How to Configure a Custom Game

Who this is for: Anyone who wants to go beyond the default 15×15 setup and customize the game to their preferences.

Derek, a competitive player, wants a 19×19 large board with 9 tiles, symmetric bonus squares, a 2-minute turn timer, disconnected words enabled, and the Hard AI opponent.

Steps

1. Tap "New Game" on the Play tab.
2. Expand the configuration panel on the game setup screen.
3. Adjust board size. Slide the board size slider. Valid sizes are 7×7 to 21×21 (odd numbers only). Default is 15×15.
4. Adjust tiles per player. Change the tile count selector to your preferred value (5–10). Default is 7.
5. Choose bonus square layout. Select from Standard (traditional placement), Random (shuffled each game), Symmetric, or None.
6. Set a turn timer. Toggle the turn timer on and select a duration (1 min, 2 min, or 5 min). Default is Off.
7. Set a move timer (optional). A per-move countdown that penalizes 1 point for every 5 seconds of delay.
8. Toggle special mechanics:
   • Disconnected Words — allows words to be placed anywhere on the board, not just connected to existing tiles
   • Assist Scoring — players earn points when opponents extend their words
   • Letter Trading — players can trade tile sets with each other
9. Set AI think-time limit (optional). A slider that caps how long AI opponents compute their move.
10. Select your AI difficulty (Easy, Medium, or Hard — availability depends on your tier).
11. Tap "Start Game." The large board renders, zoomed out to show the full grid. Pinch to zoom into your play area.

Expected Outcome

All configuration options are applied to the game. A 19×19 board renders correctly with appropriate tile scaling. The configuration is ready to be saved as a preset.

Tips

• Tap "Save Preset" after configuring to save these settings under a name like "Big Board Challenge" for quick reuse later.
• Large boards (19×21) work best on tablets or in landscape mode on phones.