Scattergories is a fantastic word game you can play with your friends and family. It emphasizes creative thinking and tests your vocabulary and trivial skills.
Released by Milton Bradley in 1988, Scattergories is a party game that was enjoyed much during the late ‘80s to ‘90s, but it still remains interesting today. Who doesn’t like being challenged by a category game with a time limit element? But if you don’t have the board game, the good news is you can play it online. Playing Scattegories online instead of in-person means you can play with people no matter where they are, as long as they have an internet connection. Check out how you can play Scattergories online and how to play the game.
How to Play Scattergories
Basically, the point of Scattergories is to come up with unique answers. The game presents a list of categories and a random letter. Each player then must come up with individual responses that start with that letter and fit into each category. The board game is best played with two to six players, but the beauty of online versions is that you can play along with a random player or play with friends.
The scoring basis depends on the app or site you use. When everyone finishes the game (or when time is up), your individual scores are tallied, and the player who has the highest score wins. For every valid answer, you earn points. If you have an answer that matches one of your opponents, it will be crossed out, and no points will be given to that particular answer.
How to Play Scattegories Online
Playing online takes some of the work from managing a game of Scattergories. Depending on the site or app you use, the platform can keep track of time limits, automatically score each round, provide game rooms to play with strangers or friends, and even offer a chat box to talk to other players.
If you want to play this game online, here are your apps and site options:
1. Scattergories
Scattergories has an official mobile app made by Magmic Inc. with the Hasbro trademark since Hasbro is the current owner and publisher of the game. This game offers two different options: Duel and Challenge Friends. In Duel, you can play with a randomly chosen opponent, while Challenge Friends allows you to play a head-to-head challenge with a random opponent or a friend.
This app is available for Android and iOS devices.
2. Scattergories Blintz
This version of Scattegories doesn’t have an initial letter requirement. Instead, what you need to do is to name as many things in a category as possible. It’s a fun race before time as you try to type in everything you know before time runs out. You can either play with a friend or with a random opponent.
3. ScattergoriesOnline.net
This website lets you play Scattegories in over a dozen languages for free. This is a great way to play if English is not your first language or if you simply want to improve your foreign language vocabulary.
In this game, you can choose the categories you want to play in before starting and the number of rounds and players. You’ll either be matched with another player from across the globe, or you can choose to add a robot as a co-player. You can also play with a friend by sending them the game link.
This website is easy to use, and it doesn’t have a lot of pop-up ads. All you need to do is click the new game and choose how many players and how many rounds you’d like to join. You can play up to 10 rounds at a time. You can only play up to six rounds without logging in to the site, but you will need to log in if you want to play for 7-10 rounds. To log in, you will need either your Facebook or Google account, and the site will connect you to it in one click.
Once you’ve played the first round, you will see the list of other players’ entries. It’s not the slickest-looking website, but it does the job.
4. Swellgarfo.com/Scattergories
This sleek, clean and minimalistic website is an excellent Scattergories game for Zoom or any online meeting platform of your choice. This is an ad-free site, so it works so well when you share your screen. The person who shares the screen sets the time, rolls a random starting letter, and chooses how many categories the players can play. When he or she clicks play, then the game is all set. Have everyone come with pen and paper ready so they can list their answers, and when the time is up, everyone shares their answers. If two or more players use the same answer for a certain category, then no one gets the point for that item.
5. ESLKidsGames.com
This site is particularly designed for kids learning English as a second language, but it’s also great for anyone who wants to play Scattergories with other people. Like Swellgarfo, you can use it in a Zoom call where you can share your screen and make the players prepare pen and paper (or their device’s notepad). Once you click the “Choose a Letter,” the site randomizes the alphabet to choose a letter, then you need to start the timer to begin the game. When time is up, everyone must share their answer and keep the scores as usual.
6. Really.Boring.Website
The really.boring.website allows you to join or create a public or private room to play Scattergories online. This free site, much like the user interface of Swellgarfo, is minimalistic and easy to navigate. It also has a free chatbox and a rulebook so everyone can agree on the rules. The rooms can accommodate up to 24 players.
7. StopotS.com
Play Scattegories with this vibrant and interactive website, which is also available as an Android or iOS app. All apps are free, but they come with ads. You can either play anonymously or log in using Facebook, Twitter, or Google. You can either create a room, join a room, or match with other players and play instantly. The site also has an in-game chat, so you can easily communicate with other players.