Party Games
How to play Catch Phrase
Give clues until your team says the displayed answer, then pass to the opposition. Avoid holding the unit at the buzzer.
What you need
Electronic Catch Phrase 41461 unit and three AAA batteries
Set up the game
- Form two teams, seated alternately. Clear scores and choose a category while the timer is stopped. Select a starting player.
Playing Catch Phrase
- Start the timer and describe the displayed answer to your team; gestures are allowed.
- Do not say part of the answer, give its first letter or a rhyming-word clue. Opponents catching a violation stop the timer and earn the round point.
- After a correct answer, pass to an opposing player, who presses Next and gives clues. Continue while the timer runs.
- At the buzzer, the nonholding team gets one point and one final guess at the unsolved answer for a bonus point. Record scores; the holding team starts next round. First to seven wins.
The beep decides the point
Team A solves a word and passes. Team B receives the unit but the buzzer sounds before its answer. A gets one point plus a chance for the bonus final guess. A receives no separate point merely for solving the earlier word; that answer only enabled the pass.
Make the model visible
Check the number near the battery compartment before teaching bonus scoring. Keeping the correct sheet with the unit prevents disputes between players who learned different electronic editions. A similar phone app may also use a different timer or scoring system.
Beginner decisions
- Start by identifying object, person, place or action; narrowing the category helps teammates interpret a gesture.
- Arrange the physical handoff before play so nobody throws or drops the unit under time pressure.
Common rule mix-ups
- Scoring every correct answer. Answers transfer possession; the buzzer awards the round point.
- Borrowing Ultimate’s fifteen-second rule for this model.
Questions about this game
Can we change category mid-round?
No. Change it only when the timer is stopped.
Are gestures forbidden?
No. Physical gestures are expressly allowed.
Sources and edition notes
Hasbro Electronic Catch Phrase Second Edition, 41461-I (2004/2005), bonus final guess; not Ultimate’s timed-passing variant.
Sources and stated format checked October 14, 2026. This records a document check, not a claim of hands-on testing.
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