How to Play Scattergories

Scattergories is a fast, social word game: get a random letter, then fill a list of categories with answers that start with that letter before the clock runs out. The twist — answers nobody else thinks of score the most. Here are the full rules.

The rules, step by step

1. Get a letter and categories. Pick (or randomly roll) one letter, and use a list of categories like "a fruit", "a country", "a movie". Need a list? Use our Scattergories generator.
2. Start the timer. Set a timer — 60 seconds is standard. Everyone plays the same letter and categories at once.
3. Fill in answers. Write an answer starting with the chosen letter for every category before time's up.
4. Score the round. You score a point for each valid answer no one else wrote. Matching answers score nothing — so being original is everything.
5. Play more rounds and total up. Play several rounds with new letters. Highest total score wins.

Scoring example

Say the letter is S and one category is "a fruit":

That's the whole strategy: a valid answer beats a blank, but a clever, unique answer beats a common one.

How scoring works in detail

An answer scores if it (1) starts with the round's letter and (2) fits the category. If more than one player gives the same answer, it's shared and scores less (or nothing). Blank, misspelled, or off-topic answers score nothing. In the online version all of this is scored automatically, so there are no arguments about who wrote what.

Popular variations

• Themed rounds — swap the generic categories for a pack like Movies, Food, Gaming or Cyber Security.
• Shorter timer — 30 seconds for a frantic version.
• More rounds — first to a target score, or a fixed number of rounds.
• Solo practice — warm up on your own in single-player mode.

Tips to win

• Think uncommon. Shared answers score less — skip "Apple", reach for something nobody else will write.
• Bank the easy ones first, then spend the clock on the hard categories.
• Use proper nouns — names, places, brands and titles are fair game and often unique.
• Always submit something — a decent answer in time beats a perfect one you never finished.

Scattergories rules FAQ