One player tries to guess a secret word while everyone else secretly writes a one-word clue. Any clues that match are cancelled, so you need to be clever but not too obvious. You play as a team and try to beat your own score over 13 cards.
What age is Just One for?
Box says 8+
We suggest 7+ with an adult helping, 8+ on their own.
Everyone except the guesser sees the mystery word and writes a single-word clue, and the guesser reads the clues, so reading and writing are the main skills. Clues with spelling mistakes still count as matching and get cancelled. The rules on invalid clues take a minute to explain.
Easy to learn
3 to 7 players
15 minutes
About 3 minutes to set up (our estimate)
Co-operative: everyone wins or loses together
No direct conflict between players. Content: None in the rules. The mystery words are on the cards and the rulebook does not list them.
Checked against the Just One English rules from Repos Production, copyright 2025. Page numbers are the printed numbers, 1 to 4.
Just One 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 card, its words, the clues and the names here are our own made-up set. The real cards have different words. The rules are the real Just One rules, and every page number is a printed page number of the rulebook (pages 1 to 4).
Step 1 of 5: Set the table
1
Set the table
Everyone plays on one team. Each player gets an easel (a small stand that holds a card or paper), a pencil in one colour and a cloth. Shuffle the cards and take 13 at random as a face-down deck in the middle. Pick the first guesser at random (page 1).
The card, its words, the clues and the names Ana, Ben, Cy, Dee and Eli are our own made-up set. The real cards have different words. The rulebook gives no names. We drew the table with six seats because it shows the one-clue-each rule well, and the rulebook's own picture is a table of five (page 1).
The rulebook doesn't say how many words a card has. Its picture of a card on an easel shows five numbered words, so we use five (page 2, picture).
2
The guesser picks a number
The guesser takes the top card without looking and stands it on their easel, facing everyone else. Everyone except the guesser can read it. The guesser then says a number from 1 to 5, and that word is the Mystery Word (page 2). You are the guesser, so you can't see the card. Tap a number.
I don't know this word is a clue-giver's button. If a clue-giver doesn't know the Mystery Word, they can ask the guesser to choose a different number (page 2).
3
Write a clue
Everyone except the guesser secretly writes a clue of one word on their easel (page 2). For this step you swap seats: you are a clue-giver and the Mystery Word is Moon, number 3 on our card. The clue you pick here is only for practice. The next step uses clues from Ana, Ben, Cy, Dee and Eli.
A valid clue can be a compound word (merry-go-round), a proper noun (Sherlock, Red Bull), a number (007), a sound (Riiing), an acronym (FBI) or a special character ($). These are not valid: the Mystery Word in a different language, a word from the same family, a made-up word and a word that sounds the same (page 2). Tap a clue.
The rulebook doesn't say who decides whether a clue is invalid or identical, so talk it over as a table. Here we show the answer.
The valid list names only the special kinds. An ordinary single word, like Night, is the normal clue, so we treat it as valid. The rulebook doesn't say so in words.
4
Compare the clues
When everyone has written a clue, the guesser closes their eyes. Everyone reveals their easel and compares. Identical clues and invalid clues are canceled, and you lay a canceled easel down on the table (page 3). Tap an easel, then tap Keep it or Cancel it.
More pairs
Four kinds of clue count as identical: the same word, words from the same family, the same word in singular and plural, and the same word with a spelling mistake (page 3). Tap a pair, then say if it is the same or different.
If every clue is canceled, the Mystery Word card goes in the game box and you go straight to the end of the round (page 3).
5
Guess, then count the cards
The guesser opens their eyes and looks at the clues left. You get one guess, or you can pass (page 3). A right guess wins the card. A pass loses it. A wrong guess loses it twice: this card and the top card of the deck go back in the box. If the deck is empty, a card you already won goes back instead, if you have one (page 3).
How did we do?
The game ends when the deck of 13 cards is empty. Count the cards you won to find your level (page 4). Tap plus or minus.
If you try this with real cards: when the round ends, everyone wipes their clue off with their cloth, and the player to the left of the guesser guesses next (page 4).
House rule With younger kids, team a younger player with a grown-up, who whispers the spelling or writes the one-word clue they pick together. The rulebook has no beginner variant.
That is a whole round. Setup, a scoring helper and a pocket card are below.
How do you teach Just One to kids?
The box says 8 and up. We suggest 7 and up with an adult helping, and 8 and up on their own. Everyone writes and reads single words, so players need to read and spell. A clue with a spelling mistake still counts as the same word (page 3). The mystery words are on the cards and are not in the rulebook, so check the words before you play with younger kids.
Say this
We are a team. One person is the guesser, and the rest of us help them find a secret word. The guesser does not look at it.
The guesser picks a number from 1 to 5, and that is the word on the card the rest of us read.
We each write a one-word clue on our easel, in secret.
Then the guesser closes their eyes and we compare. If two clues are the same, or a clue is not allowed, we lay those easels down.
The guesser opens their eyes and looks at the clues left. They get one guess, or they can pass.
We play through 13 cards, then count the cards we won to see how we did.
The rulebook has no beginner variant, so every simplification below is a house rule.
First-game simplifications
House rule Let a younger player team up with a grown-up, who whispers the spelling or writes the one-word clue they pick together.
House rule Play the first game without counting a score. Just talk about which clues got canceled and why.
House rule Let the grown-ups check clues for the rule slips (same family, made-up word, other language) before the reveal, so a kid's clue is not canceled for a rule they did not know yet.
Watch-outs for kids ages 7 to 8
The guesser is the only player who does not see the Mystery Word. Everyone else reads it from the card on the easel (page 2).
A clue is one word only. Names, numbers, sounds, acronyms and symbols are fine. Another language, a word from the same family, a made-up word and a homophone are not (page 2).
Clues that are the same are canceled, including the same word in singular and plural, words from the same family, and spelling mistakes (page 3).
If you do not know the Mystery Word, you can ask the guesser to choose a different number (page 2).
The guesser gets one guess or a pass. A wrong guess loses this card and the next card from the deck (page 3).
If every clue is canceled, the card goes back in the box and you move on to the next round (page 3).
Back for another game?
Setup: each player has an easel, pencil and cloth. Take 13 random cards as a face-down deck. Pick the first guesser at random (page 1).
Round: the guesser takes the top card without looking and puts it on their easel so the others can read it. They pick a number from 1 to 5 for the Mystery Word (page 2).
Clues: everyone but the guesser secretly writes one valid word. Valid: compound words, names, numbers, sounds, acronyms, symbols. Not valid: another language, the same family, a made-up word, a homophone (page 2).
Compare: the guesser closes their eyes. Identical or invalid clues are canceled (page 3).
Guess: one guess, or pass. Correct: keep the card. Pass: the card goes in the box. Wrong: the card and the next card go in the box (page 3).
End of round: wipe your clue. The player on the left of the guesser is the next guesser (page 4).
With 3 or 4 players, each player has two easels and writes two different clues (page 4).
End of game: after 13 cards. Count the cards you won to see your level, from Eek at 0 to 3 up to Incredible at 13 (page 4).
Every round, five things
The rulebook numbers the phases of a round, so here they are in order (pages 2 to 4).
Pick a numberThe guesser stands the top card on their easel without looking and says a number from 1 to 5.
Write a clueEveryone else secretly writes one valid word on their easel.
CompareThe guesser closes their eyes. Identical and invalid clues are canceled.
GuessThe guesser opens their eyes and makes one guess, or passes.
Wipe and pass leftWipe your clue off. The player on the left guesses next.
How do you score Just One?
You play as a team, so there is one score: the number of cards you won out of 13 (page 4). The levels are Eek for 0 to 3, Not bad for 4 to 6, Average for 7 to 8, Good for 9 to 10, Very good for 11, Impressive for 12 and Incredible for 13 (page 4).
Your pocket card
For the table. The front is your turn, the back is your level.
Just One, the short version
Wincards together
Guesser: pick a number from 1 to 5. Everyone else reads that word.
Clues: everyone else writes one word, in secret.
Compare: same or invalid clues are canceled. The guesser opens their eyes.
Guess: one guess or a pass. Wrong loses two cards.
13 cards in the deck. The player on the left guesses next.