Scattergories: Wonderfully Frustrating, Imaginative, and Creative
Written: Oct 04 '02
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Pros: Quick set up, a blast to play, very versatile in age and number of players
Cons: Loud, buzzing timer, answer sheets get used up
The Bottom Line: I have loved this game for years, and it's a definite bet that people will have a blast when this game is chosen.
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| Javelina's Full Review: Scattergories |
Back in junior high school, my best friend and I played Scattergories all the time. It was something to keep us entertained, while allowing us to use our minds.
Years later, I was looking for a good game to share with friends and family, and I knew I had to have a Scattergories game of my own. I looked forward to enjoying this game with people now as I did years ago.
The Goal of the Game
The goal of Scattergories is to be able to think of as many words as possible that start with a certain letter, that fit into certain categories. Everyone gets a list of categories, and you roll a 20-sided die. (This is the alphabet, minus Q, U, V, X, Y, and Z, which is a good thing, otherwise the game would be too difficult!). The rolling of the die gives you a letter, and a timed game begins by starting the timer.
For example, the letter “M” is rolled, the timer is set, and each person playing has to think of a word beginning with “M” for each of 12 categories, such as “A City” (in which you could write down something like “Minneapolis”), “Something cold”, or “Famous person”.
Components of the Game
With the Scattergories game, you get 6 boards with the appropriate parts, 36 category cards (each person gets six), a timer, rules card, pencils, and 2 pads of answer paper.
This is a Hasbro Game. My edition was marked with a copyright of 1999, but this game has been around for years. There are other versions out there, but this fits me just fine.
To Play
Scattergories has a very quick setup time.
Each person playing the game sets up their board/folder. Together, everyone decides on a category list to use in the round, and then prepares a blank answer sheet to fill in their answers. Someone rolls the die, which picks a letter. Immediately, the timer is started, and the game begins.
What I recommend is running a sample play if you have new players. Sometimes it is difficult for people to grasp what is going on until they have tried a sample round, which makes the game self-explanatory.
Winning
The person who has thought of the most words in three rounds is the winner.
Of course, there are different ways to play the game, different rules, and plenty of room for personalizing the game play. For example, you can change the number of rounds, contest words, and so on. The information given on rules should be read ahead of time, so that players are clear on the game. It is important to know things such as not being able to use the same word twice on an answer sheet, or that if everyone comes up with the same (and usually more obvious) answer, the words are cancel each other out (meaning zero points).
Likes
I love this game for both its simplicity and creativity. For starters, there aren’t a whole lot of pieces and parts involved. You grab a folder/board, and you’re ready to go in just a short amount of time. Sometimes I even bring two boards, the timer and the die with me when I go to a friend’s, because it’s that simple without needing the whole box.
Scattergories allows me to use my mind and creativity. It’s fun to see what you can come up with under pressure, and how your answers differ from other people. One of the options for filling in answers is to use two words for one answer- such as “Mickey Mouse”, which gives you double points. This allows the players to challenge themselves even more and to widen the gap in points earned.
When reading off answers, I always have a great time. In my experience, we usually end up laughing over our answers. You just want to groan when you didn’t think of the obvious, like filling in your own name or your own city in a category. Some of the answers end up being pretty silly, and it’s generally a curiosity to hear what everyone came up with.
This is also a great game because you can play with just two players (which can sometimes be a challenge with other games). And on the other hand, you can have as many as 6 players, so it’s a very versatile game.
Scattergories is recommended for ages 12 to adult, and I have found that the game appeals to so many different ages. As I mentioned before, I played this game years back when I was in junior high, but I still find it just as appealing years later. Because the game simply requires players to think of a word, it seems like it is a truly fair challenge no matter what the age differences of the players.
The overall best part is just using your imagination. It’s like tricking people into using their brains…
Dislikes
I don’t really have anything negative to say about Scattergories. I’m not fond of games that use up paper, requiring refills, but you could always just use your own paper. Maybe they’ll come up with a wipe-off board in the future. The replacement Answer Pads are $5.00 per refill, which includes shipping and handling. It’s up to you whether you want to use your creativity and make your own, or if you want to spend the money on more paper.
This is a game that will most likely frustrate you. This isn’t quite a dislike, but more of a warning that Scattergories may exercise feelings of stress and frustration.
The timer, the timer. This thing is incredibly loud, and buzzes the whole time. Then, when it’s done, it emits a giant “click” which usually makes me jump. I think I might prefer a more subtle timer, because this one can be distracting while you are trying to think. However, the loudness of the Scattergories timer, as well as the jarring snap does add a little drama to the game….
Overall
I have enjoyed Scattergories for years and years. Recently, I bought my own game at Toys ‘R Us for about $25.00. This feels like an appropriate price, very comparable to the other games that are out there. The parts are fairly sturdy, so as long as you treat this product with care, it will last.
Scattergories is very versatile, fitting different ages and various numbers of players. I have really appreciated the opportunity to use this game in so many different settings, and have enjoyed it with so many people. It is truly an ageless sort of game, and I’m sure it will be around for ages. (Recently they came out with a Platinum version, but either way, this game is great!)
Web site:
www.miltonbradley.com or www.hasbro.com
(they both take you to the same site)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 25
Type of Toy: Game
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