116 Best Scattergories Lists & Categories

By: | Updated: August 14, 2023

You found our collection of fun Scattergories lists for categories to play.

Scattergories is a game that challenges players to come up with answers that fit within  categories. All answers must begin with the letter chosen for the round, and players have a few minutes to respond.

Scattergories is an example of a vocabulary game and question game, as well as a team building board game.

This post includes:

    • how to play Scattergories
    • rules for Scattergories
    • Scattergories generator
    • Scattergories lists
    • Scattegories categories
    • tapple categories
    • Scattegories topics

Here we go!

How to play Scattergories

Here are basic instructions for the game Scattergories.

  1. Give each player a list of categories.
  2. Roll an alphabet die or use a generator to choose a letter for the round.
  3. Set a timer for three minutes. (Note, if playing with twelve categories in a list, use three minutes. For five categories, do one minute.)
  4. Have each player share their answers at the end of the round.
  5. Players receive one point for each unique answer.
  6. Participants who answered the same as other players must cross out that answer, and neither player receives points for that response.
  7. The player with the most points at the end of the game or round is the winner.

You can play Scattergories on paper or on Zoom.

Rules for Scattergories

Here are basic rules of Scattergories

  1. The first word of the answer must begin with the round’s letter.
  2. Articles like “a” and “the” do not count.
  3. The same answer cannot appear twice in one round. For instance, “Margarita” as both a girl’s name and a drink.
  4. Only one answer per category per round.
  5. Answers that appear on other players’ lists must be crossed out and do not earn any points.
  6. Alliteration can earn players extra points. For instance, Mickey Mouse is two points, and Tic Tac Toe is three points.
  7. For proper names, the answer can use the first name or last name. For example, Abraham Lincoln and Adams, John are both acceptable answers for presidents with “A.”
  8. Players can challenge questionable answers.

These are the basic rules of the game, however feel free to tweak the rules or add your own conditions to make the game more interesting.

Scattergories generator

Traditionally, players roll an alphabet die to choose a letter for each round. We created a handy Scattergories letter generator to make it easy to play the game online.

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Scattergories lists

Here are lists of Scattergories categories to use in each round. These topics are a mix of classic categories and brand new prompts.

  1. A girl’s name
  2. A boy’s name
  3. Capital cities
  4. Countries
  5. Animals
  6. Musical Instruments
  7. Flowers
  8. Gemstones
  9. Cartoon Characters
  10. Four letter words
  11. Brands
  12. Things on a beach
  13. Websites
  14. Cars
  15. Things that are sticky
  16. Things that you shout
  17. Excuses for being late
  18. Pet peeves
  19. Ice cream flavors
  20. Fried foods
  21. Bodies of water
  22. Halloween costumes
  23. Places to go on a date
  24. Nicknames
  25. Job titles
  26. College majors
  27. Languages
  28. Historical figures
  29. Celebrities
  30. Holidays
  31. Items in a gift shop
  32. Things on a map
  33. Relatives
  34. Things in an office
  35. Software
  36. Fears
  37. Apps
  38. Electronic devices
  39. Movie titles
  40. Book titles
  41. Pets
  42. Musical instruments
  43. Types of music
  44. Aquatic animals
  45. Animals in a zoo
  46. Things you get in the mail
  47. Song title
  48. Vacation destination
  49. Famous animals
  50. Drinks
  51. Hobbies
  52. Things in space
  53. Types of candy
  54. Ways to get from here to there
  55. Furniture
  56. Plants
  57. Things in a museum
  58. Sports teams
  59. Extreme sports
  60. Colors
  61. Tools
  62. Dangerous activities
  63. Things you might go viral for
  64. Item within eyesight
  65. Things that are blue
  66. Body parts
  67. Expensive items
  68. Snack foods
  69. Healthy foods
  70. Animals in a zoo
  71. Something people hate doing
  72. Something that surprises you
  73. A common lie
  74. Something to strive for
  75. Awards/ceremonies
  76. Fireable offenses
  77. Random acts of kindness
  78. Four letter word (in a foreign language)
  79. TV shows
  80. Crimes
  81. Office supplies
  82. Things on your work desk
  83. Things associated with Xmas
  84. Game shows
  85. Board games
  86. Video games
  87. Superheroes
  88. Pizza toppings
  89. World cuisine
  90. Things that make you laugh
  91. Something you keep secret
  92. Things you say at work
  93. Mythical creatures
  94. “Adulting” activities
  95. Topics you like to talk about
  96. Breakfast foods
  97. Annoying movie tropes
  98. Things you see on a road trip
  99. Things you see in the news
  100. Things you find in nature
  101. Things in the sky
  102. Things on people’s bucket lists
  103. Things in an airport
  104. Villains
  105. Four syllable words
  106. Words with two meanings
  107. Good qualities for a friend
  108. Guilty pleasures
  109. Clothing
  110. Words associated with self-care
  111. Art projects
  112. Weather
  113. Things associated with summer
  114. Musicals
  115. Things you look forward to
  116. Presidents

Final Thoughts

Scattergories is a quick and simple game that works great for team bonding. You can play in person or on Zoom, and the challenge makes a fun team building exercise or way to start a meeting. Feel free to add your own categories onto this list, too.

Next, check out more online team building games and online board games to play with friends.

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FAQ: Scattergories

Here are answers to common questions about Scattergories.

What is Scattergories?

Scattergories is a timed language game that asks players to think up words that start with a certain letter for each category in the list. At the end of each round, players read responses aloud. Players receive one point for each unique answer, and players who list the same answer as other participants do not receive points for those answers.

How do you play Scattergories on Zoom?

To play Scattergories on Zoom, gather players together on a Zoom call. First, use an alphabet generator to choose a letter for the round. Next, display the list of categories for the round, either by sharing the screen, or dropping the list into the chat. The original version of the game has twelve categories per round, however you can shorten that amount to play a quicker game. Give players one to three minutes to respond. At the end of time, ask players to share answers aloud or in the chat. Players must cross out duplicate answers. Participants receive one point per unique answer. At the end of the round, have players count up their points and post the number in the chat.

Is Scattergories a good team game?

Scattergories is a good team game. Since the rules state that players receive no points for answers that other players have listed, the game becomes more challenging with more participants. This game can highlight the ways teammates think similarly or differently. Also, the game is quick and easy to play on Zoom, making it an efficient icebreaker, meeting energizer, or team building activity.

Author avatar

Author:

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com.
Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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