Alpha Blitz

Alpha Blitz offers two distinct experiences within a single card set. In Alpha mode, two players battle to create the longest word possible using the six letters displayed on the table. Each player starts with three cards in hand and, on each turn, covers one of the letters with a card from their hand, either before or after announcing the word. If the covering card is a blitz card (showing a lightning bolt), that pile is removed permanently, shrinking the pool of usable letters. Scoring awards one base point per word, plus one point for each letter beyond the number of letter piles, and an extra point for every J, K, Qu, X or Z used. The game ends when only two letter piles remain. Blitz mode, for 3‑6 players, is a speed‑word showdown: two cards are dealt face‑down to each player, then all are flipped simultaneously. The first player to shout a valid word earns 1 point (plus bonuses for rare letters); the second earns 2 points, provided their word is longer than the first. Each round begins with a player covering a letter from their hand, and the match concludes when a player covers both of their letter piles with blitz cards. Honored as "Best Word Game" by Games Magazine in 1999, Alpha Blitz blends hand‑management strategy, time pressure, and a love of vocabulary into quick, 30‑minute bouts.