The Amazing Vowel Race

Mechanics

Predictive Bid • Moving Multiple Units • Hand Management

Game Overview

Earn the most points by predicting vowel standings each round and strategically influencing vowel movement through Card Play and Power Cards. The game ends when a vowel crosses the finish line.

Components

  • 1 Race Track (50 spaces, 5 lanes: A = Orange, E = Yellow, I = Green, O = Blue, U = Purple)
  • 5 Race Tokens (A, E, I, O, U)
  • 108 Word Cards
  • 5 Vowel Movement erasable boards
  • 5 Whiteboard markers
  • 15 Prediction Tokens (3 per player)
  • 21 Power Cards (7 of each level 1, 3, and 5)
  • 75 Point Tokens (25 1-point, 20 5-point, 15 10-point, 10 25-point, 5 100-point)
  • Player Reference Guides

Setup

  1. Race Track Setup: Place the Race Track and Vowel Movement Board in the center. Place Race Tokens at Start.
  2. Deal Cards:
    • 2-3 Players: Deal 5 cards per player.
    • 4-5 Players: Deal 4 cards per player.
  3. Power Cards: Separate Power Cards by power level and shuffle. Reveal 1 Power Card per level accessible to all players.
  4. Prediction Tokens: Each player receives 3 Prediction Tokens of their color.
  5. Starting Points: Each player receives 2 5-Point Tokens (total 10 Points each)
  6. Starting Player: Player whose name comes first alphabetically.

Gameplay Overview

Each round consists of three phases: Prediction, Card Play, and Scoring.

Phase 1: Prediction

  • The first player places 1 Prediction Token on a vowel.
  • Play continues to the left (clockwise), with each player placing 1 Prediction Token on their turn.
  • Repeat this process until all Prediction Tokens have been placed.
  • Players may place their Prediction Tokens on a vowel already selected by another player, but may not place multiple Prediction Tokens on the same vowel themselves.

Phase 2: Card Play

  • Players, before playing a Word Card, may:
    • Purchase a Power Card by paying its cost (1, 3, or 5 points).
    • Resolve the Power Card effect immediately.
    • Replace used Power Card immediately with a new one from the deck.
  • Players must play one Word Card from your hand:
    • Write the word on the erasable board.
    • Move vowels according to the track numbers over the corresponding vowel.
    • Wild “Y”: Choose a vowel for “Y” and decide if it moves forward or backward by the number above “Y”.
  • Players continue taking turns until:
    • 2-3 Players: Play 3 cards each.
    • 4-5 Players: Play 2 cards each.
  • Discard any remaining cards at the end of the round.

Phase 3: Scoring

  • Determine vowel standings.
  • Resolve predictions:
    • Vowel Standing is 4th or 5th Place: 0 Points regardless of the prediction
    • Prediction Exactly Matches Vowel Standing: 3 Points.
    • Prediction is 1 Off Vowel Standing (ex: Player predicted 2nd and the vowel standing is 3rd or 1st): 2 Points.
    • Prediction is 2 Off Vowel Standing (ex: Player predicted 1st and the vowel standing is 3rd): 1 Point.
  • Apply Placement Multiplier:
    • 1st Place Vowel: x1
    • 2nd Place Vowel: x2
    • 3rd Place Vowel: x3
    • 4th Place Vowel: x4
    • 5th Place Vowel : x5
  • Multipliers will change each round based on the vowels current position.
  • Multiply the points earned for each prediction by the corresponding vowel’s Placement Multiplier.

Power Cards

  • Players may purchase one Power Card per turn.
  • Power Cards have a cost of 1, 3, or 5 points.
  • Power Card List (1-cost):
    • Drop Caps: Do not include the first letter of the word (ex: PLACE -> LACE).
    • Find / Replace: Discard a card. Draw 3 cards from the deck. Choose 1 to keep. Discard the rest.
    • Copy / Paste: Discard a card. Write the last word as written.
    • Insert: Write 1 X anywhere inside the word (i.e. not at the beginning or the end).
    • Palindrome: Write the word in reverse order.
    • Indent: Write exactly 3 Xs before writing the word.
    • Typo: Swap positions of any two letters in the word.
  • Power Card List (3-cost):
    • Auto Correct: Treat 1 vowel in the word as a Y (with all Wild Y abilities).
    • Backspace: Convert 1 or more vowel movement values to negative (i.e. go backwards).
    • Abbreviation: Remove all but 1 vowel when writing the word. Add +2 movement to the remaining vowel for each vowel removed.
    • Double-Space: Double the movement value of 1 vowel.
    • Undo: Remove the last word written before writing.
    • Footnote: Use the movement numbers BELOW the written word.
    • Strike-through: Choose 2 words to write. Write the first word. The first word is ignored for movement. Use the second written word for movement.
  • Power Card List (5-cost):
    • Center Align: Move the 1st place and last place vowel to tie with the 3rd place vowel.
    • Edit: Swap 2 of your 3 predictions.
    • Justify: Move the 4th place to tie with the last place vowel AND move the 2nd place vowel to tie with the 1st place vowel.
    • Proofread: Vowels NOT in the written word move forward or backward 5 spaces (player’s choice).
    • Footer: Move the 1st place vowel back the number of spaces between the 4th and last place vowels.
    • Header: Move the last place vowel forward the number of spaces between the 1st and 2nd place vowels.
    • Bullet List: Before a written vowel moves, all vowels behind it move half the distance (round up).

Endgame

  • The game ends when any vowel crosses the finish line.
  • Complete the current round.
  • Final scores are tallied.

Winning

  • The player with the most points wins.
  • In case of a tie, ties are broken by alphabetical order by first name, then middle name, then last name

Quick Reminders

  • Only one Power Card may be used per turn.
  • Players may use multiple Power Cards over the course of a full round.
  • Wild “Y” is flexible in vowel choice and movement direction.
  • Predictions must be made on three different vowels each round.
  • Refresh Power Cards immediately after one is used.
  • Update vowel multipliers at the end of each round.

Notes for New Players

  • Balance risk and reward by watching vowel standings and using multipliers wisely.
  • High-cost Power Cards can create major swings late in the game.
  • Early rounds often favor safer predictions; later rounds may reward bold moves!