Thinking on your feet is very different from considering a subject deeply. Both are very useful skills to have, but they’re used to solve different kinds of problems. Specifically, practicing coming up with numerous related concepts in a short space of time can really boost your creativity.

This is exactly what this game is all about. Each player (of which up to six can play, or more if they team up) receives a card containing a list of twelve “scattergories” and a 20-sided die is rolled to select a letter of the alphabet. Then, everyone has 3 minutes in which to come up with a word starting with that letter that matches each of the twelve descriptions.

Some, like “nicknames” and “vegetables”, are pretty simple, though categories like “things you don’t want in the house” and “ways to say yes” require you to do a little lateral thinking.

The catch is that your answers have to be unique to score points.

In other words, if you’re asked for a color starting with B, “Bronze” or “Burgundy” would be a good choice, “Brown” not so much.

This classic board game will make a a welcome addition to the games cupboard in your living room.

Unfortunately, even though it’s on the expensive side, we can’t say great things about its quality. The hourglass-type timer is a little wonky, the category cards are kind of flimsy and difficult to read and the folders meant to hold players’ answer sheets are nearly useless.

Still, even with this drawback, you’re bound to have fun once everyone gets into the right spirit.