Odd One Out: Word Bluffing Game Online
Everyone gets the same secret word, except one. Trade hints, then vote out the bluffer.
Social deduction · 4 to 12 players · about 15 minutes · free to host, nothing to download, TV optional
About the game
Everyone at the table gets a secret word, but one of you has a slightly different one, and nobody is told which. Odd One Out is a game of careful hints and suspicious looks for 4 to 12 players. Three rounds take about 15 minutes, and it is sharpest with 5 to 8 people.
Hints are typed, so they appear on the TV if you have one, or on everyone's own screen with "Just this screen". That makes it an easy pick for a video call: each person opens the room on their own device and you do the arguing out loud.
How to play
- Check your secret word. Most players get the same word; the odd players get a related but different one. Nobody is told which group they belong to.
- Take turns typing hints about your word. Be specific enough to show you belong, but do not give the word away. The default is two hint rounds.
- Discuss the hints, then vote for someone else. If an odd player is caught, correct voters earn two points. An uncaught odd player earns three.
- A caught odd player can still earn two points by guessing the majority word. Highest total after the last round wins.
Open a room for Odd One Out. No app, no accounts, free to host.
Tips to play well
- You do not know if you are the odd one. If the hints around you seem to describe something a little off from your word, you may be the one holding the near miss, so blend in until you are sure.
- Hints are capped at 30 characters and you get 30 seconds each. A sharp single word beats a long sentence, and silence is worse: a missed turn shows as skipped for the whole table to see.
- Being too vague looks guilty, being too exact hands the word to the odd one. Aim for a hint that only makes sense if you know the word, such as a place you would find it, not what it is.
- If you are odd and get caught, you still have 20 seconds to type the majority word for 2 points. Listen closely to every hint, because the guess can rescue your round.
- Do the maths. Slipping through as the odd one is worth 3 points, more than a correct vote earns. With two odd players, both can score if the room picks the wrong person.
Host settings
- Rounds: 1 to 8 rounds, each with a new word pair. The default is 3.
- Hint laps: How many hints each player gives per round: 1 to 3, with 2 by default.
- Odd ones out: One by default. With 7 or more players the host can set it to 2.
Questions people ask
How does the scoring work?
If the most voted player is an odd one, everyone else who voted for an odd player scores 2. An odd one who escapes scores 3, and a caught odd one can win 2 back by guessing the majority word.
What if the vote ties?
Everyone tied on the most votes is revealed. If any of them is an odd one, the odd one counts as caught.
Is it like Spyfall?
It belongs to the same family of hidden information deduction games, but this is our own take on the secret word style with our own 62 word pairs. The odd player always gets a related word, never a blank.
Can we play with fewer than four?
No, four is the minimum and twelve the maximum. The host can add computer players to reach four; bots give short generic hints and vote on who sounded off.
Similar games
- Nightfall: Secret roles. The town hunts the Mafia by day; every player makes a move at night. 4 to 16 players, about 20 minutes.
- Spy Grid: Two handlers, one 5×5 grid, one-word clues. Find your words before the trap. 4 to 16 players, about 15 minutes.
- Two Truths: Write two truths and a lie on your screen. The TV puts one player on the spot; spot the lie or get fooled. 3 to 12 players, about 15 minutes.
- Most Likely To: The TV asks who is most likely to. Everyone points at someone, even themselves. Read the room to score. 3 to 16 players, about 10 minutes.
Guides
- Games Like Spyfall: Spy and Outsider Games, Plus Spyfall Rules, 60 Locations and Questions: The best games like Spyfall for every group, then how to play Spyfall itself: rules and scoring, 60 new locations with roles and 50 questions.
- Party Games for Adults: 34 Fun Games for Dinner Parties, Big Parties and Couples Nights: 34 party games for adults, sorted for dinner parties, bigger parties and couples nights. Clever, a little cheeky, never explicit, no drinking needed.
- Games Like Among Us: 16 Social Deduction Games Online, Free, in a Browser and in Person: The best games like Among Us compared: free and paid, PC, mobile, browser and in-person social deduction games, with player counts and prices.
- Party Games: 62 of the Best Party Games for Any Group, Room and Mood (With a Chooser): 62 of the best party games, sorted by group size, energy, setting and props, each with players, time, what you need and how to play.
Spyfall is a trademark of its owner. Rondovo is not affiliated with it.