Word Weave - Competitive Crossword Game with Style

A living room game you will actually want on display.

At Ozarkexpeditions, we set out to create a word game that looks great on a shelf, feels nice on the table, and plays fast. Word Weave is a clean, modern dice game you can leave out as decor, then grab and play at any moment. The weave-pattern tower and cup give it that gallery piece vibe, while the custom 15-die letter set brings the word-building fun in a classic crossword style game.

Gameplay and Rules

Player count
Best for two players, but you can play solo or create a crowd. 

Objective
Roll your dice, weave your letters into connected words, and score more points than your opponents by the end of the session.

Setup

• Each player takes 15 letter dice and a score sheet.
• Place the 1-minute digital timer within view.
• Agree on number of rounds or the total number of points to win. For example, who has the most points at the end of 4 rounds.

Play a round

1. Roll your 15 dice.
2. Start the timer on your phone or with a sand timer.
3. Build words from the dice in a crossword-style layout, horizontal or vertical, no diagonals. All words must connect into one group. Proper nouns are optional by table rule.
4. Scoring
   • Length scoring for speed
     • 3 letters = 1 point
     • 4 letters = 2 points
     • 5 letters = 4 points
     • 6 letters = 7 points
     • 7 or more letters = 11 points
   • Unused dice = minus 1 each
5. Record your score. Highest total after the final round wins.

Ties
Tie goes to the player with the longest single word. Still tied, most dice used in the final round.

Gameplay Variants

Pick one or two to match your group.

• Word Sprint: Instead of crossword-style, just list as many valid words as possible in 1 minute using your rolled dice. No need to connect them. Score using the same length system, still subtracting 1 point for each unused die. Great for a quicker, lighter game.
• Shared Pool: Print two sets of the game and roll 30 dice to the center for 2 to 3 players, draft in real time. Touch it, you take it. Build simultaneously.
• Tetris Grid: Fill a fixed 5x5 grid. Words must read across or down. Each valid line scores its length squared. Empty squares are minus 1.
• Category Challenge: Create 3 public categories, for example Animals, Tools, Geography. Any word that fits a category is +5. First to hit a category this game also gains a one-time reroll of up to 3 dice.

Printing and Assembly

Profiles included

• Primary, the 15 custom letter dice tuned for solid word-building.
• Dice Tower, tall box design with weave panels. The cover hides the game on the shelf, then becomes a dice tower top when you open it. Also stores all dice after play.
• Dice Cup with the same weave pattern, plus a fitted lid. The cup easily shakes all 15 dice and is a quicker print. Pick the look that fits your space.

Colors

• Using a dual-nozzle printer, we recommend two colors only for a crisp, modern look.
• Single nozzle, go one solid color for clean lines that matches your decor.

Assembly

• All dice print on a single build plate and must use two colors of filaments.
• Tower and cup are press-fit parts, no glue required in normal conditions.
• Supports are only needed for the open at the base of the tower and for the press-fit spacers on the cup lid.
• For the dice tower, if you'd like for the lid to use magnets, you'll need (8) 5x2mm round magnets, these are design to be press fit by using the back of a screwdriver handle or scrap piece of PLA to push them in, no need to use glue.  

Score Keeping

For this model we suggest you use one of the many excellent two-player 0 to 100 scoring tools already on MakerWorld. There are so many good options that it makes sense to grab your favorite dial or slider and pair it with Word Weave. Credit the original designers when you post your makes. We love this counter by @zajebex https://makerworld.com/en/models/1335264-4-digit-counter

Make It Yours

Print the tower in a matte black shell with a white or wood-tone weave, or flip it for a bright accent. Feel free to create new house rules, for example allow theme rounds, or lock out plurals to increase difficulty. If you come up with some really great versions of the game, please comment your house rules below. 

Feedback Welcome

We love seeing table photos, shelf shots, color combos, and your best word clusters. Post your builds, share how it plays with your group, and tell us which variant you liked most. Your notes help us decide future add-ons and expansions. As always, click the like button, share this model with your friends, write a friendly comment down below, and share a boost to see more fun games!