Printable categories game sheet

The rules at a glance

Agree on a letter, for example one person silently runs through the alphabet while another calls “Stop”. Everyone writes one word per category starting with that letter. Whoever finishes first calls “Stop” and everyone puts the pen down.

Then compare answers: 10 points for a word nobody else has, 5 points for matching words, 20 points if only you have a valid word. After the last round the highest score wins.

How to fill in the sheet

Write the letter of the round in the first column, then one word per category. After the round, add the points of each category in the last column and carry the total into the bottom row. Each round gets its own row, so the sheet doubles as the score list for the whole game.

Pick the number of rounds before you download: four to six rounds for a quick game, ten to twelve for a long evening. The preview shows how the sheet will look.

Printing tips

Landscape fits many categories side by side, portrait suits two or three columns of text. Choose A4 in most of the world and US Letter in the USA, Canada and Mexico. For a reusable sheet, slip it into a clear sleeve and write on it with a dry-erase marker.

Category ideas

Classic: Name, Place, Animal, Thing, Food, Job. With kids: color, fruit, toy, animal. For adults: brand, movie, something in the house, famous person. Try invented ones such as “Something you need in winter”.

Variations for game night

A time limit makes it hectic: set an hourglass or the phone timer to two minutes and only what is written by then counts. For teams, pair up and hand in one sheet together. Themed rounds with one group of categories, such as food and drinks, keep the round short.

If you need the sheet several times, print or copy it twice. The template is black and white and saves ink.