Psst!

Can you give a hint without giving it away?

Everyone at the table has a secret word. You want the others to get close to yours, because close guesses earn you points. But if someone guesses it exactly, you’re out of the round.

So you give them a hint. Something helpful, but hopefully not too helpful. As they guess, the game tells you how close they are: Cold, Warm, Hot, or Burning.

When it’s your turn to guess, you get to be the person asking awkward questions and trying to figure out what on earth your friend meant.

Maybe that was one hint too many

They’re getting warmer. You could leave them to work it out, or offer another clue and try to earn a few more points.

Those points aren’t yours to keep just yet. You have to get through their guesses without losing your secret. And sometimes, halfway through a perfectly reasonable clue, you realise you’ve just told them the answer.

There’s more to play

There are five modes to choose from, depending on what your table is in the mood for.

Secret Words: Give hints, guess other players’ words, and try to keep your own a secret.
Secret Sentences: The same idea, with a whole ridiculous sentence to piece together.
Bridge: Come up with a word that connects two other words.
Hot Potato Chain: Take turns adding to a word chain before the timer runs out.
Impostor: Listen to everyone’s clues and work out who doesn’t belong.

Get a few friends around the table

Play online with 2 to 4 players, or play solo with bots. You can say your clues and guesses out loud, or type them if you prefer.

Pick the lantern-lit room or the outdoor table in the mountains, get comfortable, and see how well you actually understand each other. You’ll all be cats, which should make the arguments a little harder to take seriously.