Odd One Out
Everyone gets the secret word. One of you gets nothing. Find them.
Who's playing?
Names are optional, but the reveal and the scoreboard are a lot more fun with them.
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Splitting a bigger group? The team generator fills these in for you.
Word categories
Pick at least one category to start
One phone, passed around the circle. Everyone sees the word except one person.
How to play
- 1Type everyone's name, or leave them blank and play as numbers, then pick the word categories you want in the mix.
- 2Pass the phone around the circle. Each person taps to privately see their card, then hands it on.
- 3Everyone sees the same secret word, except one player, who is told they're the odd one out and only gets the category.
- 4Take turns asking one another a question about the word. Answer honestly enough to prove you know it, vaguely enough not to hand it over.
- 5When someone is suspicious, call a vote. Everyone points at once, and you tap the name the room landed on.
- 6Reveal. If the group got it right, they win the round, unless the odd one out can still guess the word.
Keeping score
Type names at the start and the scoreboard runs for as many rounds as you play. The points lean towards the odd one out deliberately: one person against a table of six gets caught most rounds, so getting away with it has to be worth more than being on the right side of a correct vote. Otherwise drawing the imposter card feels like a punishment rather than the good half of the game.
+1
Everyone but the odd one out
when the room votes correctly
+2
The odd one out
when the vote lands on somebody else
+1
The odd one out
caught, but still able to name the word
Play a round per person if you can. The game is only really fair once everybody has had a turn being the one who doesn't know, and it is a different game from that side: far more fun, and far more work.
The trick to playing it well
The mistake most groups make is asking questions that are too specific. If you ask “how much does it cost to get in?” you've told the imposter it's a place you pay to enter, and they can coast for the rest of the round. The best questions are ones only someone with the word could answer confidently, but which reveal almost nothing to a listener.
If you are the odd one out, the winning move is to answer late and build on what others have said rather than inventing detail. Volunteering specifics is what gets people caught. Ask a question back instead. It's the cheapest way to buy information without giving any away.
One house rule worth adopting: the odd one out gets a guess at the word if they're voted out. It keeps them engaged all round instead of giving up once they think they've been spotted, and it makes the group hesitate before accusing too early.
What's in the word packs
🗺️ Places
25 words: Airport, Beach, Hospital, Cinema…
🍕 Food & drink
20 words: Pizza, Sushi, Ice cream, Coffee…
👷 Jobs
20 words: Teacher, Firefighter, Chef, Pilot…
🦊 Animals
20 words: Penguin, Elephant, Octopus, Kangaroo…
🪑 Everyday things
20 words: Umbrella, Toothbrush, Washing machine, Mirror…
Common questions
- How do you play Odd One Out?
- Everyone sees the same secret word on one phone passed around the circle, except one player, who is told they're the odd one out. Players take turns asking each other questions about the word. The group then votes on who the imposter is.
- How many players do you need?
- Three at a minimum, but it's best with five to eight. With three, the imposter has nowhere to hide; above about ten, rounds start to drag before everyone has asked a question.
- Do we need one phone each?
- No, one device for the whole group. Pass it round at the start so each person can privately see their card, then put it down and play by talking.
- What makes a good question to ask?
- Vague enough that the answer doesn't hand the word to the imposter, specific enough that a bluffer can't fake it. "Would you go there alone?" is good. "Is it hot?" gives too much away.
- How does the odd one out win?
- By surviving the vote, or by correctly guessing the secret word when caught. Give them that second chance, because it stops the round being a dead end once they're rumbled.
- Does it keep score?
- Yes. Type everyone's name at the start and the scoreboard runs across as many rounds as you play. Catching the odd one out is worth a point to everyone who wasn't them, surviving the vote is worth two to the odd one out, and guessing the word after being caught is worth one. Names are optional if you'd rather just play.
- Is this the same as Spyfall or The Chameleon?
- It's the same family of hidden-role word games. This version is built for one shared phone rather than a card deck, so there's nothing to buy and nothing to set up.