Strategic slide mechanic for replacing tiles in word games

Abstract

A word game with a sliding mechanic. A game board includes a play area including a plurality of tiles and at least two bench areas, each including a set of tiles. Each of the bench areas is arranged as a column or a row adjacent to the play area. Each tile in the plurality of tiles and the second plurality of tiles specifies a letter and a point value. At least one round of the word game is played. A round includes a turn for each player. A turn includes receiving an ordered selection of tiles within the play area that form a word, removing the tiles in the ordered selection of tiles from the play area, and receiving a selection of one of the at least two bench areas. Empty tiles within the play area are replaced by sliding tiles from the selected bench area onto the play area.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of playing a word game with one or more players, comprising:
 generating, by operation of one or more computer processors, a representation of a game board, the game board comprising:
 a play area including a plurality of tiles from a deck of tiles; and 
   at least two bench areas, each including a set of tiles from the deck of tiles,   wherein each of the at least two bench areas are arranged as a column or a row adjacent to the play area, and wherein each tile in the deck of tiles specifies a letter and a point value; and   
       providing logic, by operation of the one or more computer processors, that facilitates play of at least one round of the word game, wherein a round includes a turn for each of the one or more players, and wherein a turn comprises: 
       receiving an ordered selection of tiles within the play area that form a word; 
       removing the tiles in the ordered selection of tiles from the play area; 
       receiving a selection of one of the at least two bench areas; and 
       replacing empty tiles within the play area by sliding tiles from the selected bench area onto the play area. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 for each of the one or more players, calculating a total score for the respective player, comprising:
 calculating a word score for each word formed by the player, based on the point values specified by the tiles in the ordered selection of tiles for the word; and 
 calculating a sum of the word scores to determine the total score for the respective player; and 
   determining a winner of the word game, based on the calculated total scores for the one or more players.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein calculating a word score for each word formed by the player is further based on one or more bonus squares in the play area on which at least one of the tiles in the ordered selection of tiles was placed, wherein the one or more bonus squares comprise at least one of a word multiplier bonus, a letter multiplier bonus, a total score multiplier bonus, and a flat point bonus. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein calculating a word score for each word formed by the player is further based on one or more penalty squares in the play area on which at least one of the tiles in the ordered selection of tiles was placed, wherein the one or more penalty squares comprise at least one of a word multiplier penalty, a letter multiplier penalty, a total score multiplier penalty, and a flat point penalty. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein, on a first round of the at least one round of the word game, a first tile within the play area is associated with a trap, and wherein a penalty corresponding to the trap is assessed when the ordered selection of tiles includes the first tile, and wherein calculating a word score for each word formed by the player further comprises:
 upon determining that the trap is associated with one of the tiles in the ordered selection of tiles for a first one of the turns, calculating a word score of zero for the word formed using the ordered selection of tiles on the first turn as the penalty for the trap.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein a turn further comprises:
 receiving a selection of one or more post-turn actions, the one or more post-turn actions comprising a trap action, wherein the trap action places a second trap in association with a selected one of the plurality of tiles within the play area, and wherein any word formed by one of the other players using the selected tile associated with the second trap will automatically be assigned a point value of zero points.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a turn further comprises:
 receiving a selection of one or more pre-turn actions, the one or more pre-turn actions comprising at least one of a letter swap action allowing the current player to change the position of two tiles within the play area, a trade action allowing the current player to change the position of a tile within the play area and a tile within one of the bench areas, a point multiplier action modifying any points earned by the current player on the current turn, a wipe action removing an entire row or column from the play area and replacing the removed row or column from a selected one of the bench areas, and an undo action removing any traps within the play area.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying one or more bonus words;   determining an allocation of letters across the identified one or more bonus words; and   dynamically generating the deck of tiles, based on the determined allocation of letters.   
     
     
         9 . A system, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory containing a program that, when executed by the processor, performs an operation for playing a word game with one or more players, comprising:   providing a game board comprising:   a play area including a plurality of tiles from a deck of tiles; and   at least two bench areas, each including a set of tiles from the deck of tiles,   wherein each of the at least two bench areas are arranged as a column or a row adjacent to the play area, and wherein each tile in the deck of tiles specifies a letter and a point value; and   
       providing logic to facilitate play of at least one round of the word game, wherein a round includes a turn for each of the one or more players, and wherein a turn comprises: 
       receiving an ordered selection of tiles within the play area that form a word; 
       removing the tiles in the ordered selection of tiles from the play area; 
       receiving a selection of one of the at least two bench areas; and 
       replacing empty tiles within the play area by sliding tiles from the selected bench area onto the play area. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , the operation further comprising:
 for each of the one or more players, calculating a total score for the respective player, comprising:
 calculating a word score for each word formed by the player, based on the point values specified by the tiles in the ordered selection of tiles for the word; and 
 calculating a sum of the word scores to determine the total score for the respective player; and 
   determining a winner of the word game, based on the calculated total scores for the one or more players.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein calculating a word score for each word formed by the player is further based on one or more bonus squares in the play area on which at least one of the tiles in the ordered selection of tiles was placed, wherein the one or more bonus squares comprise at least one of a word multiplier bonus, a letter multiplier bonus, a total score multiplier bonus, and a flat point bonus. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein calculating a word score for each word formed by the player is further based on one or more penalty squares in the play area on which at least one of the tiles in the ordered selection of tiles was placed, wherein the one or more penalty squares comprise at least one of a word multiplier penalty, a letter multiplier penalty, a total score multiplier penalty, and a flat point penalty. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein, on a first round of the at least one round of the word game, a first tile within the play area is associated with a trap, and wherein a penalty corresponding to the trap is assessed when the ordered selection of tiles includes the first tile, and wherein calculating a word score for each word formed by the player further comprises:
 upon determining that the trap is associated with one of the tiles in the ordered selection of tiles for a first one of the turns, calculating a word score of zero for the word formed using the ordered selection of tiles on the first turn as the penalty for the trap.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein a turn further comprises:
 receiving a selection of one or more post-turn actions, the one or more post-turn actions comprising a trap action, wherein the trap action places a second trap in association with a selected one of the plurality of tiles within the play area, and wherein any word formed by one of the other players using the selected tile associated with the second trap will automatically be assigned a point value of zero points.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein a turn further comprises:
 receiving a selection of one or more pre-turn actions, the one or more pre-turn actions comprising at least one of a letter swap action allowing the current player to change the position of two tiles within the play area, a trade action allowing the current player to change the position of a tile within the play area and a tile within one of the bench areas, a point multiplier action modifying any points earned by the current player on the current turn, a wipe action removing an entire row or column from the play area and replacing the removed row or column from a selected one of the bench areas, and an undo action removing any traps within the play area.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 9 , the operation further comprising:
 identifying one or more bonus words;   determining an allocation of letters across the identified one or more bonus words; and   dynamically generating the deck of tiles, based on the determined allocation of letters.   
     
     
         17 . A computer program product for playing a word game with one or more players, comprising:
 a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising:   computer readable program code to provide a game board comprising:   a play area including a plurality of tiles from a deck of tiles; and   at least two bench areas, each including a set of tiles from the deck of tiles,   wherein each of the at least two bench areas are arranged as a column or a row adjacent to the play area, and wherein each tile in the deck of tiles specifies a letter and a point value;   
       computer readable program code to provide logic to facilitate play of at least one round of the word game, wherein a round includes a turn for each of the one or more players, and wherein a turn comprises: 
       receiving an ordered selection of tiles within the play area that form a word; 
       removing the tiles in the ordered selection of tiles from the play area; 
       receiving a selection of one of the at least two bench areas; and 
       replacing empty tiles within the play area by sliding tiles from the selected bench area onto the play area. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , the computer readable program code further comprising:
 computer readable program code to, for each of the one or more players, calculate a total score for the respective player, comprising:
 computer readable program code to calculate a word score for each word formed by the player, based on the point values specified by the tiles in the ordered selection of tiles for the word; and 
 computer readable program code to calculate a sum of the word scores to determine the total score for the respective player; and 
   computer readable program code to determine a winner of the word game, based on the calculated total scores for the one or more players.   
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 18 , wherein the computer readable program code to calculate a word score for each word formed by the player operates further based on one or more bonus squares in the play area on which at least one of the tiles in the ordered selection of tiles was placed, wherein the one or more bonus squares comprise at least one of a word multiplier bonus, a letter multiplier bonus, a total score multiplier bonus, and a flat point bonus. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 18 , wherein the computer readable program code to calculate a word score for each word formed by the player operates further based on one or more penalty squares in the play area on which at least one of the tiles in the ordered selection of tiles was placed, wherein the one or more penalty squares comprise at least one of a word multiplier penalty, a letter multiplier penalty, a total score multiplier penalty, and a flat point penalty. 
     
     
         21 . The computer program product of  claim 18 , wherein, on a first round of the at least one round of the word game, a first tile within the play area is associated with a trap, and wherein a penalty corresponding to the trap is assessed when the ordered selection of tiles includes the first tile, and wherein the computer readable program code to calculate a word score for each word formed by the player further comprises:
 upon determining that the trap is associated with one of the tiles in the ordered selection of tiles for a first one of the turns, calculating a word score of zero for the word formed using the ordered selection of tiles on the first turn as the penalty for the trap.   
     
     
         22 . The computer program product of  claim 21 , wherein a turn further comprises:
 receiving a selection of one or more post-turn actions, the one or more post-turn actions comprising a trap action, wherein the trap action places a second trap in association with a selected one of the plurality of tiles within the play area, and wherein any word formed by one of the other players using the selected tile associated with the second trap will automatically be assigned a point value of zero points.   
     
     
         23 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein a turn further comprises:
 receiving a selection of one or more pre-turn actions, the one or more pre-turn actions comprising at least one of a letter swap action allowing the current player to change the position of two tiles within the play area, a trade action allowing the current player to change the position of a tile within the play area and a tile within one of the bench areas, a point multiplier action modifying any points earned by the current player on the current turn, a wipe action removing an entire row or column from the play area and replacing the removed row or column from a selected one of the bench areas, and an undo action removing any traps within the play area.   
     
     
         24 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , the computer readable program code further comprising:
 computer readable program code to identify one or more bonus words;   computer readable program code to determine an allocation of letters across the identified one or more bonus words; and   computer readable program code to dynamically generate the deck of tiles, based on the determined allocation of letters.