Prolixia 3
Please Note: Although PROLIXIA3 is a GREAT game for anyone of any age to play,
the 3 denotes that the questions relate to Key Stage 3 of the National Curriculum
Ideally, therefore, it suits 11 to 14 year olds, BUT parents can challenge their kids ! ! !
Tip for parents:-Don't ! ! !
remember trying to help with their homework ?!?!
There is, in this Key Stage, an incredibly large range of abilities - covering very bright 14 year olds, down to not so bright 11 year olds !
That is why there is such a wide spectrum of question difficulty with Five levels (colours of questions)
The Easy Questions might seem too easy and likewise the hardest questions may seem too difficult, but by attempting these the player gets to know which level they are most capable at and aspire to get to the next level.
They may get a question wrong the first time around, but hopefully their keenness to win means that will have learnt it for the next.
Even adults will find some of the Red questions quite demanding !
When learning the game -(and "SOLO" is basically the learning game which is linked to the even more exciting "CHALLENGE" game - where you can compete against opponents Online !) - the word "PROLIXIA" is always on the screen
START SMART
The Red letters (four vowels) are the most useful and so the questions to gain these are deliberately very difficult.
If you attempt these questions and get them wrong, you end that turn - and play moves on !
SO- Play Clever - and use the vowels already on the board; play off them - up or down, in crossword fashion.
By just using the Easiest or Quite Easy letters (& questions) your board could look like this:-
J Z G
P R O L I X I A
G P P
This would score you 24 points !
(scores are automatically totalled on screen)
Now we have a problem !
Are you going to make GAP into GAPE by answering a RED (hardest) question and then into GAPED by adding an ORANGE (difficult) question ?
OR - are you going to play TACTICALLY - (Those moves can still be used later) -
we could stay on the easier questions a little longer by attempting the following:-
TACTICALLY it would be better to go for a Y (Green) question followed by an S (Orange) and
cleverly put them into the Game like this:-
J Z G
P R O L I X I A
G P S P Y
Totalling 41 points in NINE moves
SIXTEEN moves of FREE GAME still left
When you put the word 'SPY' into the game you also make 'IS' so you score for BOTH words - whenever you put letters onto the board like this, both words MUST be legitimate
(ie found in a reputable dictionary) otherwise, the letter will be rejected & move lost.
Of course - If you feel confident enough to take on the harder questions - you could score more by using 'ROOT' words which continually build into something bigger:-
P R O L I X I A
N N T
scoring 27 points with this -
(then by adding to it !)
T T R
P R O L I X I A
N N T
scoring 66 points with this -
(then by adding to it !)
T T R
P R O L I X I A
N N T
E T E
totalling 119 points with this -
(then by adding to it)
Until eventually ALL moves are exhausted like this:-
A
S
P
S S I
T T R
P R O L I X I A
N N T
E T E
D E D
D
Up to date ASPIRATED is the highest scoring word (156 points aggregate) we've found that builds from a ROOT, one letter at a time.
(except for last two letters which have to be added together)
Building words one letter at a time is by far the best way to build a big score when playing SOLO.
Although, when playing against an opponent you also have their moves to take into account too, and sometimes the move you were about to make is 'STYMIED' by letters they have entered onto the 'Board'.
So sometimes you are forced to keep these letters in the 'Bank' and look for another outlet for them.
Tactics become important, as by guessing which letters your opponent is collecting (not shown to other players on screen) then 'BLOCKING' their move - or 'TRUMPING' them by adding to their words, you can score more than them for that move.
As I developed this game I became quite good at it:- but on two or more occasions I was beaten by an opponent who struggled with the Red & Orange questions so played lower down the colours.
She collected easy letters (particularly 'Y') and added to my high scoring words to 'TRUMP' me.
For example:
In the above grid where I show how to make IN into STINTED, she would watch this word developing and once I had TIN on the 'Board' would make it into TINY
(15 points)
Not bad for a two point input ! ! !
Another tip for competitors playing on the easier questions:-
Many of the answers can be successfully guessed by eliminating the ones that you know are definitely wrong, often leaving only the correct answer at the end.
So don't jump in & don't despair:-
READ questions carefully then slowly consider the answers !
(Don't forget there's no time limit in SOLO)
You can even take a Tea Break in the middle of a Game
As well as TRUMPING opponents moves, it may work to your advantage to BLOCK them, especially if your opponent has a lot of letters 'Banked'.
A good example of BLOCKING is where your opponent has put down the 'ROOT' word ID then in the following move makes this into RID
You know from experience that he is now going to keep adding to this building
word making:- RIDE - RIDER - STRIDER
SO you BLOCK him scoring his letters as well as the 'A' that you put on the front, to make ARID.
He is unable to add to this word - thus 'BLOCKED'.
Technique Tip
Sometimes when taking a letter from 'The Bank' to put into play the 'Board' moves instead of the letter
SOLVE this by always moving the letter slightly downwards or sideways first.
Then it will easily slot into grid.
Technique Tip
A little tip when learning the game -
Play SOLO (extensively) - because it gives more scope to experiment
(AND has no time limit !).
Technique Tip
When choosing which letter to go for - tap on it first - this will then show a flag that announces which letter you've chosen but (importantly) also which category that your question is from
(Note: ALL categories are based on the UK National Curriculum, & rotate in a set sequence).
If it is from a category that you are not very good at, you can reject this choice (by tapping the RED cross) and then go for an easier one.
Technique Tip
One of the problems that you'll experience when playing ONLINE for the first time is the TIME LIMIT (Don't worry with practice you get used to this)
This, however, is why we have games that can be tailored to individual needs.
Games would become long & tedious if each player took more than a minute to take their turn, and that is why Tournament players have a 30 second cap on their moves.
However beginners should start by playing with at least a one minute time allowance and then, game by game, bring this down to the recommended 30 secs.
More Tips will continue to be added to this page - but also check the 'BLOG' page; where other players may have added their advice too !
HIGH SCORES
If you play the free 'SOLO' game (25 moves) the top 10% of players score over 400 points !
The best score that we have seen achieved in the FREE game is 486 for 25 moves.
The best known score for the Full game of Solo (50) is 819 points
If you know of a better one please contact us either through the BLOG or by email
You can, however, be only a moderate scorer at 'SOLO' but still beat opponents at the 'CHALLENGE' Online game by playing TACTICALLY !
This often means allowing them to build a word with high scoring letters and then TRUMPING (and/or BLOCKING) them.
by adding just one easy letter to gain yourself a higher score
For Example:
They are trying for the huge scoring word ASPIRATED so play 'RAT' and score 13 points.
You add a 'B' to this & TRUMP them with 'BRAT' which scores 16 points:-
but this also BLOCKS any further moves on this word !
The Red letters (four vowels) are the most useful and so the questions to gain these are deliberately very difficult.
If you attempt these questions and get them wrong, you end that turn - and play moves on !
SO- Play Clever - and use the vowels already on the board; play off them - up or down, in crossword fashion.
By just using the Easiest or Quite Easy letters (& questions) your board could look like this:-
J Z G
P R O L I X I A
G P P
This would score you 24 points !
(scores are automatically totalled on screen)
Now we have a problem !
Are you going to make GAP into GAPE by answering a RED (hardest) question and then into GAPED by adding an ORANGE (difficult) question ?
OR - are you going to play TACTICALLY - (Those moves can still be used later) -
we could stay on the easier questions a little longer by attempting the following:-
TACTICALLY it would be better to go for a Y (Green) question followed by an S (Orange) and
cleverly put them into the Game like this:-
J Z G
P R O L I X I A
G P S P Y
Totalling 41 points in NINE moves
SIXTEEN moves of FREE GAME still left
When you put the word 'SPY' into the game you also make 'IS' so you score for BOTH words - whenever you put letters onto the board like this, both words MUST be legitimate
(ie found in a reputable dictionary) otherwise, the letter will be rejected & move lost.
Of course - If you feel confident enough to take on the harder questions - you could score more by using 'ROOT' words which continually build into something bigger:-
P R O L I X I A
N N T
scoring 27 points with this -
(then by adding to it !)
T T R
P R O L I X I A
N N T
scoring 66 points with this -
(then by adding to it !)
T T R
P R O L I X I A
N N T
E T E
totalling 119 points with this -
(then by adding to it)
Until eventually ALL moves are exhausted like this:-
A
S
P
S S I
T T R
P R O L I X I A
N N T
E T E
D E D
D
Up to date ASPIRATED is the highest scoring word (156 points aggregate) we've found that builds from a ROOT, one letter at a time.
(except for last two letters which have to be added together)
Building words one letter at a time is by far the best way to build a big score when playing SOLO.
Although, when playing against an opponent you also have their moves to take into account too, and sometimes the move you were about to make is 'STYMIED' by letters they have entered onto the 'Board'.
So sometimes you are forced to keep these letters in the 'Bank' and look for another outlet for them.
Tactics become important, as by guessing which letters your opponent is collecting (not shown to other players on screen) then 'BLOCKING' their move - or 'TRUMPING' them by adding to their words, you can score more than them for that move.
As I developed this game I became quite good at it:- but on two or more occasions I was beaten by an opponent who struggled with the Red & Orange questions so played lower down the colours.
She collected easy letters (particularly 'Y') and added to my high scoring words to 'TRUMP' me.
For example:
In the above grid where I show how to make IN into STINTED, she would watch this word developing and once I had TIN on the 'Board' would make it into TINY
(15 points)
Not bad for a two point input ! ! !
Another tip for competitors playing on the easier questions:-
Many of the answers can be successfully guessed by eliminating the ones that you know are definitely wrong, often leaving only the correct answer at the end.
So don't jump in & don't despair:-
READ questions carefully then slowly consider the answers !
(Don't forget there's no time limit in SOLO)
You can even take a Tea Break in the middle of a Game
As well as TRUMPING opponents moves, it may work to your advantage to BLOCK them, especially if your opponent has a lot of letters 'Banked'.
A good example of BLOCKING is where your opponent has put down the 'ROOT' word ID then in the following move makes this into RID
You know from experience that he is now going to keep adding to this building
word making:- RIDE - RIDER - STRIDER
SO you BLOCK him scoring his letters as well as the 'A' that you put on the front, to make ARID.
He is unable to add to this word - thus 'BLOCKED'.
Technique Tip
Sometimes when taking a letter from 'The Bank' to put into play the 'Board' moves instead of the letter
SOLVE this by always moving the letter slightly downwards or sideways first.
Then it will easily slot into grid.
Technique Tip
A little tip when learning the game -
Play SOLO (extensively) - because it gives more scope to experiment
(AND has no time limit !).
Technique Tip
When choosing which letter to go for - tap on it first - this will then show a flag that announces which letter you've chosen but (importantly) also which category that your question is from
(Note: ALL categories are based on the UK National Curriculum, & rotate in a set sequence).
If it is from a category that you are not very good at, you can reject this choice (by tapping the RED cross) and then go for an easier one.
Technique Tip
One of the problems that you'll experience when playing ONLINE for the first time is the TIME LIMIT (Don't worry with practice you get used to this)
This, however, is why we have games that can be tailored to individual needs.
Games would become long & tedious if each player took more than a minute to take their turn, and that is why Tournament players have a 30 second cap on their moves.
However beginners should start by playing with at least a one minute time allowance and then, game by game, bring this down to the recommended 30 secs.
More Tips will continue to be added to this page - but also check the 'BLOG' page; where other players may have added their advice too !
HIGH SCORES
If you play the free 'SOLO' game (25 moves) the top 10% of players score over 400 points !
The best score that we have seen achieved in the FREE game is 486 for 25 moves.
The best known score for the Full game of Solo (50) is 819 points
If you know of a better one please contact us either through the BLOG or by email
You can, however, be only a moderate scorer at 'SOLO' but still beat opponents at the 'CHALLENGE' Online game by playing TACTICALLY !
This often means allowing them to build a word with high scoring letters and then TRUMPING (and/or BLOCKING) them.
by adding just one easy letter to gain yourself a higher score
For Example:
They are trying for the huge scoring word ASPIRATED so play 'RAT' and score 13 points.
You add a 'B' to this & TRUMP them with 'BRAT' which scores 16 points:-
but this also BLOCKS any further moves on this word !
