Description

Agony is a solo word game. The game components consist of tiny wooden (cherry-wood stain) blocks with embossed gold foil lettering, which fit perfectly in a maroon, plastic case that is the depth of only one block and opens so that only one face of each of the blocks can be seen at a time. There are 42 blocks in the set; each block has five letters on each block face with the sixth side blank. (According to the description on the instructions, the distributions of letters are proportional based on common usage.) The object of the game is to arrange the blocks within the case to spell interlocking words (horizontally and vertically). The perfect game would show 13 words (seven words across, six words down) without using blanks. The number of blanks that are showing when the player is finished determines the score; each blank is worth one point. Players attempt to score the lowest number possible.

There are two different sets of rules; one set is on a small slip of paper that can be removed from the case, while the other set of rules is glued to the inside, top lid. Each set of rules has a different method of scoring, and a different set of game parameters, including different allowable word types and different descriptions of how the game is to be scored. In one version, no prefixes, suffixes, or abbreviations can be used.

Though this is similar to a solvable word puzzle, the distribution of letters (and specifically the rules included with the game) suggests that there are multiple ways to get a perfect score and, therefore, multiple ways to win.