Is Dixit good for kids? Age and difficulty

Each turn one player gives a clue about a picture card. Everyone else picks a card from their hand that fits, then everyone except the storyteller votes for the card they think is the storyteller's, and nobody can vote for their own. A clue that is not too easy or too hard scores best.

What age is Dixit for?

Box says 8+

We suggest 7+ with an adult helping, 8+ on their own.

No reading is needed because the clue is spoken and the cards are pictures, but scoring depends on how many players find the storyteller's card, and a good clue must be neither too obvious nor too hidden. A 7 year old can play with a grown-up helping with the scoring, and an 8 year old can score alone. Mixed ages work well since any clue style is allowed.

Easy to learn
3 to 8 players
30 minutes
About 3 minutes to set up (our estimate)
Competitive

No direct conflict between players. Content: The rulebook shows no violent or scary content. It does not show the card artwork, so look at the pictures yourself.

Rated from the rulebook, checked 2026-10-09

How we rate games

Rules as of the Dixit (refresh edition) English rules from Libellud.

Also good for 7, 8, 9 and 10 year olds.

How do you set up Dixit?

Checked against the Dixit refresh edition English rules from Libellud (credits dated 2021). Page numbers are PDF pages: the rulebook has no printed numbers, page 1 is a cover and the rules are on pages 2 and 3.

Players

Each player picks a color and takes the matching voting dial and rabbit pawn (page 3).
Each player puts their pawn on the starting space of the scoring track (page 3).
Shuffle all 84 cards (page 3).
Deal 6 cards face down to each player (page 3).
With 3 players, deal 7 cards to each player instead of 6 (page 3).
Put the rest of the cards in a draw pile (page 3).
With 3 players, remember that everyone except the storyteller picks 2 cards for the riddle, so 5 cards go on the board, and the players who gave 2 cards draw 2 cards at the end of the turn (page 3).
The first player to find a clue for a riddle is the first storyteller (page 2).

Dixit in five steps

This is a walkthrough of one round at a table of six: you, Ana, Ben, Cy, Dee and Eli. Scroll down and tap things to try them. The board follows along. It is not a game, so nothing is dealt or shuffled. The pictures, their labels, the clues and the names here are our own simple drawings and made-up words, not Dixit's artwork. The rules are the real Dixit rules. Page numbers are PDF pages: the rulebook has no printed numbers, and page 1 is a cover, so the rules are on pages 2 and 3.

Step 1 of 5: Set the table

1

Set the table

Each player picks a colour and takes the matching voting dial and rabbit pawn. Each pawn goes on the starting space of the scoring track (page 3). Shuffle all 84 cards, deal 6 face down to each player and make a draw pile with the rest (page 3). The first player who finds a clue becomes the first storyteller (page 2).

The dial colours, the names Ana, Ben, Cy, Dee and Eli and the six drawings (Moon, Kite, Key, Umbrella, Fish, Teapot, plus Cloud for the 3 player hand of 7) are our own. The rulebook lets each player choose a colour and gives no names. The draw pile counts are the sums 84 minus the cards dealt. Seats go clockwise from you, and the player on your left is the next seat along. We drew and labelled which side is left, because the rulebook only says the player to the left of the storyteller (page 2).

The rulebook shows only the 6 player count of cards on the board (page 2). For other table sizes we take one card from each player, from the same sentence. This walkthrough teaches the 6 and 3 player ways.

2

Be the storyteller

You are the storyteller. You pick a card from your hand without revealing it, and you say a clue aloud (page 2). We picked the Kite for you. The clue can be a word or a sentence, or even sung, mimed or an onomatopoeia (page 3). Tap a clue to say it.

If the clue is too easy (for example too descriptive) or too hard (too abstract or personal), the storyteller may not score. The aim is that at least one player, but not all, finds the card (page 3). The rulebook doesn't forbid a descriptive clue, so we allow it and warn you.

The clues, the Kite and the order of the numbered cards are our own, written out by hand so every tap has an answer. The rulebook says only that the storyteller places the cards at random beside the numbered slots (page 2).

3

Vote as a guesser

Now a new round, told from a guesser's seat. Ana is the storyteller and says Whoosh. Everyone except the storyteller takes their voting dial and secretly turns it to the number of the card they think is the storyteller's. Nobody can vote for their own card. When everyone has voted, all the dials are shown at the same time (page 2). Tap a card number to turn your dial.

Ben, Cy, Dee and Eli have already turned their dials. Where they point is fixed and our own. Nothing on the board shows which card is Ana's until she turns it over.

With 3 players a player has two cards on the board. The rulebook says a vote on either one gives the bonus, but it doesn't say whether you can vote for your second card (page 3), so we don't teach that.

4

Score the round

The storyteller reveals which card is theirs and counts the votes it got (page 2). If all players voted for it, or none did, the storyteller does not score and the others each score 2. If some voted for it, but not all, the storyteller scores 3 and so does each player who found it. The others score nothing. Then each player except the storyteller scores 1 bonus for each vote their own card got (page 2). Players move their pawns one space per point (page 2).

From here we score three fixed example rounds, so the numbers don't depend on your tap. Pick a tab, tap what Ana scores, then tap Score it.

The bonus point is drawn in its own box on page 2, apart from the two scoring cases, and it starts with the words in addition. So we add it in all three cases, including when everyone or nobody found the card. The rulebook's own example shows it only when some players found the card (page 3).

Cases A and B are our own example votes. Case C is the rulebook's own example from page 3, with our names in place of its colours.

5

Finish the turn and the game

At the end of the turn, put the cards used into a discard pile. Each player draws back up to a full hand. If there are not enough cards in the draw pile, shuffle the rest together with the discard pile to make a new draw pile. The player to the left of the storyteller tells next (page 2). Ana told this turn. Tap the seat that tells next.

Is the game over?

The game ends at the end of a turn, so finish the scoring first. If one or more players have 30 or more points, the game ends, the player with the most points wins, and a tie shares the victory (page 2). The totals below are our own, except that case C turns Ben from 26 to 31. Pick a set and say if the game is over.

House rule With younger kids, let a younger storyteller start with a one-word clue. The rulebook has no beginner variant.

That is a whole turn. Setup, a scoring helper and a pocket card are below. The rulebook text doesn't show the artwork, so look through the real cards yourself before you play with younger kids.

How do you teach Dixit to kids?

The box says 8 and up. We suggest 7 and up with an adult helping, and 8 and up on their own. No reading is needed, because the clue is spoken and the cards are pictures. The rulebook text does not show the artwork, so look through the pictures yourself before you play with younger kids.

Say this

Each turn one person is the storyteller. They pick a card from their hand and say a clue about it. The clue can be a word, a sentence, a song or a sound.
Everyone else picks a card from their own hand that fits the clue, and passes it face down to the storyteller, who mixes them all together.
The cards go face up with numbers. Everyone except the storyteller secretly votes for the card they think is the storyteller's. You can not vote for your own.
If everyone finds the storyteller's card, or nobody does, the storyteller gets nothing. The clue was too easy or too hard.
If some find it, the storyteller and the finders each get 3 points. You also get 1 point for each vote your own card got.
Then everybody draws back up, the next person on the left is the storyteller, and the first to 30 points ends the game.

The rulebook has no beginner variant, so every simplification below is a house rule.

First-game simplifications

House rule Play to a lower target, such as 15 points, for a shorter first game. The rulebook ends the game at 30 (page 2).
House rule Let a grown-up use the scorer below, so kids can enjoy the voting and not the sums.
House rule Let a younger storyteller start with a one-word clue, and talk about what makes a clue too easy or too hard after the first round.

Watch-outs for kids ages 7 to 8

A clue that everyone finds, or that nobody finds, scores nothing for the storyteller. The aim is that at least one player, but not all, finds the card (pages 2 and 3).
You can not vote for your own card, and the storyteller does not vote (page 2).
Each vote your own card gets is worth 1 point to you, if you are not the storyteller (page 2).
Voting is secret. Everyone shows their dials at the same time (page 2).
With 3 players, hands are 7 cards, and each non-storyteller puts in 2 cards for the riddle (page 3).
The game ends at the end of a turn once someone has 30 or more. The most points wins, and a tie shares the win (page 2).

Back for another game?

Setup: each player takes a dial and pawn, the pawn goes on the start of the track. Deal 6 cards each (7 with 3 players) and put the rest in a draw pile (page 3).
Riddle: the storyteller picks a card in secret and says a clue. Everyone else picks a card that fits and hands it in face down (2 cards each with 3 players). The storyteller mixes them and lays them out beside the numbered slots (pages 2 and 3).
Vote: everyone except the storyteller secretly dials the number of the card they think is the storyteller's. No voting for your own card. Reveal dials together (page 2).
All or none found the storyteller's card: the storyteller scores 0 and each other player scores 2 (page 2).
Some found it, not all: the storyteller scores 3 and each player who found it scores 3. The others score 0 (page 2).
Bonus: each player except the storyteller scores 1 for each vote on their own card (page 2).
End of turn: used cards go to the discard pile and everyone draws back up to a full hand (1 card, or 2 for each player who gave 2 cards with 3 players). The player on the left is the next storyteller (pages 2 and 3).
Game end: at the end of a turn where someone has 30 or more points. Most points wins, and ties share the win (page 2).

Every turn, five things

The rulebook describes a turn in this order (pages 2 and 3).

Tell a clueThe storyteller picks a card in secret and says a clue aloud.
Hand in a cardEveryone else secretly gives the storyteller a card that fits the clue.
Lay out and voteThe cards go face up by the numbered slots. Everyone but the storyteller votes on a dial, then the dials are shown together.
ScoreMove your pawn one space per point.
Draw back and pass leftDraw back up to a full hand. The player on the left tells next.

How do you score Dixit?

After each round, pick the storyteller and whose card each other player voted for, then press Score this round. The storyteller moves to the left after each round. If all or none of the others found the storyteller's card, the storyteller scores 0 and the others score 2. Otherwise the storyteller and each player who found it score 3. Every player except the storyteller also scores 1 for each vote on their own card (page 2). The game ends when someone reaches 30, and a tie shares the win (page 2).

Players

Storyteller

Your pocket card

For the table. The front is your turn, the back is scoring.

Dixit, the short version

Most points wins

Storyteller: pick a card in secret and give a clue.
Everyone else: hand in a card from your hand that fits the clue.
Vote: everyone but the storyteller votes for the card they think is the storyteller's, never their own.
Then: draw back up. The player on the left tells next.

Not too easy and not too hard: some players should find it, but not all.

Scoring a round

Some found it, not all	storyteller 3, finders 3
All or none found it	storyteller 0, others 2
Votes on your own card	1 each

Game end

Someone reaches 30	game ends after the turn
Most points	wins, ties share