One Word
About the game and how to play
One Word is a cooperative word game. One player cannot see the secret word, and everyone else writes them a single-word clue. Clues that say the same thing cancel each other out and the guesser never sees them. So do not write the obvious clue — write the good one nobody else will think of.
- Players
- 3–20 players
- Category
- Party games
- Price
- Free, no download, no sign-up
- Where to play
- In the browser on phone, tablet and computer
Can be played with friends in an online room
How to play
- One player does not see the word; everyone else writes ONE single-word clue.
- Matching clues cancel out and the guesser never sees them.
- The guesser reads the remaining clues and makes a guess.
- Work together to get as many words right as you can.
Tips
- Do not write the first clue that pops into your head — someone else probably will too, and both will cancel. For ELEPHANT, a narrower angle like trunk beats animal.
- The duplicate check ignores capitals and plurals, so animal and animals cancel each other out. Writing the singular or the plural makes no difference.
- As the guesser, pass if the clues are weak: a pass costs one card, while a wrong guess costs two.
- Keep the review step on: any cluegiver can strike a clue that breaks the rules with one tap before the guesser sees it. If a guess was close enough, the host can change the call to count it.
Frequently asked questions
Which clues count as the same in One Word?
The same word written with different capitals, a plural ending or punctuation counts as a duplicate, and every copy is removed. Words that are spelled differently, even by one letter, stay separate so two genuinely different clues are not lost.
What is the difference between a wrong guess and a pass?
A wrong guess uses up two cards from the deck — the current card plus a penalty card. A pass only uses the current card, which is why dropping a hopeless card is often the smarter move.
Is there a winner in One Word?
No single winner — the whole table plays as one team. When the deck runs out, the game counts how many cards you got right and gives the table a rating based on that share, with every card guessed counting as a perfect deck.
Who does the guessing?
The guesser changes with every card, and the first one is chosen at random. That way everyone takes a turn not seeing the word.