Scattergories Category Generator
A free Scattergories-style category generator: one random letter, 12 categories and a round timer, all in your browser. Pick a pack for the room you are in — classic, family and kids, work-safe or party night — then race everyone to fill the list before time runs out. Nothing to install, no sign-up, and it works the same on a phone at a table or on a shared screen in a video call.
The everyone-can-play mix — safe for any room, works with 2 players or 20.
Your letter
A
Round timer
2:00
- 1.Things in a kitchen
- 2.Animals
- 3.Things you take on holiday
- 4.Cities
- 5.Movie titles
- 6.Something cold
- 7.School subjects
- 8.Things that are round
- 9.Musical instruments
- 10.Board games
- 11.Things in the sky
- 12.Sports
48 categories in this pack · runs entirely in your browser, no sign-up and nothing sent to a server.
How to play the category letter game online
- 1
Roll a letter and read the list out
Tap "New round" for a random letter and a fresh list of 12 categories. One person shares their screen, or everyone opens this page on their own phone — the letter and list are visible to the whole room either way.
- 2
Start the timer and write fast
Everyone writes one answer per category, and every answer must start with the round letter. Two, three or five minutes — pick the length that suits the group before you start.
- 3
Score by reading answers aloud
One point per category you filled in. If two players wrote the same answer, nobody scores it — so the fun is in going weirder than the person next to you. Alliteration bonus: "Purple plastic pineapple" for a P round is three points if your group plays that rule.
- 4
Play three rounds and total up
A standard game is three rounds with a different letter each time. The letter die never repeats until all 20 letters have come up, so back-to-back rounds always feel different.
Category packs and game night variants
Big groups and remote teams
The list is the same for everyone, so player count does not matter — 30 people on one video call works exactly like 4 around a table. Split into teams of three if scoring 30 sheets sounds slow.
More free browser games for large groups →Video call game night
Share your screen for the letter and timer, and have everyone type answers in a private note rather than the chat so nobody copies. Reveal one category at a time when you score.
Browse virtual party games →Work icebreaker mode
The work-safe pack sticks to desks, meetings and office kitchens, so it drops into a team stand-up or an onboarding session without anyone having to vet the prompts first.
See work party game ideas →Family and kids mode
The family pack uses short, concrete prompts — toys, farm animals, things in a lunchbox — so a 7-year-old answers as fast as an adult. Drop the timer to 60 seconds and use 6 categories for younger players.
Find more kids party games →Example categories in every pack
Every prompt here is written by us for game night — short enough to answer in 15 seconds, broad enough that no two people give the same answer. Each pack holds 40 or more categories, and the generator never repeats one until the pack is used up.
Classic — 48 categories
The everyone-can-play mix — safe for any room, works with 2 players or 20.
Things in a kitchen · Animals · Things you take on holiday · Cities · Movie titles · Something cold · School subjects · Things that are round …
Family & kids — 40 categories
Short, concrete prompts a 7-year-old can answer as fast as an adult.
Animals at the zoo · Things in a lunchbox · Cartoon characters · Toys · Things in a playground · Ice cream flavours · Things that are yellow · Farm animals …
Work-safe — 40 categories
Written for team meetings and icebreakers — nothing anyone has to explain to HR.
Things on a desk · Job titles · Things in a meeting room · Excuses for missing a meeting · Software you use at work · Things in an office kitchen · Email sign-offs · Things you say on a video call …
Party night — 40 categories
Louder prompts for adult game nights — cheeky, never explicit.
Things at a house party · Bad first-date ideas · Things in a group chat · Cocktails · Reasons to leave a party early · Things you regret buying · Karaoke songs · Things in a taxi …
What to play next
A category party game pairs well with anything that needs pen, paper and a loud room. If your group wants words rather than lists, try our party word generator for charades and Pictionary, or browse online word games for full multiplayer alternatives. Planning a whole evening? The virtual game night guide sets the running order, and our free browser party games take over when everyone is tired of writing — one person creates a room, everyone else joins with a 4-letter code.
Scattergories generator FAQ
- Is this Scattergories category generator free?
- Yes. The generator is completely free, needs no account and no download. Every category pack is bundled with the page, so nothing is sent to a server when you roll a letter or generate a list.
- How do you play a category party game like this online?
- Roll a letter, start the timer, and every player writes one answer for each of the 12 categories — each answer has to begin with the round letter. When the timer ends, read answers aloud: you score a point per category, but duplicate answers cancel out. Play three rounds with different letters and total the scores.
- Which letters can come up?
- The letter die uses 20 letters and skips Q, U, V, X, Y and Z — the ones almost nothing starts with. A letter never repeats until all 20 have been used, so a long game keeps feeling fresh.
- Can I use it for a work team or with kids?
- Yes. There are four category packs: classic, family and kids, work-safe, and party night. The work-safe pack is written for meetings and icebreakers, and the family pack sticks to prompts a young child can answer.
- Can I change the timer length?
- Yes. Pick 1, 2, 3 or 5 minutes, then start, pause or reset the round timer at any point. Shorter rounds suit kids and big groups; five minutes suits a competitive table that argues about every answer.
- Is this the official Scattergories game?
- No. This is a free, independently written category party game generator inspired by the letter-and-list format. OnlineParty.Games is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Scattergories board game or its trademark holders, and none of the category lists here are copied from any published card set.
OnlineParty.Games is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Scattergories board game or its trademark holders. This is an independent, free online category party game inspired by the letter-and-list format, with category lists written by us.