Category Game Generator: Roll a Letter, Get 12 Categories: how it works
This category game generator rolls a letter, deals a list of 12 categories and runs the timer while everyone writes one answer per category that starts with that letter. All 516 categories are original and printed below by topic. It works for Scattergories-style games at the table or on a video call, and it prints an answer sheet with the list on it for each player.
Play a round in five steps
Give every player a pen and paper, or press Print answer sheet. Press New list and read the 12 categories aloud. Press New letter; the two buttons work alone, so a bad letter never costs you a good list, and New round changes both. Press Start timer. Three minutes is the traditional upper limit and two minutes suits a fast group. Everyone writes one answer per category, each beginning with the letter. Three rounds make a game.
Score it and settle the arguments
Go down the list and read the answers aloud. An answer nobody else wrote scores one point; when two or more players wrote the same thing, they all cross it out. An answer may run to several words as long as the first word starts with the letter. If someone doubts an answer, the whole table votes, and on a tie the vote of the player who wrote it is set aside. One variation rewards names with a point for each word that starts with the letter, so Peter Pan is worth two under P.
Tune the letters and the list
The tool is a letter roller and a category list generator in one. Open Letters in play to switch any letter off or on; your choice is kept in this browser, and no letter comes back until every letter in play has had a turn. Lists mix easy categories such as A fruit with narrow ones, and a few ask for an invented answer, such as A made-up name for a planet, which the table judges by vote. If a list does not suit the room, press New list before you roll. All 516 categories are printed below in 12 groups.
Tips
- Read the 12 categories before you roll. Nobody can start writing early, and the letter lands as a surprise.
- Rare answers win. Under B, half the table writes banana for A fruit; blackcurrant scores.
- With players under ten, pair each child with an adult, let the pair whisper, and deal a new list if the first one looks hard.
- Before an invented-answer category, agree how it is judged. A laugh from the table is a fair yes vote.
- Print one answer sheet per player before the party. It has the list down the side and three answer columns, so one page lasts three letters.
Questions and answers
How many players do you need?
Two is enough. The boxed versions of the game are sold for two to six players, but with pen and paper there is no real upper limit. Above eight players, duplicate answers become so common that scores stay low, so play in pairs: partners whisper, share one sheet and score as one.
Is this the same as playing Scattergories online?
No. This is an independent tool with its own 516 categories. It is not the official game or app and it is not affiliated with the makers. It follows the same idea as the boxed game: a letter, 12 categories and a timer. It also starts with the same 20 letters as the 20-sided die in the box.
Why are some letters missing?
The roller starts with 20 letters: A to P, then R, S, T and W. Q, U, V, X, Y and Z are left out because too few categories have fair answers for them. If your group wants the challenge anyway, open Letters in play and switch them on one at a time, or press Play all 26.
What counts as a valid answer?
The first word must start with the letter. After that, it is whatever the table accepts. Many groups ignore A, An and The at the start of a title, so The Hobbit counts under H, but that is a house rule, so agree on it before the first round. An adjective added only to fit the letter, such as Big dog under B, is usually voted down.
Can we play a categories game online with friends in other places?
Yes. Start a video call, press Share round and send the link, which opens with the same letter and the same 12 categories you see. Count down together and let the host keep time. Everyone keeps their own sheet, and nothing anyone writes is typed into the page.