How to play
- Draw a grid, maybe a 3×3 grid. The larger it is, the more difficult the game.
- Begin with a word in the middle, such as HOUSE (see fig 1)
- Add another word, in one of the squares directly touching HOUSE, that goes with HOUSE
You can use LIGHT or WORK (because LIGHT + HOUSE = LIGHTHOUSE and HOUSE + WORK = HOUSEWORK)
You can use WHITE or PARTY (because both WHITE HOUSE and HOUSE PARTY are well-known collocations. One is the POTUS address and one is a crushing pit of vipers and anxiety [but which is which???])
You can’t use OF CARDS (HOUSE OF CARDS is a well-known collocation, but it’s too many words)
You can’t use BLUE (because BLUE HOUSE is not a popular-enough collocation)
You can’t use S (although S does go with HOUSE to make a new word – HOUSES, ‘S’ is not itself a word)
- Say you use LIGHT (see fig 2)
- Now you can either use a word that goes with HOUSE in one of the three squares adjacent to HOUSE (to the left, to the right, or below), or you can use a word that goes with LIGHT in one of the two squares adjacent to LIGHT (to the left or to the right). Say you go with MOON (see fig 3)
- Now there are three spaces where you can use a word that goes with HOUSE, one space where you can use a word that goes with LIGHT, and one space where you can use a word that goes with MOON.
If you want to be extra smart (!) you can look for a word that goes with both MOON and HOUSE (like FULL) or you can just use a word that goes with one but not the other.
- And so on, until you fill the grid, at which point you are the winner! (see fig 4). See if you can write a story which uses all of the words in the grid 🙂
- OK! Now you’re ready to make it a little more difficult. See if you can fill in this 5×5 grid (see fig 5)
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The Sunday Octopus 