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- BGG #26,928
- BGG rating
- 5.5
Totally Dingbats
- 2–6 players
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 1990
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- 5.2
Whatzit?
1987
Rules assistance for Whatzit?
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–6 players
- 30 min
- 12+
- Complexity 1.6/5
Rules assistant for Whatzit?
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Whatzit? is a board game released in 1987 for 3–6 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Paul Sellers, Michel Laclos, and Liliane Laclos and its main mechanics are Memory.
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About the game
WHATZIT?™ are cunningly disguised names, phrases and sayings that are turned around, upside-down, sideways or jumbled up. You need to work out the hidden word or phrase on each card. It could be the size, position or direction that will give you a clue. Sometimes, the pictures combined with a word or a number will give you your answer 1987 - BOARD GAME: In 'Whatzit?' the object is to solve rebus-like puzzles. (PLAY PLAY might be "double play") The roll of a die determines if you play solo, against everyone, or challenge a specific opponent. The winner moves the roll of a d6. Special spaces allow you to take a shortcut by solving a tougher "Wicked Whatzit". First to the top of the board wins. 2001 - The Rose Art edition of the game has new puzzles. The puzzles are divided into three categories of difficulty. The more difficult the puzzle, the more points it is worth. Four puzzles from each category are placed randomly in a the three by four frame. Players must solve puzzles which are orthogonally to the previously solved puzzle. The first player to reach an agreed to number of points is the winner. HISTORY: Known as WHATZIT?™ in the USA and Canada, KATCH-ITS™ in Australia/NZ and DINGBATS® in the UK and rest of world, are syndicated internationally, in newspapers, best-selling books and TV shows. The family board game was voted ‘Game of the Year’ in the UK and ‘Toy of the Year’ in the USA. Since then, over 2 million DINGBATS and WHATZIT board games, travel games and best-selling books have been created. 2009/2010 - iPHONE & iPOD TOUCH VERSION OF BOARD GAME: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of 'WHATZIT?' (since the first 'WHATZIT?' were published in Newspapers in 1980), Paul Sellers, the inventor of 'WHATZIT?' has created a new version of the game for iPhone and iPod Touch. You can play against the clock and see if you can achieve the fastest time in the world. This highly-addictive assortment contains 15 levels of 'Sellers' favourite 180 mind-boggling puzzles for the first release and will be adding more card packs in future releases. 'WHATZIT?' is available for download on the iTunes App Store now, and you can see the new website http://www.whatzit.com, which also has a link to the 'WHATZIT?' Boardgame for iPhone.
Mechanics
Publishers
- Parker Brothers
- Waddingtons
- N.W. Damm & Søn (Damm)
- Borras Plana S.A.
- Milton Bradley
- Habourdin International
- Holdson
- Selecta Spielzeug
- RoseArt
- Waddington Sanders Ltd.
- Warren Industries, Inc.
Questions and answers
Whatzit? supports 3–6 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 Whatzit? is 30 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 Whatzit? for ages 12 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.
Whatzit? has a complexity rating of 1.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Whatzit? belongs to these categories: Card Game, Humor, and Word Game. Its main mechanics are Memory. 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 Whatzit? are: Paul Sellers, Michel Laclos, and Liliane Laclos. 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 Whatzit? 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.