How to Play Royalty (Card Game)

Last Updated: October 13, 2022

Are you in the mood to play an interesting card game that compiles words from a dictionary? As long as you have the Royalty cards, you can play this game. Read this article to find out how to play it.

Steps

1
Form a group of players. Royalty is a game that at least two players must play.
2
Determine the first person to "make the first move". Deal out at least one card to each player. There are several quantities of cards that each have a determined "alphabetical letter" on them.
- Pick the first letter or the last letter of the English alphabet and see who comes closest to it. Although the Royalty instruction booklet says to come as close to Z as possible, it can also work coming as close to A either.
Advertisement
3
Place the Royalty card that had been drawn, back into the deck of Royalty cards.

Image titled Play the Royalty Card Game Step 4

4

Deal out seven cards to the players at the table. There are two packs - each pack holding 53 cards. These colors include red and black, and only in large groups of three or more players should both packs be played together. The remainder of the pack must be placed at the center of the playing surface so all players can reach it.

Total Cards
Card letter	Total cards
A	5
B	1
C	1
D	2
E	6
F	1
G	2
H	1
I	4
J	1
K	1
L	2
M	1
N	3
O	4
P	1
Q	1
R	3
S	1
T	3
U	2
V	1
W	1
X	1
Y	2
Z	1

5
Form words, consisting of at least three letters in front of you. This game, in this respect, is much like 500 Rummy, but with lettered cards instead of numbered cards. Lay these cards - vertically - out in front of you, but this melded word will work it's way around the table, but you will receive points for the melded word.
- Words can only be made with the words in a standard dictionary. Exceptions include capitalization, abbreviations, contractions, hyphenations, foreign and derogatory words.
6
Replace each card you played, with the same amount of cards in your hand, so that you are holding seven cards at all times (or until the deck runs completely out of cards).
7
Recognize the two situations the next player may make. Players can build new words of at least three or more letters in their hand - called a meld - or they may "capture" the word, adding letters onto another players letters, or rearranging the letters to form a different word. But you should avoid plurals, prefixes, suffixes, as these aren't permitted.^{[1]
X
Research source
Royalty instruction booklet, (c)1978}
- When capturing, only significant word change additions can be laid out in front of the player. "Bear" can't become bears, but "bear" can become "beard" (assuming the player has these cards in their hand).
- Don't try rearranging the letters in the other word to form a new word.
- Players call out their scores, as the word makes it's way around the table, and even if you weren't the one who began the word, the capturing player will receive points for every letter in the word.^{[2]
  X
  Research source
  Royalty instruction booklet, (c)1978}
- Players may only meld or capture or both one word during their turn.
- Avoid capturing your own word. It isn't permitted. Instead, form uncaptured words by placing them face-down into a discard pile, and score these words upon one point per card from this pile.
8
Utilize a pass or trade cards. Players who trade cards must hand back in all 7 cards from their hand into the pack, and the pack must be reshuffled. Trading plays make up for one turn, and constitute a Royalty pass.
9
Challenge a word. Words - much like in Scrabble - can be challenged. If the word is an incorrect word, the opponent forfeits his turn and the cards are returned to the original way they were shown. If the word is a correct word - the person challenging the word automatic forfeits their turn in play.
10
Repeat these steps until all cards in the deck have been exhumed along with all remaining players finishing the layout of all their given card selections.
- If the pack exhausts, continue playing until players reach the end of the cards in their hand, or until players all must pass. Captures continue to be one or more letters, but melds must be three or more letters and the players who pass remain a passed hand.

11

Score up the cards' values of those played. Although scores for each card are printed just below the letter on the card, a copy of this is mentioned in the chart below. Add all card scores together. But, deduct scores for the cards remaining in your hand and subtract out points from cards remaining in the discard pile - if all players pass,

Card letter	Card score
A	2
B	6
C	6
D	4
E	2
F	6
G	4
H	6
I	2
J	10
K	8
L	2
M	6
N	2
O	2
P	6
Q	12
R	2
S	2
T	2
U	4
V	8
W	8
X	10
Y	4
Z	12
Knave (wild)	0

12
Determine the winner. The player with the most points, along with the player with the most "bonus" points from special moves is declared the winner.
- The points scored for each card played are marked on the card.
- Melds of letters in one color and at least four letters will double the card's value.
- The first player to meld a word of at least three letters doubles the value. However, if the word is in one color and is at least five letters, you can quadruple the value.^{[3]
  X
  Research source
  Royalty instruction booklet, (c)1978}
- Captures that keep the colors the same will double their value.
- If any of the players were able to form the word "ROYALTY" out of the cards, double this player's final score. Many players have traditionally stood in tribute to the player who forms this word.
- Cards played that were the result of captures can be scored at double the point values of these particular cards.

Community Q&A

Question

How many cards are in royalty deck?

Community Answer

52. The holy of holy numbers for a deck of cards. It doesn't matter which game you are playing, if there are cards, it is always 52.

Warnings

A pack of Royalty cards can only be found (to be bought on the Internet) either via Amazon or eBay. Unless you shop in antique stores offline, they can't be bought in any offline store.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0