In it's striking bright red box (25.7cm long x 37.1cm wide x 3.3cm high), this crossword game was donated to the Museum in 1978 by the producer Selchow & Righter Co. - the makers of "Scrabble". RSVP is a Scrabble-like game for two players. Unlike Scrabble itself, RSVP is what Selchow & Righter Co. called a "Three Dimensional Crossword Game", in that the game board is quite different from the traditional flat game board that rests on a table.
As can be seen from the photograph (on the left) of the bottom of the box (25.5cm long x 37cm wide x 3.3cm high), the RSVP black plastic game board stands upright on two supports. A photograph in the box illustrates this principle. The black plastic board is a matrix 21.2cm square x 1.5cm high and divided into 121 squares.
The playing pieces are 75 natural wood cubes with an alphabetical letter printed in red on opposite sides (bottom of inner box). Different letters are printed on each side of the cube. As can be seen in the photograph, a player can place one letter cube in each square of the vertical game board.
Instructions for playing the game are printed on the inner side of the box top. A score pad is included as part of the game equipment. Players can only see their side of the game board, and play by alternately placing letter cubes in the matrix with the intent of trying to spell out a word before the other player can do this.
Last update May 31, 2010