All of Game Play Explained: Video

Written Instructions for Game Play

Click on any drop down option below for more details

How to Play

The Object of the Game

The team with the most money at the end of the game wins! You earn money by spinning the dollar value bar and getting letters correct.

Prior to playing, you as a host or community need to decide how to designate a winner. Traditionally the game is played where the winner is the team with the most money at the end of the game, but you can decide a winner based on the amount of solved puzzles, money, or both.

On a team's turn, they can select an action button: Spin, Solve, or Buy a Vowel.

How to Start a Game

On every screen within the platform at the top right, to the left of the HELP button, you will find the PLAY NOW button

At top right, click on the PLAY NOW button
Select your Organization and Community from the drop down boxes
1. The games to which your community is subscribed will appear, in color
Click on the game you wish to play, e.g., Spintopia
Select your difficulty level, then click Next at the bottom right corner
1. Your will be presented with a list of the puzzles for your game
If you like the puzzles shown, write them down along with their round number (1-6)
If you wish to swap any puzzle(s) for new ones
1. Make a note of the puzzle round/category you wish to swap out
2. Click Swap Puzzles in the bottom right corner
3. Select the Round/Category you wish to swap out and select a new Puzzle Category
4. When you are finished with your swapping, click the Back button on the top left
  1. You will be returned to the Review Puzzles screen where your new Puzzle(s) are displayed
  2. Make a note of any new puzzles
  3. Click Start Game

Choosing a Player

At the start of each round, the first player (furthest left) will have a green backlight around their name box and their name will appear above the Spinner box. That indicates it is their turn. Use the mouse or keypad to switch between players. For game play flexibility, this function is up to the host to navigate and determine whose turn is next. There is lots of flexibility here to pass to a different player, allow a player to go again, or to use only one or two of the teams pre-loaded into the game.

At the start of any Contestant's turn, make sure to select their team before clicking any action buttons. Their name and player score box will light up, and their team name will appear in the box above the Spinner Box.

You do not need to use all 4 teams in every game, but they are pre-loaded for you so that you can. If you choose to play on one, two, or three teams, you can ignore all other teams on the board, as the game does not force you to use them.

Example With Customized Team Names

Jill is the 1st player here. Her name is lit up and is also shown above the Spinner Box. You can select the turns in any order you want. It is up the the Host to determine and select to the next Contestant

Press the #1 key to activate the leftmost team.

Press the #2 key to activate the second team.

Press the #3 key to activate the third team

Press the #4 key to activate the fourth team.

The Action Buttons

On a player's turn, there are three possible actions they can take: Spin, Solve, or Buy a Vowel. Make sure the correct team is selected before clicking any action buttons.

SPIN

Click this button to Spin the bar with the dollar values and then select a Consonant from the letter bar.

Selecting a letter

When a Contestant calls out their letter guess, you can press the letter on your keyboard or click it with your mouse. If they are in the puzzle, you will see a white numerical que in place of the letter in the alphabet bar indicating the occurrences that will automatically be filled in the puzzle.

If the letter is not in the puzzle, you will see a zero in place of the letter before the letter disappears. When that player's turn is over, the Host may select the next player (using mouse or keystroke). This will not happen automatically.

If the letter selection was correct, they will be awarded the dollar amount on the spinner bar for every instance of that letter in the puzzle.

SOLVE

Click this button when a team is ready to solve.

How to Utilize this Button:

During a player’s turn, they may choose to solve the puzzle. Using the mouse, click on the Solve button. Allow the Contestant to speak their guess to Solve. We find that it is helpful for the Host to repeat their answer to verify you heard it correctly. If the answer is correct, Click "Correct" or press SHIFT + Y. That will reveal any hidden letters that remain in the puzzle, confetti will fall and their team will be highlighted on a congratulations screen. If the Player guess is incorrect, click "Wrong" or press SHIFT + N. Play continues with the next player.

BUY A VOWEL

Click this button if a team has $250 or more and would like to Buy a Vowel. This button will not appear on the screen until they have enough money to use it.

How to Utilize this Button:

Once you click on the "Buy Vowel" option, all consonants will temporarily disappear to give focus to the available vowels to choose from. If the Contestant chooses a correct vowel, this will subtract a flat $250, regardless of how many occurrences there are for that vowel from the player’s total. You may select the vowel just like you select consonants, by hitting the letter key on the keyboard or by using the mouse and clicking the letter. If the vowel is NOT in the puzzle, no money will be subtracted from the player's bank and you can choose to go to the next Contestant.

The Timer

There is a game time available as a tool for hosts if you'd like to have a speed round, or would like a team to choose letters a little faster. The timer does not beep, buzz, or stop the team from selecting a letter after the time runs out. This timer is just a visual aid if you'd like to use it.

It is only accessible if you have a keyboard attached to the device you are using to play Spintopia

Click "Shift + T" to activate the Timer on the Screen

Special Spaces

Skip Turn: Skips the teams turn and moves on to the next player
Lose it All: Team loses all of their money for that round and it skips to the next player
Free: Team can choose a vowel for free, select a consonant, or solve the puzzle. Whether they get their letter selection or guess right or wrong, they will spin again as normal.

High Scores

At the end of each round, there is a "High Scores" button on the "congratulations" screen. When you click "High Scores" it will show you cumulatively how much each team has earned in every round up until that point. Alternatively, you can push "Shift" + "S" on a laptop at any point in the game to see the scores.