Bali

About this board game

Bali is a word game for 1–4 players that combines column-based word building with aspects of a solitaire card game, and plays in about 30 minutes. Released in 1954, it challenges players to create words from cards while managing the openings that appear in their columns.

At the start, each player has seven columns. On a turn, a player may move several columns to the tail end of one existing column, forming a new word or the beginning of one. The openings created by these moves are filled with newly drawn cards, keeping the arrangement changing as play continues.

Scoring rewards both the letters used and the words completed. A word’s score is based on the total value of its consonants, multiplied by the number of cards in the word. Completed words can be retired to score, creating a balance between developing new word opportunities and securing points.

• Build words by rearranging columns.
• Fill newly created openings with drawn cards.
• Score completed words using consonant values and word length.
• Retire completed words to record their points.

The game’s defining challenge comes at the end. If you finish with all your letters belonging to complete words, you have Balied the game and your score doubles. In the Aladdin edition, that reward triples instead, giving the final arrangement an especially important role.

With its mix of word formation, card management, and solitaire-style decisions, Bali offers a compact puzzle for one player or a competitive game for up to four. Every move can reshape the available columns, making careful planning central to both scoring and the pursuit of a fully completed finish.