D G | 2 |
| B C M P | 3 |
| F H V W Y | 4 |
| K | 5 |
| J X | 8 |
| Q Z | 10 |
| Multiplier | 3-4 letters ×1 · 5 letters ×2 · 6 letters ×3 · 7 letters ×5 |
The boosts
Between rounds you pick one card of three: a new letter for your wheel or a boost. You can hold four boosts at most.
| Boost | What it does |
|---|---|
| Golden Vowels | Vowels are worth double. |
| Long Word | +2 to the multiplier with six letters or more. |
| Blessed Z | +30 to a word with a Z. If your wheel has none, you turn a consonant into a Z. |
| Chain | If the word starts with the last letter of the one before, +1 to the multiplier for every link. |
| Last Shot | The last play of the round is worth ×3. |
| Saver | Every play you have left gives you 20 points to start the next round. |
| Rich Consonant | The highest-value consonant in the word counts twice. |
| Wildcard | One letter of your wheel also stands for any vowel. |
| Second Chance | One more discard a round. |
| Three for One | Three-letter words are worth ×3. |
The Forge Live
Two to five friends, with an invite code, on the same wheel at the same time. Everyone sees the others’ progress bars. Whoever misses the target is out, and the first to reach it picks the card for everyone in the next round.
Eight rounds and it is over. The winner is whoever clears the most rounds, and on a tie, whoever scored the most.
Frequently asked questions
Does The Forge need internet?
The solo run does not: it plays offline and keeps your record. Only The Forge Live with friends needs a connection.
Can a run always be won?
The starting wheel comes from reviewed words, and a letter that would leave the wheel with fewer than fifteen possible words is never offered.
What is kept from my runs?
Your personal best: the highest round, the best score and the best word. A run left halfway picks up where you left it.