At a glance
| The box game | On Table Party | |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 2–6 | 1–12 |
| What you need | Letter die, category lists, answer pads, a timer, pencils | A phone each |
| Game length | 3 rounds | First to three boards (fewer at a big table), or one 90-second Rush |
The goal
In the box game, score the most points by writing answers that fit the category, start with the letter, and that nobody else thought of.
Setup
- Everyone takes an answer pad, a folder and a pencil.
- Make sure everyone has the same category list face up.
How a round works
- Roll the 20-sided die. The letter it shows is the key letter for the round.
- Start the timer. Everyone writes one answer for each of the 12 categories, and each must start with the key letter.
- Stop writing the moment the timer ends.
- Go through the list one category at a time, each player reading their answer aloud.
- For the next round, roll a new letter and use the same list. If a letter comes up twice in a game, roll again.
Scoring and winning
- Circle each acceptable answer that no one else wrote. Each circled answer is 1 point.
- If two or more players wrote the same answer, none of them scores for it.
- Anyone can challenge an answer. Everyone votes, the challenged player too, and the majority rules. On a tie, the challenged player’s vote doesn’t count.
- After three rounds, the highest total wins. A tie plays one more round with a new letter.
Rules people get wrong
“A”, “an” and “the” don’t count
“The Shining” is an S answer, not a T.
No repeats
You can’t use the exact same answer twice in one round, even in two categories it fits.
Names: first or last
For a person, either name can carry the key letter: Presley, Elvis works for P.
Extra points variant
Score a bonus for names and titles that use the key letter more than once, like Carson City for C.
Playing Category Rush on Table Party
Category Rush is Table Party’s version: free in the browser, with everyone on their own phone. A round goes like this.
- Every round is one list — “Countries in Africa”, “Pixar films” — dealt out as a board of names. Most are on the list. Some are bombs, and the board says how many.
- Take turns tapping one name each. A name on the list is safe, and the turn moves on.
- Tap a bomb, or let your clock run out, and you’re out of the board.
- When a board has nothing left but bombs, a fresh one deals in, a bomb harder.
- The last one standing takes the board. First to three boards wins (fewer at a big table).
- Don’t fancy a list? Everyone has one veto a game: veto it on its card and a new list deals in (the host can turn vetoes off).
- Or play Rush: everyone on their own board at once, 90 seconds and three lives. Most names found wins, and it works on your own.
What’s different here
- Category Rush is Table Party’s own categories game, for 1–12 players, and it plays differently: each round is one list, dealt as a board of names with a few bombs among them.
- Take turns tapping names that are on the list. Tap a bomb, or let your clock run out, and you’re out of the board; the last one standing takes it.
- Or play Rush: everyone on their own board at once, with 90 seconds and three lives. Most names found wins, and it works on your own.
The fiddly bits on Table Party
The turn clock
Fifteen seconds for a board’s first pick, then ten for each turn after. Let it run out and you are out of the board, the same as a bomb.
The bombs are counted
The board says how many bombs it holds. Which names they are stays on the server until a tile turns over.
One veto each
Each player may veto one list a game on its card, and a new list deals in. The host can turn vetoes off.
Rush
Everyone on their own board at once, with 60, 90 or 120 seconds and three lives. A cleared board deals the same list dug deeper, then the next list.
Boards to win
Three for a small table, two from five players, one from eight, or anything from one to five if the host picks.
The official rules
For the publisher’s own wording, read the official rules from Hasbro. Table Party is independent and isn’t affiliated with Hasbro.
Questions about Category Rush
What happens if two players write the same answer?
Neither of them scores for it. The game rewards the answer nobody else will think of.
How many rounds are in the box game?
Three, all with the same category list and a new letter each round.
Does the answer have to start with the letter?
The first word does, ignoring “a”, “an” and “the”. For a person’s name, the first or last name can carry the letter.
Is Category Rush free?
Yes. It is free to play, with no adverts. An optional Plus membership opens bigger tables and extra packs.
How many people do you need for Category Rush?
Between 1 and 12. Below 1 there are not enough of you for the game to work.
What do we need to play?
A phone or laptop each, with a web browser. One person opens a room and everybody else joins by typing the room code on their own phone. There’s also an iPhone app if you’d rather.
Can we play Category Rush over a video call?
Yes. Share the room code in the chat and play with the call running — everything private stays on each player’s own phone.
Play Category Rush online
Free, in the browser, with everyone on their own phone.