Hardback
Spell words, build a deck of literary letters and race to become the most famous novelist.
Who it's for
You like word games with a strategic backbone and enjoy building something that improves as you play. Great for two players, and Scrabble fans who want more tactical choices will love it.
Not for you if…
You find word games stressful or you struggle to form words quickly. Players who prefer a pure luck-free logic game may not enjoy the push-your-luck ink mechanic.
Vibe's take
Brainy yet breezy, with a satisfying thrill when a long word comes together. You glance at hands, mutter letter combinations and sometimes gamble with ink for one more card.
About this game
Hardback is a word game in which you play a 19th-century novelist building a deck of letters to write your next bestseller. Each turn you spell a word from the letter cards in your hand, and the cards you use give you cash and fame points. You then buy better letters with abilities that trigger when you match genres, and you can push your luck by drawing extra cards with ink, hoping you still have a word left. Some cards stay in play until an opponent uses them. The first writer to reach 60 fame wins. It is the prequel to Paperback, more chaotic and more tactical, and it also has a cooperative mode.
Get it
Mechanics
By the numbers
Players
Duration
45–90 min
Ages 10+
Complexity
2.1 / 5 — LightBGG Rating
6.5/10
Rank #1,361
4.0k ratings
Published
2018
Language
Language essential
Designed by
Tim Fowers, Jeff Beck (II)
Published by
Fowers Games
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