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300 Categories Game Prompts: Free Scattergories-Style Generator

2-10 players10-30 minutesAges 8+Full list (305)

Roll a letter, get eight fresh categories and race the clock. All you need is paper, pens and one phone.

On this page
  1. How to play
  2. Rules and variations
  3. Tips for a good game
  4. How to play without a phone

The categories game is a fast word game. A letter is chosen, everyone gets the same list of categories, and each player races to write one answer per category that starts with that letter. Unique answers score points. This page rolls the letter, picks eight categories from more than 300 prompts and runs a 90-second timer, so you only need paper and pens.

How to play

Give every player a sheet of paper and a pen. Number the paper 1 to 8.

  1. Start a round. Pick the category lists you want, such as Easy, Food or Christmas, and press Start. The phone shows a random letter and eight categories. Put the phone in the middle of the table where everyone can see it.
  2. Write your answers. The timer starts at 90 seconds. For each category, write one answer that begins with the letter. If the letter is B and the category is "A fruit", you might write banana or blueberry. Leave a line blank if you get stuck and move on.
  3. Stop. When the timer beeps, pens down. Nobody adds anything after the beep.
  4. Score. Go through the list one category at a time. Each player reads their answer out loud. If two or more players wrote the same answer, nobody scores for it. Every unique, sensible answer scores one point.
  5. Next round. Tap for a new letter and a new set of categories. The phone does not repeat a category until it has used the lists you picked. After three rounds, the player with the most points wins.

If someone gives an answer the group is not sure about, vote. If most players accept it, it counts. The writer can explain their answer before the vote.

Rules and variations

The classic rules are simple: same letter, same list, one answer each, and only unique answers score. Once you know them, try these twists:

  • Alliteration bonus. Give an extra point for answers where every word starts with the letter, such as Purple Pajamas for "Something you wear" with P.
  • Team play. Split into two or three teams. Each team writes one sheet together. This is good for big groups and for kids who are still learning to spell.
  • Speed round. Cut the timer to 60 seconds and use only the Easy or Everyday lists. It turns into a quick warm-up game.
  • Spoken categories. No paper at all. The phone shows one category and players take turns saying an answer out loud. If you repeat an answer or freeze for five seconds, you are out of that round.
  • Themed night. Use only the Christmas or Thanksgiving lists at a family gathering. Everyone already knows the topic, so even grandparents and small kids can join in.

Tips for a good game

Pick the right lists. The Easy list works for children from about eight. Everyday, Food, Places and Nature work for almost anyone. The Hard list asks for things like a chemical element or a word with a silent letter, so save it for teens and adults. Silly is great when the group needs a laugh.

Choose fair letters. Letters like S, B, C, M, P and T are easy. Letters like K, J and W are harder. If a round feels impossible, roll again. Nobody needs to suffer through Q.

Be a kind judge. The host should not be too strict. If an answer is funny and makes sense, accept it. If two players argue, a quick group vote ends it.

Mixed ages. Let younger players say answers instead of writing. Pair a child with an adult on a team, or give kids a 30-second head start. Spelling does not count, only the idea.

Shy players. Reading answers aloud can feel awkward for quiet people. Go around in the same order each round so everyone knows when it is their turn, and let the host read a shy player's answers if they prefer.

Keep it moving. Scoring is the slow part. Read one category at a time, mark points with a tick and move on. Three or four rounds is a good length for one sitting.

How to play without a phone

You can play this game with paper only. Before the game, write the alphabet on small slips (skip Q, U, V, X, Y and Z) and put them in a cup. Copy eight categories from the list below the game onto a sheet for each player, or read them out and let everyone write them down.

Draw a letter from the cup, set a kitchen timer or a phone clock for 90 seconds and play the same way. Change the category list every two or three rounds so answers stay fresh. You can also print the full list on this page and cut it into a deck of category cards to draw from.

All 305 prompts

Easy (kids)

  1. A fruit
  2. A vegetable
  3. An animal
  4. A color
  5. A boy's name
  6. A girl's name
  7. A toy
  8. A pet
  9. Something you wear
  10. Something round
  11. Something yellow
  12. Something soft
  13. A farm animal
  14. A sea creature
  15. An insect
  16. A body part
  17. Something in a school bag
  18. A sweet treat
  19. A superhero
  20. Something in the sky
  21. A game you play outside
  22. Something with wheels
  23. A breakfast food
  24. Something cold
  25. Something that flies
  26. Something in a bedroom
  27. Something green
  28. Something in a park
  29. A zoo animal
  30. Something you can ride
  31. Something that is big
  32. Something with legs
  33. Something you hug
  34. Something blue
  35. A thing at a birthday party

Everyday

  1. Something in a kitchen
  2. Something in a bathroom
  3. Something in a bag
  4. Something in a car
  5. A household chore
  6. A reason to be late
  7. A kind of store
  8. Something you plug in
  9. Something with buttons
  10. Something you can open
  11. Something sticky
  12. Something in a junk drawer
  13. A job
  14. Something in an office
  15. Something you pack for a trip
  16. A gift idea
  17. Something that makes noise
  18. Something you do in the morning
  19. Something you lose often
  20. A tool
  21. A piece of furniture
  22. A word on a sign
  23. Something you recycle
  24. Something with a lid
  25. Something you fold
  26. Something that needs batteries
  27. A way to say hello
  28. A last name
  29. A nickname
  30. Something in a wallet
  31. Something you charge
  32. A thing in a garage
  33. Something you borrow

Food

  1. A pizza topping
  2. A sandwich filling
  3. A dessert
  4. A snack
  5. A spice
  6. A soup
  7. A kind of cheese
  8. A candy
  9. An ice cream flavor
  10. Something you eat with a spoon
  11. Something you grill
  12. Something on a menu
  13. A crunchy food
  14. A red food
  15. A fast food
  16. An Italian dish
  17. A Mexican dish
  18. Something in a lunchbox
  19. A kind of bread
  20. A nut
  21. A berry
  22. A sauce or dip
  23. Something you bake
  24. Something you put on toast
  25. A smoothie ingredient
  26. A salad ingredient
  27. Something you eat at the movies
  28. A food you eat with your hands
  29. A drink
  30. Something sour
  31. Something spicy
  32. A food that is white
  33. A cooking word

Places

  1. A country
  2. A city
  3. A capital city
  4. A U.S. state
  5. A place to go on vacation
  6. Something at the beach
  7. A place with a lot of people
  8. A store in a mall
  9. A river
  10. A place you need a ticket for
  11. Somewhere quiet
  12. A room in a house
  13. A building in a town
  14. Something at an airport
  15. Something you see at a zoo
  16. A place kids love
  17. A place to eat
  18. A tourist attraction
  19. A street name
  20. Somewhere you wait in line
  21. An island
  22. Something in a city
  23. A place to meet friends
  24. Something at a campsite
  25. Something at an amusement park
  26. Something in a museum
  27. Something on a farm
  28. A language
  29. A place in a school

Nature

  1. A flower
  2. A tree
  3. A type of weather
  4. Something in a garden
  5. Something in the ocean
  6. Something in a forest
  7. A bird
  8. A reptile
  9. Something that grows
  10. Something with spots
  11. Something with stripes
  12. Something that lives underground
  13. A wild animal
  14. Something in a desert
  15. Something you find on a hike
  16. A sound in nature
  17. Something you see in spring
  18. Something you see in winter
  19. Something you see in fall
  20. Something in space
  21. A gemstone
  22. A natural wonder
  23. Something tiny
  24. Something with wings
  25. A baby animal
  26. An animal that swims
  27. An animal with horns
  28. Something hot
  29. A mountain

Entertainment

  1. A movie
  2. A TV show
  3. A song
  4. A band or singer
  5. A cartoon character
  6. A video game
  7. A board game
  8. A book title
  9. A famous character
  10. A musical instrument
  11. A kind of dance
  12. A movie genre
  13. A game show
  14. A fairy tale
  15. A nursery rhyme
  16. A famous painter
  17. An author
  18. A famous athlete
  19. A sports team
  20. A card game
  21. A hobby
  22. An app
  23. A kind of music
  24. A holiday movie
  25. A princess
  26. A villain
  27. A theme song
  28. A sport
  29. Something at a concert

Hard

  1. A word with double letters
  2. A word with seven or more letters
  3. A job with a uniform
  4. An excuse for not doing homework
  5. A historical figure
  6. A chemical element
  7. A unit of measurement
  8. A math word
  9. A science word
  10. A word for happy
  11. A word for big
  12. A compliment
  13. A word that describes a person
  14. An action word
  15. Something in a hospital
  16. Something expensive
  17. Something invented in the last 100 years
  18. A brand name
  19. A famous landmark
  20. A body of water
  21. Something with a motor
  22. A computer word
  23. A school subject
  24. A word that sounds smart
  25. Something that has a tail
  26. Something that has keys
  27. Something you measure
  28. A famous pair
  29. A type of doctor
  30. A word from another language
  31. Something you can collect
  32. Something for a time capsule
  33. A word with a silent letter
  34. A two-word phrase

Silly

  1. Something you shouldn't put in your pocket
  2. A bad name for a pet
  3. A terrible pizza topping
  4. Something your dog would buy
  5. A weird thing to find in the fridge
  6. Something you'd yell on a roller coaster
  7. A superpower
  8. A name for a robot
  9. A bad gift
  10. Something that smells
  11. A word that makes you laugh
  12. A silly dance move
  13. Something to take to a desert island
  14. Something a pirate would say
  15. Something grandpa says
  16. A strange ice cream flavor
  17. Something you'd never wear to school
  18. Something that wobbles
  19. A noise a monster makes
  20. Something an alien would bring to Earth
  21. A name for a new planet
  22. Something to do if you were invisible
  23. A sandwich nobody should eat
  24. A bad band name
  25. Something that bounces
  26. A secret hiding spot
  27. A reason to run
  28. Something squishy
  29. Something in a wizard's pocket
  30. A name for a goldfish
  31. Something a cat thinks about

Christmas

  1. Something on a Christmas tree
  2. A Christmas song
  3. A gift for a grandparent
  4. Something Santa brings
  5. A name for a reindeer
  6. Something at the North Pole
  7. A Christmas food
  8. Something red
  9. Something in a stocking
  10. A winter activity
  11. Something you wrap
  12. A Christmas movie
  13. Something that sparkles
  14. Something elves make
  15. Something you see in the snow
  16. A cookie decoration
  17. A holiday tradition
  18. Something warm
  19. Something you write in a card
  20. Something you hang up
  21. Something on a Christmas list
  22. Winter clothing
  23. Something you do on Christmas morning
  24. Something in a toy shop
  25. Something with bells
  26. A gingerbread house decoration

Thanksgiving

  1. Something on the Thanksgiving table
  2. Something you are thankful for
  3. A side dish
  4. A pie flavor
  5. A fall color
  6. Something orange
  7. Something at a parade
  8. Something you do after a big meal
  9. A family member
  10. A fall activity
  11. A harvest crop
  12. Something you bake for a feast
  13. Something in a pantry
  14. A polite thing to say
  15. A dinner table topic
  16. A word that describes a feast
  17. Something you pass at dinner
  18. Something in a cornucopia
  19. Something cozy
  20. A reason to visit family
  21. Something on a grocery list
  22. A leftover you love
  23. A family game night game
  24. Something you need to set the table
  25. Something a turkey might say
  26. Something brown

FAQ

How do you play the categories game?

The phone picks a letter and a list of categories. Everyone writes one answer per category that starts with that letter before the timer ends. You score a point for every answer that nobody else wrote.

How many players do you need?

Two or more. It works best with 3 to 8 players. For bigger groups, play in teams that share one answer sheet.

What are good categories for kids?

Start with the Easy list: a fruit, an animal, a color, a toy, something in the sky. Give younger kids a longer timer and let them say answers out loud instead of writing.

Which letters should you skip?

Most groups skip Q, U, V, X, Y and Z because very few answers start with them. Use them as a bonus round for older players if you want a challenge.

Do answers with two words count?

Agree on this before you start. A common house rule is that only the first word must start with the letter. Some groups give a bonus point when every word starts with it, such as Pink Panther for P.

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