Catch Phrase

What You Need

• A Catch Phrase unit. The electronic version has a screen, a random timer, and built-in scoring. Older sets used paper word disks, a board, and a separate timer. The rules below fit both.
• Three AAA batteries for the electronic unit.
• Two players, or two teams of any size.

Setup

1. Put the batteries in and press the power button. The screen shows a word or short phrase.
2. Pick a category with the category button. You can only change it while the timer is stopped.
3. With teams, sit in a circle so the seats alternate between teams. That way you always hand the unit to an opponent.
4. Hold both score buttons until the scores read zero.
5. Pick the team that goes first and the player on that team who starts.

How a Round Works

1. The first clue-giver holds the unit, reads the word, and presses the start button. The timer begins.
2. Give clues. Your teammates shout guesses until one of them says the word.
3. The moment someone says it, press Next and hand the unit to a player on the other team. Pass fast.
4. That player reads the new word and gives clues to their own team.
5. The unit goes back and forth until the timer buzzes.
6. The team not holding the unit when it buzzes scores 1 point. Press their score button.
7. That same team gets one chance to guess the word that was on the screen. They can confer. A correct guess is worth 1 more point.
8. The team that got stuck holding the unit starts the next round.

Clue Rules

• Gestures are fine. Wave your arms. Act it out.
• Almost any verbal clue is fine, with three exceptions.
• Do not say any part of the word. "Shoe" is out for SHOE HORN.
• Do not say a word that rhymes with it.
• Do not give the first letter.
• If the other team catches you breaking a rule, they stop the timer and take the point for that round.

The Timer

The timer runs for a random length, up to about 60 seconds. It beeps slowly, then faster, then buzzes. The speed-up is a warning, not a countdown. It can buzz early.

Skipping

Press Next to skip a word you cannot describe. The timer keeps running while you skip, so each skip burns time. Many groups allow unlimited skips because the time cost is punishment enough. If your group abuses it, cap it at one skip per turn.

Winning

First team to 7 points wins. With the bonus point in play, a round can swing 2 points, so a 5 to 6 game is far from over.

Two-Player Notes

The box says four players. Two works well with one change. There are no teammates, so the guesser is your opponent. Player A holds the unit and gives clues. Player B guesses. When B gets it, A presses Next and hands the unit to B, who now gives clues to A. The hot-potato part works exactly as normal. Whoever holds the unit at the buzz loses the point. The bonus rule still works. The player not holding the unit gets one guess at the last word. They heard every clue, so expect 2-point rounds. First to 7 still works. A two-player game runs 15 to 20 minutes.

Strategy Tips

• Describe, do not define. "The thing you scrape ice off a windshield with" beats a dictionary entry.
• Say the category first. "Movie. Sharks. Beach town." gets JAWS in three words.
• Pass before you celebrate. Every second you hold the unit after a correct guess is a second closer to the buzz.

Variations

• No gestures. Words only. Much harder, and it stops the charades players from dominating.
• Steal only. Drop the point for not holding the unit. Only the steal guess scores. Longer game, more tension on the last word.