A day off from school seemed like a good opportunity to sit down with my boys and finally learn the game I’ve heard so much about: Qwirkle.
We opened the box and I looked at colorful tiles featuring different shapes. I knew the gist of the game: laying out matching tiles in a Scrabble-like grid. My ideas about “matching,” however, turned out to be a bit confused.
“Oh, these can go together–they both have points!” I said.
“Nope.” my boys said.
Turns out the matching is very straightforward, and lines, or “Qwirkles” must have all the same shape and one of each color, or all the same color and one of each shape. Which isn’t to say the game is boring or easy–this simplicity adds to the challenge while not overwhelming with a book of rules to remember.
Constant adjustments to tile alignment and those two times we scurried to remember the layout after accidental bumping aside, I found it quite fun!
But after we finished our game (soundly defeated by the 6-year-old) I was eager to show my boys my next-level matching ideas. They found it quite exciting to think about and soon expanded their new insights to items beyond Qwirkle tiles. One of my favorites from my six-year-old: “The sink and the potty! They both hold water.”
I thought this might amuse other kids or be fun as a classroom activity, so below are a few “puzzles” of pairs of Qwirkle tiles that have at least one thing in common. Answers follow the pictures. Enjoy!
The Same Game
What is the same about the tiles in each pair?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Answer Key
These are some of the similarities you’ll find. There may be even more.
- Both are arrays of four
Both are primary colors - Both have points
They are complementary colors - Both are star shapes
Both are primary colors - Both colors contain red
- Both colors contain yellow
Both have points - Both have four sides
Both colors contain red - Both colors contain blue
I hope you and your kids enjoy this thinking activity whether with Qwirkle tiles or something else entirely. It made me smile to see my boys having fun finding hidden similarities and discovering new ways to think on the day we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Let’s all remember to look for what we have in common, even if it’s not immediately obvious.
We love Qwirkle because you can play with young children and/or adults. My adult friends really get into some strategy that isn’t at first apparent to beginners, like playing at corners and scoring both directions, or playing inside squares or across two ends to maximize the points. And then there’s these to try out.
Qwirkle Cards
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/171489/qwirkle-cards
Qwirkle Cubes.
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/39813/qwirkle-cubes
Thanks for the ideas!