Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Tabletop Tuesday - Scattergories

Welcome to another edition of Tabletop Tuesday - Your weekly exploration into games of dice, cards, luck and more of the Tabletop world.

This week's game...finding unique fits for alphabetical lists that is Scattergories.





Players: 2-6
Time: 15-20 minutes
Genre: Casual Family Game




Scattergories is a pretty straightforward game, but still an enjoyable play that exercises your brain and encourages creative thinking.  Each player is given the same list of 12 distinct categories in which they'll play 3 rounds using this same list.  Each round lasts 3 minutes, in which a random letter is rolled and players must write answers for each category on the list that begins with that letter.  At the end of each round, answers are compared between players and should any players duplicate answers, they receive no points for that particular answer.  In this way, players are encouraged to think outside the box and come up with unique responses other players will likely not come up with.  For example, the category may be "Types of Sandwiches", so a clever answer if the letter was "K" might be "Knuckle Sandwich".  Players can also score double points if they use alliteration.  The detriment to this creative thinking is the potential to waste time filling out the other categories, as the ticking timer always looms over each player's head.





When first playing with a new list of categories, it can sometimes be difficult to get in the mindset of the list right away.  So repeated play of the same list across 3 rounds creates an engaging experience where all players are learning and adapting with each passing round.  And with a 20-sided die, the game has a great deal of replay-ability, even if using the same lists.  If you or your group should feel so creatively inclined, you can even create your own lists for various themes of play.  I recommend this game for those who enjoy quick game sessions and have a well-versed vocabulary.

If you have any questions about Scattergories, let me know in the comments below.  Otherwise, stay tuned to future installments of Tabletop Tuesday.  And happy gaming!

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