How to play

The phone shows a category (animals, foods, things in a kitchen…) and a letter. Going round the group, each player says something in the category that starts with the letter, out loud, within eight seconds. Nothing can be said twice. After a good answer the holder of the phone taps Good answer and the turn moves on. If a player can’t think of one in time, or the group decides the answer doesn’t count, tap is out. The last player left wins the round and a point, and you can play round after round.

Judging and tips

The game relies on the group being fair. If an answer is doubtful, the group votes, and a majority decides. Proper names count only if the category is about names. It helps to agree on the rules before starting: spelling versus sound, whether plurals count, and how many seconds of grace a player gets. On a video call, pick Play online and everyone joins the same room on their own phone.

Does it need the internet? Only to load the page. Can we change the time? It is fixed at eight seconds to keep play fast; if everyone is stuck, tap a player out and start the next round.