Kiitos

About this board game

Kiitos is a fast-tempo, card-based word game for 2–4 players, with games lasting around 60 minutes. Players build target words letter by letter while judging what their opponents may or may not be able to play.

Each turn begins with a player playing one letter and announcing a target word. The next players must continue building that word if they can, or change the target word dynamically when it cannot be continued. A completed word can earn positive points, while trapping an opponent may force them to pick up an unfinished word for negative points.

The game alternates between two modes. Kiitos builds words from left to right, while Super-Kiitos allows letters to be added at either end. The changing rules create situations where the target word may shift five or more times during a single hand.

• Word-building: Play letters to develop a changing target word.
• Deduction and bluffing: Test what opponents know, hold, or might be able to play.
• Challenges: Dubious words can be challenged, but fake words are acceptable if they pass unchallenged.
• Flexible strategy: Lateral thinking and clever tactics can turn an awkward word into an advantage.

If an opponent finishes your word for you, say “Kiitos”—the Finnish word for “thank-you.” The experience has the feel of a trick-taking game, combined with deduction, bluffing, and plenty of uncertainty. Luck can make or break a strategy, while the dictionary itself becomes part of the challenge.

With its shifting word targets and evolving play modes, Kiitos rewards players who can think creatively, read the table, and spot opportunities to leave an opponent without a move.