Scattergories Categories: 40 Ideas for Your Next Round
Pick five or ten categories, choose a starting letter, and see how many answers you can write in two minutes. The collection above has 40 family-clean categories in four groups, with a random picker and a print button. Below are examples to help you choose, house rules for comparing answers, and a blank sheet for paper play.
These categories are best for ages 9 and up. Plan for 2–20 players, indoors or while traveling, and allow about three minutes to get paper, pencils and a timer ready. For more lists to use in later rounds, see Scattergories lists.
Which categories should you use?
Each group has ten categories. Use a whole group for a ten-category round, or mix categories from different groups. Choose them before you pick the letter so nobody can select categories to suit an answer they already have in mind.
- Everyday life: start with familiar objects and situations. For the letter B, “things kept in a backpack” could be book, and “items with a handle” could be bucket. These are possible answers, not an answer key.
- Party round: try food, music and things around a celebration. For C, “party foods” could be cupcakes, and “gift bag items” could be crayons. For song categories, agree whether to ignore “A” or “The” at the start of a title before choosing the letter.
- Imagination round: invent answers that fit the category. For S, “names for a dragon” could be Spark, and “imaginary jobs” could be star polisher. Tell players that invented answers are allowed in this group; a plausible explanation matters more than finding a real-world example.
- Challenge round: use these when players want to think beyond familiar nouns. For B, “words with two meanings” could be bat: an animal or sports equipment. “Things that move without wheels” could be boat.
For beginners or younger players, start with five everyday categories and read each one aloud before the timer starts. If a category needs explaining, give an example using a different letter from the round’s letter. Avoid categories that rely on private jokes or facts only one player knows.
How to play a letter round
- Give each player or team paper and a pencil. Write down the same five or ten categories in the same order.
- Choose one starting letter for the whole round. Use any method the group agrees on, such as drawing a letter from folded slips of paper.
- Set a two-minute timer. Everyone writes one answer for each category, beginning with the chosen letter. For a phrase, use its first word: star polisher starts with S. Agree on any title exceptions before play.
- When time runs out, stop writing. Read answers aloud one category at a time and compare them using the scoring below.
- Add the points. If you want another round, choose new categories or another letter. You can stop after one round or agree on a number of rounds before starting; tied totals can share the win.
With a larger group, pairs or teams can discuss quietly and submit one answer sheet each. With two or three players, everyone can read their own answers in turn. Small-group party games has other formats for a small table if you want a change afterward.
How to score and settle a close answer
Use these as the page’s house rules and agree on them before starting:
- A valid answer earns two points when no other player or team wrote the same answer.
- Each player or team with the same valid answer earns one point for that answer.
- A blank answer, an answer beginning with the wrong letter, or an answer the group rejects earns zero points.
For example, the category is party foods and the letter is C. Two players write cake, so each gets one point. A third writes cupcakes and nobody else does, so that player gets two. Pizza gets zero because it does not begin with C. This is the scoring method used here, rather than a claim about the rules in a boxed game.
Decide before the timer starts whether singular and plural forms count as the same answer. One simple house rule is to treat cookie and cookies as duplicates. Also agree whether players may reuse an answer in different categories.
If an answer seems questionable, ask the player to connect it to the category in one sentence. For objects found near a sink, brush might mean a dish brush kept beside the kitchen sink. Let everyone hear the explanation, then take a quick majority vote. If the vote ties, leave the answer unscored and move on; make that tie rule clear before play. An imaginative category may need a made-up explanation, while an everyday category needs an answer that fits its ordinary meaning.
A blank answer sheet to print
Use Print all 40 beside the picker for the category collection, or Print categories and answer sheet in the page navigation. Both use your browser’s print dialog. Write your chosen categories in the first column before the round; fill in answers during play and points afterward. For a five-category round, use the first five rows.
Player or team: ____________________ Round: ______
Starting letter: ______ Time limit: two minutes Total points: ______
| No. | Category | Your answer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____ |
| 2 | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____ |
| 3 | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____ |
| 4 | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____ |
| 5 | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____ |
| 6 | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____ |
| 7 | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____ |
| 8 | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____ |
| 9 | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____ |
| 10 | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____ |
Keep one copy of the category collection where everyone can see it, and give each player or team a separate answer sheet. For other games played on paper, browse printable party games.
What to play after a few rounds
If the group wants a different kind of clue, try Pictionary words for drawing familiar objects. Hard Pictionary words adds abstract ideas and more complicated scenes for players who want that challenge. If guests would rather act than write or draw, use charades words and take turns acting silently.
For a cooperative break from scoring, Mad Libs lets everyone supply words for a shared sentence. Funny Mad Libs offers another collection of fill-in story cards when surprising word combinations are what the group enjoys.
For a bigger celebration, the party games guide helps you find activities for the guests and space you have. The games and question packs collection is useful when you want another prompt-based format. If you’re playing while traveling and want an alternative to paper rounds, see road trip games.
Questions about Scattergories categories
What makes a good Scattergories category?
A good category has several possible answers and a clear meaning everyone can understand. Avoid categories that depend on private knowledge. Try an example before starting if the wording is unclear.
How many categories belong in one round?
Use ten categories for the suggested full round here, or five for beginners, younger players or a shorter game. Choose the categories before choosing the letter.
How are duplicate answers scored?
Under these house rules, each valid answer earns one point if another player wrote the same answer, or two points if nobody else did. Blank or invalid answers earn zero.
Can players challenge an answer?
Yes. Let the writer explain the connection in one sentence, then use a quick majority vote. If the vote ties, leave that answer unscored and move on. Agree on this tie rule before starting.
Can these categories be printed?
Yes. Use Print all 40 beside the picker to print the category collection, or use Print categories and answer sheet to print the page. The blank answer sheet on this page is for writing in your chosen categories and answers; no separate downloadable file is needed.