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Can you quickly brainstorm 12 words that start with the same letter without repeating another person’s answers? Then Scattergories is the perfect addition to your next game night. Scattergories is so much fun to play with friends and family, or even as an icebreaker activity, and we’ll walk you through how to set up and get started. Whether you’ve played before or are a brand new player, keep reading to learn everything you’ll need for your first game.
Things You Should Know
- Number of Players: 2–6 players or teams
- Materials Needed: Scattergories game, pens or pencils
- Objective: Earn the most points after 3 rounds by listing unique words for each category starting with the chosen letter.
Steps
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Gather 2 or more people to play the game. Scattergories works great for any group size as long as everyone is around 12 or older. While the game only comes with enough components for 6 people, if you have a large number of players, just split into teams to work together. [1] X Research source
- Teams of 3 or fewer are usually best so you’re not talking over each other trying to think of answers later on.
- Want to play with friends remotely? Create a room on Really.Boring.Website and invite your friends to an online game.
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Give each person an answer sheet, folder, and pencil. Slide an answer sheet under the clip inside each of the cardboard folders, and hand one to each player or team. Older editions may come with pencils but newer editions may not. Just give everybody who’s playing something to write with. [2] X Research source
- The current edition of the game comes with an hourglass or battery-powered timer, a 20-sided letter die, 6 cardboard folders, 6 copies of each of the 13 category cards, and a pad of answer sheets.
- Each answer sheet has 3 columns that each have 12 blank spaces that you’ll fill in during the game. If you don’t have any answer sheets, you can use any piece of paper! Draw 3 columns that each have 12 blank lines to fill in your answers.
- If you’re playing on Zoom, keep track of your answers in a text document. If you’re using a site to play Scattergories, check if there are any text boxes on the page to fill in your answers.
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Set the letter die and timer on a flat surface nearby. If your Scattergories game came with an extra cardboard rolling mat, set it out in the middle of the table and put the 20-sided die on top. Then, put the timer within reach so someone can easily start it at the beginning of each round. [3] X Research source
- The cardboard rolling mat is optional, but it helps protect your tabletop from the heavy die that could leave dings or dents. If you don’t have a rolling mat, roll the die on a cutting board or in a dice tray .
- If you have an electric timer and it’s your first time playing, make sure it has batteries and put them in if needed. If you don’t have a timer at all, set one on your phone or just Google “timer” to have one on your computer.
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Give each player or team a copy of the same category card. Each category card has a list of 12 random categories, such as “Things in the kitchen,” “Celebrities,” or “Outdoor activities.” Choose one set of the double-sided category cards and hand them out to each player. Make sure everyone has the same category number showing since everybody will use the same list during the first round of the game. [4] X Research source
- The game also comes with blank category cards to let you make your own custom categories. If you have ideas for categories not on any of the other cards, write them down on one of the blank cards.
- If you’re playing over Zoom, send the categories over chat so everyone can see them. If you’re playing Scattergories online, the categories will automatically appear for everyone in the browser.
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Roll the letter die to select the starting letter for the round. The 20-sided letter die shows every letter of the alphabet except for Q, U, V, X, Y, and Z. Choose any player to roll the die and announce the letter that comes up to the other players. This letter determines what each answer must start with once you start the round. [5] X Research source
- The 6 omitted letters aren’t on the letter die since it’s tough to think of a variety of words that start with them. If you and the other players want a challenge, assign each of these letters to a number on a 6-sided die and roll that instead.
- For playing virtually, have a person roll and send the letter in a group chat.
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Start the 3-minute timer. Make sure all of the players are ready to start the round. Then, if your game has an hourglass timer, flip it over so the sand starts running into the bottom. If you have an electric timer, press the button on top to start the countdown. [6] X Research source
- Want a more challenging game? Instead of using the hourglass, set a timer for 2 or 2 ½ minutes on your phone or watch so you have less time.
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Write down a word starting with the round’s letter for each category. Look through each of the 12 categories and quickly brainstorm an answer for each one that starts with the letter on the die. Try to think of unique answers so you’re less likely to write something another player put down. When you have a unique answer, fill the answers in the first column of your sheet. Once the timer runs out, stop writing even if you missed a few categories. [7] X Research source
- Example: If the category is “Boy Names” and the letter on the die is “P,” you might write down “Phil” or “Patrick” as your answer.
- The words “a,” “an,” and “the” don't count if they're the first word of your answer. If the category is “Movie,” then “The Dark Knight” would be an appropriate answer for the letter “D,” but not for the letter “T.”
- If the answer you think of is a person, their first name or last name can start with the selected letter. If you roll the letter “J” and the category is “Basketball Player,” both “Julius Irving” and “Michael Jordan” are perfect answers.
- Avoid using adjectives unless they’re part of the actual word. For example, if the category is “Vegetables” and the letter is G, “green beans” is an acceptable answer but “green lettuce” isn’t.
- You’re not allowed to use the same answer for multiple categories.
- If you are playing as part of a team, be sure to write down any answers you want to suggest instead of saying them out loud. You don't want your opponents to steal your answers!
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Gain 1 point for each answer if no other players wrote it down. Choose any player or team to start and have them read their answer for the first category. Go around to each player or team to hear their answer. If no one else has written down the same answer as you or your team, then you earn 1 point. If someone said the same thing as you, then anyone with that answer earns no points for that category. Continue reading your answers for each category to tally scores for the first round. [8] X Research source
- Example: The category is “Boy Names” and the letter is “P.” You write “Phil”, player 2 writes "Peter," and players 3 and 4 both write “Paul.” You and Player 2 both get 1 point since your answers were unique. Since Players 3 and 4 both had the same answer, neither of them get points for that category.
- Variation: Give a bonus point for each word in your answer that uses alliteration and the letter for the round. For example, if the category is “Cartoon Character” and the letter rolled was “P,” earn 2 points for the answer “Peter Parker” or “Peppa Pig.”
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Challenge other players' answers if you think they don't fit the category. Since everybody is trying to make sure that their answers are unique, they might come up with creative words or phrases that don't quite fit the category. If you disagree with an answer someone wrote, tell them you’re challenging it. Every player takes a vote and if the majority of players believe the answer doesn't fit, then the player who wrote it doesn't get points for it. If the votes are tied, then the challenged player's vote doesn't count. [9] X Research source
- Example: If the category is “Animal” and the letter is “J,” the answer “jackalope” may get challenged since it’s a fictional animal.
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Choose new categories and letters to play rounds 2 and 3. At the beginning of each round, choose a new set of category cards and hand them to each player or team. Roll the die to select a new letter for the second round, but reroll if it shows a letter you used in any previous round. Play rounds 2 and 3 the same as the first one using the second and third columns on your answer sheet. [10] X Research source
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Win the game if you earn the most points after 3 rounds. At the end of round 3, add the points from each round together to find out the grand total for you or your team. If you have the highest score, then you win the game! [11] X Research source
- If there’s a tie, play one more round with a new letter and set of categories.
Expert Q&A
Video
Tips
- For a fun variation, try Scattergories: The Card Game . Reveal a category card and letter card. The first person who names something from the category starting with the revealed letter takes either the letter or category card from the deck. Then, the round continues with the next category and letter combo. Once either of the decks runs out, whoever has the most cards wins! [12] X Research sourceThanks
- Scattergories is a very social game, especially if you play in teams. Try it out as a quick and fun icebreaker activity during a meeting or party.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/Scattergories_(2003).pdf
- ↑ https://youtu.be/qWCDn3tBtDs?t=139
- ↑ https://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/Scattergories_%282003%29.pdf
- ↑ https://youtu.be/viOPav6XNsE?t=41
- ↑ https://youtu.be/WkpX9hXp7bc?t=107
- ↑ https://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/Scattergories_%282003%29.pdf
- ↑ https://youtu.be/qWCDn3tBtDs?t=174
- ↑ https://www.open-books.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Scattergories-Lists.pdf
- ↑ https://youtu.be/WkpX9hXp7bc?t=214
About This Article
Scattergories is a fun 2-6 player game where players try to score points by listing words that start with the same letter in a specific category. To start the game, give each player a pile of category cards and a scoresheet, which has 3 columns on it—1 for each round of the game. Choose one category card to start with and have each player put that card on top of their pile face up. Then, roll the 20-sided letter die and start the 3-minute timer. Players then begin filling in their answer sheet with words that fit the chosen category and start with the letter rolled on the die. For example, if the letter on the die is “C” and the category is “Places,” players could write “Chicago,” “Congo,” “Charlotte,” and so on. The articles “a,” “an,” and “the” do not count towards the letter requirement, and multi-word answers count if the first letter in the first word matches the letter on the die. When using proper names, you are allowed to place the last name first. For example, if the category is “Historical Figures” and the letter is “W,” an answer of “Washington, George” would be acceptable. Creative answers also count. For example, if the category is “Sandwiches,” then “Knuckle” would be acceptable. Once the timer runs out, players stop writing and take turns reading their list of words. If any players disagree with another player’s answer, they can challenge it, and each player votes on whether the answer in question is acceptable or not. If the majority of players vote against it, or if the vote is a tie, the word is rejected. If any players come up with identical answers, every player that wrote that answer down crosses it off of their sheet. Once every player has read their answers, each player circles every answer that isn’t crossed out. Players get 1 point for each circled answer. Each player jots down the total number of points for the round at the top of that column. Then, the second round begins. Use the same category card, but reset the timer and roll the die to get a new letter. If you roll the same letter as the previous round, re-roll the die. The player with the most points at the end of three rounds is the winner.
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