Friends who enjoy deduction
Read the clues, explain your suspicions and see who convinces the room. Nobody is eliminated.
Odd Signal
An emoji social deduction game. Share three emoji clues and find the player with a different secret word.
- 3+ players
- About 20 min
- Secret words & votes
Set up your rounds, then invite players by QR code or link.
What’s the game?
Everyone gets a secret word on their phone. One player gets a different word from the same theme — but nobody is told which role they have. Three emoji clues are all you can share about your word.
Compare everyone's clues and talk about what seems to fit. After three clue exchanges, secretly vote for the person you suspect. The reveal shows both words and whether the odd signal slipped through.
If you enjoy Undercover, try finding the different secret word through emoji clues. Odd Signal has three clue exchanges, individual scores and no player elimination.
Who will enjoy it?
A group of three or more
Everyone uses their own phone. Gather around one shared screen or discuss the clues on a voice call.
A playful team social
Familiar topics give colleagues something to discuss without needing personal trivia.
How to play
Keep your word secret
Read your word privately. Everyone has one, and one player has a different but related word. Your phone does not tell you which role you have.
Send three emoji clues
Choose exactly three of the 20 offered emojis. They reveal together, then everyone discusses the signals. Repeat for three exchanges with fresh emoji options.
Vote and see the reveal
Vote privately for another player. A unique highest vote total catches the odd player; a tie or no votes lets them escape. See both words and the points.
Beach or swimming pool?
Most players see “Beach”. One sees “Swimming pool”. Nobody knows which word the others received.
One person sends ☀️ 🌊 🏖️. Another sends 🏊 🏠 💧. Compare those clues with the next two exchanges before voting.
If the swimming-pool player has the unique highest vote total, they are caught. Each other player who voted for them earns 1 point. If they escape, they earn 2 points.
How points work
A correct vote earns 1 point for a player with the common word, even if the group does not catch the odd player. The odd player earns 2 points for escaping and 0 when caught. Ties let them escape. Highest total score wins, with shared places for equal scores.
A tip for the host
Choose your packs and pace, then show the QR code. The host screen keeps words secret and shows everyone's emoji clues. Timers advance clue exchanges; you can move on early if a phone disconnects. Keep words unsaid until the reveal.
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