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Letter Jam
- 2–6 players
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- 2019
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Hooky
2023
Rules assistance for Hooky
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 45–60 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.6/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Hooky
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Hooky is a board game released in 2023 for 3–5 players, 45–60 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by James Miller (I) and Friends of Aseema and its main mechanics are Spelling and Deduction.
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About the game
Welcome to the wonderful world of Hooky. Of the 26 children who should be in classes today, three are off playing hooky. It is morning before school starts, and in the chaos, your job as a homeroom teacher is to figure out which three are missing. There are some children off in the playground who are late getting to their homerooms, and you will learn their identities as they straggle in. The three missing students are represented by three hooky cards. You earn points by correctly deducing the identity of the three hooky cards and thereby finding the three missing students. You can also earn points by learning which students are in the other players' classrooms (i.e., hands of cards). The player with the highest score wins. Let the search begin! More on the mechanics: Hooky is a deduction game with a little sprinkle of push-your-luck if you want. Each student is represented by a letter of the alphabet. All players are dealt a few cards and therefore have some knowledge of which students are definitely not missing. To solve the mystery, you will ask for and give clues using five-letter words of your choice. The person asked gives a number as an answer, communicating how many of the letters in the words they have in hand, but not which. By learning which players have which letters (students), you will begin to suspect which students are off playing Hooky and which players have what information.
Designers
Publishers
- Rio Grande Games
Questions and answers
Hooky supports 3–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Hooky is 45–60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Hooky for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Hooky has a complexity rating of 2.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Hooky belongs to these categories: Word Game and Deduction. Its main mechanics are Spelling and Deduction. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Hooky are: James Miller (I) and Friends of Aseema. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Hooky as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.