The rules, step by step
- Two teams. Each gets four secret keywords, numbered 1 to 4, that never change. You always see your own team’s words — never theirs.
- Both teams play every round at once. Each round one player per team is the Encryptor, and only they are shown their team’s secret three-digit code, like 3·1·4.
- The Encryptor writes three clues, in code order: each clue describes the keyword at that digit. Code 3·1·4 means clue one describes word 3, clue two word 1, clue three word 4.
- Every clue is public to the whole room — this round and all past rounds, filed under the numbers they turned out to mean.
- Your team (everyone but the Encryptor) matches your clues back to numbers together: the guess is a shared draft, and it locks when everyone has agreed. Get your own code wrong and your team takes a miscommunication token.
- From round 2 you also work the other way: guess the OTHER team’s code from their clue history alone. Guess it exactly and you earn an interception token.
- Each team also has private notes only they can read — theories stay off the record.
- The Encryptor role passes along each team every round, so everyone gives clues.
- Two interception tokens win the game instantly. Two miscommunication tokens lose it. Still level after 8 rounds: most interceptions wins, then fewest miscommunications.
Scoring and the fiddly bits
The code
Three different digits drawn from one to four, like 3·1·4. Clue one describes keyword 3, clue two keyword 1, clue three keyword 4.
Who answers first
From round two the opposing team guesses before your own team does, and their attempt is public before you decode.
Tokens
Two interceptions win instantly. Two miscommunications — your own team failing to read you — lose instantly.
The Encryptor
The role passes along the team each turn and never joins its own decode. Each side needs at least two people for that to work.
The round limit
Eight rounds, then most interceptions, then fewest miscommunications, then a draw.
Questions about Intercept
Is Intercept free?
Yes. Every game on Table Party is free, with no accounts, no adverts and nothing to buy.
How many people do you need for Intercept?
Between 4 and 12. Below 4 there are not enough of you for the game to work.
Do we need to download anything?
No. One person opens the site and starts a room; everybody else joins by typing the room code on their own phone. Nothing to install, nothing to sign up for.
Can we play Intercept 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 Intercept online
Free, in the browser, with everyone on their own phone.