How to play JUST ONE
Set up
Players
JUST ONE is a game for 3 to 7 players, recommended for ages 8 and up.
What you need to play
The game includes all the necessary materials: cards with the words to guess, boards, markers, and erasers.
Turns
JUST ONE is played in turns. In each turn, one player takes on the role of the “guesser,” while the others provide the clues. The player who takes the first turn is chosen at random and then passes to the player on his left.
Hand out easels and markers
Each player receives a board-stand and a marker. The marker’s cap also doubles as an eraser.
Goal of the game
How to Win a Game of JUST ONE
The goal in JUST ONE is to guess as many words as possible out of the 13 in play during each round. It’s a collaborative game, a team challenge.
JUST ONE rules: game development
Card Selection
The game begins with the random selection of 13 cards, placed face down on the table, out of sight from any player at all times. That pile of cards represents the words to be guessed.
This Is How a Turn in JUST ONE Goes
In each turn, the following steps are followed:
1 – PLACE THE CARD ON THE BOARD
The player taking the turn picks the top card from the pile and, without looking at it, places it on their board facing the other players. One side of the board has a notch to secure the card.
2 – SAY A NUMBER FROM 1 TO 5
After placing the card, the player taking the turn randomly chooses a number from 1 to 5, thereby determining the word they need to guess and for which the other players have to provide clues.
WHAT’S UP, WHAT’S GOOD?: It doesn’t happen often, but if a player has no clue about the meaning of the word they need to give a clue for, they can request another number to be selected.
3 – WRITING CLUES
All players, except the one who has to guess, will secretly write on their board a SINGLE WORD that serves as a clue. No one can see what others are writing.
PROHIBITED CLUES: Words phonetically similar, translations, compound words, invented words, and words from the same family are not allowed.
NO CHEATING: It’s also not okay to agree beforehand or use the classic “I’ll write down the obvious!”… You CAN’T TALK.
4 – DISCARDING CLUES
Once everyone has written their clues, the player who has to guess will close their eyes, and the others will reveal their clues. If any word is repeated, it must be erased from all boards where it’s written. That’s what makes the game so much fun! You have to think carefully about what you write, considering what you think others will write. Just One!
SIMILAR WORDS = DISCARDED
If one has written “baker” and the other “bakeress”, they are discarded. If one wrote “smell” and another wrote “smells,” they are discarded. Be objective and realistic, don’t fool yourselves.
5 – GUESSING MOMENT
The moment of truth arrives.
After filtering the clues, the player taking the turn opens their eyes and, based on the remaining clues, tries to guess the word. They have two choices: make a guess or pass.. Why pass? Because if they fail, the team will be doubly penalized, as we’ll see below.
JUST ONE also to answer
You only get one shot! Either you guess it on the first try, or it doesn’t count.
6 – SCORING.
There are three possibilities:
A GOOD WORD!
After the unanimous applause, for the excellent teamwork, the card is set aside to a pile of accurate words.
WRONG GUESS
In this case, not only do no points get added, but the team is penalized. The first card from the remaining pile of cards, along with the incorrectly guessed card, is stored in the game box.
NO RESPONSE
If the player attempting to guess is unsure, they can choose not to respond. In this case, no points are added, the card goes to the box, but there is no penalty.
Next turn
Then the boards are erased, and the turn passes to the player on the left, who becomes the new “guesser.”
Game over – And the winner is…
End of game
The game concludes when there are no more cards left from the initial pile of 13.
And the winner is…
At this point, the number of words guessed is counted, if you only guessed 7 correctly, try again! JUST ONE is a cooperative party game, there are no winners and losers, but a common challenge: to get all 13 words right. Do you think you can do it? Why not give it a go?
Examples from JUST ONE
Let’s say we’re playing with 6 players and this card comes up:
with the player choosing number 3: MEXICO.
Example 1 – Foolproof in this case.
Imagine the clue-givers wrote this:
In this case, the player guessing has it easy. We’re confident that 99% of the population would say “MEXICO”.
Example 2 – Medium to low difficulty
Now, imagine the clues are:
In this case, two identical words are erased, leaving the guesser with only these clues:
This case isn’t as blatantly easy as the previous example, but we’re sure that most people would still say “MEXICO”.
But don’t underestimate the wild associations your fellow players might come up with. You’ll be surprised and burst into laughter more than once. That’s the beauty of this game. It’s what makes it so much fun.
Example 3 – Guessing is almost a miracle.
Now, imagine the clues are:
In this case, two pairs of identical words are erased, leaving the guesser with just one clue:
It’s not impossible, but “TACOS” has various meanings… What would you say? What do you think your friends would say? What about your partner? Don’t waste any more time; get the game and enjoy it!
Tips and Tricks for Playing JUST ONE
2 clues per player
The game recommends that in games with 3 players—two guessing—each player can write two clues instead of one. Our experience suggests that this is also advisable for games with 4 players—three guessing—at least in the early rounds.
Consider who will guess
When crafting clues, consider stepping into the shoes of the one who has to guess. We’re not all the same, with the same knowledge, experience, and thought process. Don’t use clues that are obvious to you; instead, think about what will be evident to the person trying to guess.
Also, think about the other clue-givers
The same goes for your teammates who are also providing clues. If you believe a teammate might write “FIRE” to guess the word SMOKE, think of a different type of word. Though if everyone thinks that way, the most obvious clue might get left out! That’s another charm of this game!
Tips and buying guide
Full transparency: some of the products we recommend include affiliate links. If you buy through them, we get a small commission — at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
You will find JUST ONE in stores specialized in board games, although the best price and the best offers are usually on Amazon.
