Ready when you are
Start a round to reveal the letter
- 1A boy's name
- 2An animal
- 3Something you eat
- 4A city or country
- 5A famous person
- 6Something in the kitchen
- 7A movie or TV show
- 8A job
- 9Something cold
- 10A sport or game
- 11Something you wear
- 12A word your teacher says
About Categories
Free online Scattergories-style game: a random letter, a themed list of categories, a ticking timer, and built-in scoring. AI creates endless new lists on any theme.
Categories is the classic Scattergories-style list game with all the fiddly bits handled for you: a fair letter picker (the impossible letters are left out), themed category lists, a countdown timer, and per-player scoring. Type any theme into the AI bar - Halloween, world geography, your favourite show - pick an age group and difficulty, and the AI writes a brand-new list of categories in seconds, so the game never goes stale. A built-in bank of 36 categories across three lists means it is fully playable with no AI at all. And since every player only needs pen, paper, and sight of the same list, it plays beautifully over a video call: share your screen, start the timer, and family in another country scribbles along with you.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Categories?＋
The app shows a list of categories and a random letter. Before the timer runs out, every player writes one answer per category starting with that letter. Unique valid answers score a point; duplicate answers cancel out.
Can the AI create lists on any topic?＋
Yes - type any theme into the topic box and the AI generates a fresh list of 12 categories about it, matched to the age group and difficulty you choose. Great for themed party nights and classroom vocabulary practice.
Which letters can come up?＋
The letter picker uses the classic Scattergories approach: tricky letters like Q, U, V, X, Y, and Z are left out, so every round is winnable.
How many players can join?＋
Anywhere from 2 to 8 works well. The built-in scoreboard tracks up to 6 players; bigger groups can play in teams.
Do we need the printed game or an app?＋
No - just this page, plus a pen and paper per player. It is free in the browser with no sign-up or downloads.
Can we play with people in another country?＋
Yes - Categories is one of the best screen-share games. Share this page in a video call so everyone sees the same letter and list, start the timer, and each household writes on their own paper. Compare answers out loud when time's up, exactly as if you were at one table.