The Aim

Qubist is played across 6 faces. On each face, you and your opponent activate lines and fight for ownership of nine letter tiles. Your activated-letter scores carry from face to face.

After Face 6, the value of every tile you still own is added to your score. Highest combined total wins the Qube. Winning the most individual faces does not necessarily win the match.

1. The Grid & Word Rules

Each face is a 3 × 3 grid with 8 playable lines: 3 rows, 3 columns and 2 diagonals.

To activate an unfinished line, play an accepted word containing its three letters in the same order. Extra letters can appear anywhere, including between the grid letters.

LEMON activates the top row. The extra E and O do not score. Only the three grid tiles score: L₂ + M₃ + N₁ = 6 points.

Every line can also be read backwards. For example, TRANSFORM contains T → S → R, activating the bottom row in reverse.

A word must be accepted by the Qubist dictionary and activate at least one unfinished line. Ordinary English words, common inflections and UK/US spellings are intended to be accepted; names, abbreviations and obscure word-game vocabulary are not the aim. The dictionary is still being refined.

2. Either Direction Counts

Each line can be activated in either direction, but only once. For example, the bottom row R–S–T can be read R → S → T or T → S → R.

Both words contain the same line in opposite directions. Once one has activated it, the other cannot score that line again.

3. One Word, Several Lines

A single word can activate more than one unfinished line. On a fresh board, FLORIST contains L → O → R down the left column and R → S → T across the bottom row.

The unique tiles are L, O, R, S and T: L₂ + O₁ + R₁ + S₁ + T₁, so the two-line move scores 6 points. The shared R is counted only once.

Multi-line moves can be powerful, but completing several lines also removes future routes through the board.

4. Scoring

Rarer, harder-to-use letters are worth more. A move scores the unique grid tiles it activates, not every letter in the word.

LEMON scores 6 on the top row. FLORIST also scores 6, across two lines, because each of its five unique tiles counts once. Points already earned are never taken away.

5. Claiming & Stealing Tiles

Scoring a tile also makes it yours. Player 1 is blue and Player 2 is red. The last player to touch a tile owns it.

Suppose Player 1 opens with FLORIST, claiming the left column and bottom row for 6 points.

Player 2 then plays WRAPPING, which contains R → P → N along the unfinished diagonal.

WRAPPING scores R₁ + P₄ + N₁ = 6 points and steals R. Player 1 keeps the original 6 points; only ownership changes.

Another example is OPAQUE, which activates O–P–Q for 17 points. If the right column remains unfinished, INQUEST can later activate N–Q–T for 14 points and steal the valuable Q.

These are alternative examples on the same board, not one continuous sequence of moves.

6. Crossings & Locked Tiles

Corners belong to 3 lines, edge-centres to 2, and the centre belongs to 4.

A tile remains vulnerable while an unfinished line passes through it. Once every line through that tile is complete, its ownership is locked for the rest of that face.

Grey rods show the lines still open. When a line is completed, its rod turns the player's colour and then fades away. Any tile still touched by a grey rod can be stolen; a tile with no grey rods left is locked.

For example, Q belongs to the middle row and right column. If OPAQUE claims the middle row, Q can still be stolen through the right column. Once both routes are complete, Q is locked.

7. High-Value Letters

Letter values matter twice: first when a move scores them, and potentially again if you still own them at the end of the match.

OPAQUE scores 17, but it may expose Q to a 14-point INQUEST. Stealing and locking high-value letters such as J, Q, X and Z can be more valuable than taking a bigger-looking move elsewhere.

8. Taking Turns

Players alternate words. In a 1 Player game, you always start Face 1. In a 2 Player game, Face 1 starts randomly.

From Face 2 onward, the player behind on the cumulative activated-letter score starts the next face. The Colour Bonus is not included. If those scores are tied, the opening advantage switches to the player who did not start the previous face.

9. The Clock

Unlimited is the default. There is no countdown or timeout; play continues until all lines are completed or both players pass.

In Settings, you can choose the optional 2-minute chess clock. Each player receives 2 minutes on every face, only the active player's clock runs, and both clocks reset for the next face.

If a player's time expires, they can no longer make a move on that face. The opponent may continue while they still have time. The face ends when all lines are complete or neither player can continue.

10. Passing

If you cannot find a move, tap PASS, then tap it again to confirm. One pass does not end the face. Two consecutive passes end it.

Hints (games against the Computer). Tap 💡 in the word box. It shows the first and last letters of a high-scoring word with the line's three letters between them, for example EXPVE for EXPENSIVE. Tap again for more letters until the word is complete, then ENTER plays it, or type your own word at any point. You have 3 hints per match; one hint covers every tap for that word.

A face also ends immediately when all 8 lines have been activated.

11. Six Faces & Progress

A complete game contains 6 different grids. Your activated-letter score never resets between them.

The six face counters show your progress. A completed face is blue if Player 1 leads on that face's word score, red if Player 2 leads, or half-blue/half-red if tied. The current face has a strong outline.

During the final ownership count, each face's colour is updated to reflect its word score plus ownership bonus. These colours are visual indicators; they do not add points or change the match-winning rule.

Reviewing a Finished Match

Once the match has completely ended, select any of the six face counters to revisit that face. The cube turns to its final ownership state and the review panel shows each player's word score, ownership bonus, final face total and the words played, in order, with their scores and line counts.

The selected face keeps its winner colour and gains a strong outline. Review mode is read-only: it does not change the result, restart clocks or allow new moves.