How to play
Sit in a circle with one phone. Type everyone’s name and start. The phone is passed around so each player sees a secret in private: everyone except one player gets the same secret word, and the odd one out only learns the category. Nobody knows who the odd one is, not even the odd one’s neighbors.
- Clues. Going round the table, each player says one word out loud that fits the secret word. Be clear enough that the crew trusts you, but vague enough that the odd one can’t guess the word.
- Vote. When you are ready, the phone goes round again and each player votes in secret for who they think is the odd one out.
- The verdict. The player with the most votes is picked; a tie picks nobody. If the odd one out is picked, they get one guess at the secret word from eight choices.
Scoring
If the odd one out escapes, they score 2 points. If they are caught but guess the word, they score 1. If they are caught and guess wrong, every crew member scores 1. With nine or more players there are two odd players. Play as many rounds as you like; the scores carry on until you change the players.
Tips and questions
Odd one out: listen first, then give a clue that fits what others said, not too specific. Crew: avoid the obvious word, but don’t be so strange that you look like the odd one.
Does it need the internet? Only to load the page. The game runs on this one phone and nothing is sent anywhere; the names you type are remembered in this browser for next time.
Can we play on a video call? It works best in the same room, because the phone is passed round. For calls, one person can hold the phone and show each player their secret one at a time.