How To Play: Royalty

Overview

If you love word games that make you feel smart (or at least pretend you are), Royalty is the game for you. After many late-night matches with my overly competitive friends, I’ve put together this guide to help you crush it. You’ll find a quick outline of the game rules and—more importantly—my best, hard-earned strategies for winning. Prepare to out-spell your rivals and claim the crown!

What’s in the box

• 1 deck of 108 Letter Cards
• 1 deck of 4 Wild Cards
• 4 Player Reference Cards
• 1 Score Pad
• 1 Pencil
• 1 Rulebook

How To Play Royalty: Rules Summary

Setup

1. Shuffle the deck of letter cards well (no peeking—unless you want to be shunned from every board game night ever).
2. Deal 7 cards to each player. If you have that one friend who always asks, yes, everyone gets the same amount.
3. Place the remaining deck face down in the middle, with space for a discard pile.
4. Pick someone to go first. Fight over this now so you don’t have to later.

Gameplay

1. On your turn, draw a card from the deck or discard pile. Decisions, decisions.
2. Form a word using the cards in your hand. The longer the word, the more you impress your cat and score points.
3. Announce your word loudly. (Optional: Spell it out like you’re in a spelling bee.)
4. Lay down the cards that make your word, and score the points based on card values.
5. Discard one card to the pile. Try not to help your opponents—unless you enjoy losing.
6. Refill your hand back to 7 cards from the deck.

Winning

1. Keep playing rounds until someone reaches the agreed-upon winning score (usually 100 or 200 points). Or until someone flips the table.
2. The first player to hit that magic number wins—and gets to do a triumphant victory dance. Or just quietly gloat; up to you.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. If you can make a “royal” word (using all 7 cards), shout it from the rooftops. You’ll score a bonus fit for a king.
2. If the deck runs out, shuffle the discard pile to make a new draw deck. This is not an excuse to make more coffee.
3. No proper nouns, no made-up words, and definitely no using ‘QXZ’ as a word. The Royalty police are watching.
4. Disputes over words? Consult a dictionary or whoever shouts the loudest.

Learning how to play Royalty is easy, but becoming a word monarch is a different story. With these rules in hand, you’ll be ready to conquer your friends (or at least, confuse them with your spelling prowess).

Best Royalty Strategies

Mastering Card Management for Royalty Victory

Card management will make or break your Royalty game. From my own chaotic matches, I learned to respect every card in hand. You want to win? Start here:

Know Your Hand

1. Check your letters often. Don’t just glance – study them. Good hands lead to stronger plays.
2. Spot combos. Pair common vowels with rare consonants.

Plan Your Moves

1. Think ahead. Guess which words you can build in two or three turns.
2. Hold back power cards until you can use them for a big score.

Keep the Flow

1. Swap weak cards early. Don’t hoard useless letters.
2. Switch your plan if someone blocks your best move.

In every game, my friends and I find that smart card management is key to mastering How To Play royalty.

Big Words, Big Wins: Mastering Long Words in Royalty

Stack Letters to Your Advantage

First, build up your hand with rare letters. Then, always look for sneaky combos. Watch out for chances to use high-point cards.

1. Set aside oddball letters like Q or Z when you can.
2. Scan the board for open vowels to build longer words.
3. Save wild cards for when you need that extra letter.

Spot Patterns Early

After your first turn, try to see which words might grow by adding a prefix or suffix. You can surprise everyone with a big reveal later!

1. Keep track of what word-parts show up often.
2. Plan two or three turns ahead for longer builds.

Tidy Timing Matters

If you see someone about to score, sometimes it’s smarter to play your long word before they block you. Timing is everything in Royalty!

Stop Them Cold: Block Your Opponents in Royalty

Watch Their Plays

Always keep an eye on what words your rivals try to build. When you spot a pattern, get ready to mess it up.

Use the Right Cards

Sometimes you hold onto a letter because you know someone else needs it. That’s not hoarding. That’s strategy.

1. Hang onto key vowels or rare letters.
2. Swap out cards you don’t need—only if it doesn’t help someone else.

Play Disruptive Words

Drop a word that uses up the cards you know others want. Even if it’s not your best move, it can keep your opponents from scoring big.

1. Choose words with tricky letters.
2. Block their long-word setups.

Stay Flexible

Plans change fast. Keep adapting so your blocking game stays sharp. With these tips, you’ll master how to play royalty and stop your friends from winning.

Claim Your Crown as a Royalty Legend!

Alright, brainiacs, that’s the secret sauce for Royalty right there. At my last game night, I actually shouted “Checkmate!” after laying down a seven-letter word — wrong game, but I felt victorious anyway. If you keep your cards flexible, chase those long words, and throw a wrench in your buddies’ plans, you’ll be ruling the table in no time. Next time someone asks, “How To Play royalty?” — just wink and tell them, “It’s all in the wrist.”

Now go forth and rule, your majesty!

Want to know what we think of Royalty? Read our detailed review of Royalty here