Booksmack header

Be the first to tap the highest letter of the alphabet … or sneakily take away victory by spelling a word.

Ages: everyone | Difficulty: Kids can play | Playtime: 20 minutes

Download

What do I need?

Three simple steps.

  • Read the short playful rules.
  • Click Download > Files > "1 - Base Set.pdf"
  • Print, cut, play!

Want more? You can also generate your own material right on this website! Or pick one of the other PDFs available in the Download section.

The base game has only two rules and no text on cards. It’s ideal for little kids learning the alphabet (and language in general). Adding the expansion(s) makes it a more tactical game for all ages.

Material

Pick your desired settings and press the button! (A new page will open.) When in doubt, just use the defaults for your first game(s).

Turns the material mostly grayscale. Don't compress PDF. (Slightly higher resolution, but huge file size.)

Sets

(Click to fold.)

Not working? Or unsure what to do? The "Download" button above has PDFs I already made for you! Pick any one of those.

Credits

The fonts used are Abril Fatface (headings) and Andika (body text). Everything else is mine.

I’m not sure how this idea came to me, but I’m glad it did. I guess I was just brainstorming possible entries into the SwiftSmash Saga (games about quickly “smashing” or “tapping” the right card), and then it suddenly occured to me that the alphabet has an implicit order.

An order that everyone knows: the “a” comes before the “b”, which comes before the “c”, and so forth.

If players simply hold cards with a letter … I get a good game (seemingly for free) from just one rule: “Smash the letter that comes latest in the alphabet”

Well, I made that game, added a few more fun tweaks or special actions, and it was indeed as good and simple as I hoped. I think Booksmack is perhaps the most elegant design I ever made. The amount of fun gameplay you get in return for just two rules is astonishing. That’s also why I placed this game as the “first” (or “easiest”) entry into the SwiftSmash Saga.