Platypus

About this board game

Platypus is a cooperative word-deduction game for 2–8 players that takes about 30 minutes to play. Players work together to identify one hidden word from a display of eight common words or proper names.

At the start of the game, the eight face-up cards represent possible “platypuses.” The guides know which card the explorers must guess, while the explorers use adjective cards to determine which possibilities do not fit.

Each guide has a hand of four clue cards. After every new clue, the explorers must eliminate one or two cards that they believe do not match the description. The challenge lies in interpreting each adjective and deciding which words can safely be ruled out.

• Cooperative play for 2–8 players
• Eight possible word or name cards in play
• Guides provide adjective-based clues
• Explorers eliminate one or two cards after each clue
• Approximately 30 minutes per game

Everyone loses if the explorers eliminate the hidden platypus. If they successfully eliminate the wrong possibilities four times, leaving the target standing alone, the whole group wins.

With its shared decisions and gradually narrowing selection, Platypus turns everyday adjectives into a tense test of interpretation. The game was released in 2021 and gives the entire table the same objective: use the clues wisely, avoid removing the answer, and reveal the platypus together.