Bring the party to your friends with a game of Catch Phrase. From the anxiety of the timer to the funny body gestures, Catch Phrase is guaranteed to be a good time at your party. Plus, you can play it pretty quickly to any time you need some entertainment.
What Is Catch Phrase?
Created by Hasbro, Catch Phrase is a guessing game. Consisting of random words/phrases and a timer, teammates should guess the word based on verbal queues and gestures. This can get hilarious, as players are gesturing and shouting out clues to get their teammates to guess before the timer goes off. When one team guesses correctly, it becomes the other team's turn. Play continues between the teams until the timer runs out. You can find this game in two versions, an electronic version or a standard board game version.
Traditional Catch Phrase Game Set
The traditional version of Catch Phrase comes with a word disc, a timer, a scoring sheet, and a storage tray. Each side of the word disc has 72 words, and players press a button on the disc to advance the list. Two AAA batteries are required for the word disc.
Electronic Catch Phrase Game
The electronic version of this game is played the same way as the traditional version. Instead of the word discs and cards, the electronic game component randomly selects from among 10,000 words and phrases, displaying the chosen word on an LCD screen. The timer and scoring mechanism are built into the unit. This version requires three AAA batteries.
How to Play Catch Phrase
Playing Catch Phrase is pretty easy. All you need to get started is the game and two teams. The sizes of the teams can vary. However, you need to pass the game from one team to the next. The first team to 7 points wins the game.
Game Play
Gameplay is pretty standard for the game, whether you have the standard or electronic versions.
- Select a team to go first.
- Electronic version: Hold down the Team 1 Score and Team 2 Score to reset the score.
- Pick a category.
- Start the timer.
- Use verbal clues and physical gestures to get your team to guess the word or phrase.
- Once the word is guessed, pass it to the other team.
- Continue to play until the timer goes off.
If you don't know a word, you can skip it at any time during the game.
Giving Clues
The team member with the role of clue giver provides their teammates with clues designed to lead them toward guessing the correct word. Legal cues include physical gestures and most words. The clue giver is not allowed to:
- Tell teammates the number of syllables in the word
- Give the first letter of the word or utter any part of the word
- Use words that rhyme with the assigned word as clues
- Show teammates the word
Getting Points
Once someone on the team guesses the word correctly, the disc is passed to the other team, and a new word is displayed. The team that is not holding the disc when time runs out scores a point and the members are allowed one attempt to guess the losing team's word, earning a bonus point for a correct answer.
Strategy, Tips, and Tricks
Teams try to complete their turns as quickly as possible to avoid holding the disc when time runs out. The game quickly turns to laughter and hilarity as the clue giver quickly rattles off hints and makes wild gestures to hurry the team to guess the word. Some of the guesses that players make are likely to be even more entertaining than the game itself. However, you can use a few tips and strategies to make the game more entertaining.
- Separate spouses and siblings onto separate teams.
- Pass on the timer quickly.
- Create teams of multiple age spans.
- Practice before the timer starts to get the jitters out before playing against the timer.
Other Game Versions
In addition to the standard and electronic versions, they have created a few different versions to add to the fun.
Music Edition
Music buffs are sure to enjoy playing the electronic Catch Phrase Music Edition game, which is programmed with questions related to popular songs from different musical genres, including pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B, and country hits from the 1970s through today.
Junior Edition
Even though Catch Phrase is designed for players ages 18 and older, there is a special kid's edition of the game. Youngsters eight and older will enjoy playing the electronic Catch Phrase Junior game. It functions the same way as the electronic version for grown-ups but is pre-programmed with 5,000 words and phrases appropriate for children.
Enjoy the Catch Phrase Game
When you include any version of Catch Phrase in your next get-together, everyone is sure to have a great time. Your friends will enjoy this hilarious guessing game that keeps them thinking and laughing at the same time.
