Oodles

About this board game

Oodles is a wordplay quiz game for 3–10 players that takes about 20 minutes to play. Released in 1992, it combines clever crossword-like clues, a ticking electronic timer, and rapid-fire competition.

Each card contains 10 questions and a Silly Starter. The starter is asked to the player holding the large plastic Oodle stick. If that player answers correctly, they begin tackling the card’s questions; every answer on the card begins with the same letter.

• A ticking electronic timer that stops while its button is held down and starts again when released
• An Oodle stick used as a large start-player marker
• A deck of cards featuring a Silly Starter and 10 questions each

Players have only one guess for each question. If the active player misses, the moderator calls an all play and reads the question again. The first player to answer correctly earns the right to continue answering questions on that card. In a tie, both tied players try the next question.

The clues are the heart of Oodles, pairing unusual wording with satisfying answers. “Cowboy questionnaire” leads to “Gallup Poll,” “A very serious hole” points to “Grave,” and “Where they regularly hang painters” suggests “Gallery.” Other examples include “Word to describe a naked grizzly” for “Bare” and “Fish with a very deep voice” for “Bass.”

The player who correctly answers the final question takes the card. If no one gets that last question while the moderator is moving from player to player, the moderator receives it. The first player to collect five cards wins, making every clever guess—and every tick of the timer—matter.