Double Ditto: The Quick Thinking Party Game
I’m always down for playing games at a party. Double Ditto was recently added to our library of board games. I have to say I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.
The premise is incredibly simple. You draw a card which asks a question then write down as many words as you can before time runs out. For example, a card asks you to name as many types of snakes as you can. Then everyone reads off every type of snake they wrote down.
Whenever two people wrote down the same word, you both say ditto and get a point. If three or more people wrote down the same word then they say double ditto and get three points. The goal is to come up with the most common words for each subject.
It’s a really basic game just about anyone can play. Young or old. Rich or poor, tall or short. Well you get the idea. It’s appealing to anyone.
This is definitely a game where the more the merrier. It’s not a two player game since every game would end in a tie. You need three or more players for this game.
Double Ditto is actually good with larger crowds. Some games just get awkward when you get 10 or more players. Since the premise and gameplay are so simple in works well with a large group. It tends to get chatty but any game does with a lot of players.
This game doesn’t require much space either. You just need a book or surface to write on. A table works great as long as there’s room for everyone. As long as everyone has a writing utensil and space to write, all is good.
Whenever we play games we usually alter the rules to accommodate everyone. For this game we played with and without a timer. The timer gives a sense of urgency but can cause some to feel left out. Since the sand timer goes too fast, we tried playing without a timer entirely.
Our goal was to let each round go until everyone had at least three answers. Which seemed to work a little better but there should be a hard limit so the game isn’t so open ended. Using a digital kitchen timer to find a more suitable time limit works best.
Apart from the timer, the only other drawback is Double Ditto isn’t a game I would play for long periods of time. After 30 or 40 minutes it does get a bit redundant. Which is true of many games. It’s just one of many games we include in the rotation on game nights.
It isn’t an intensely competitive game either. I mean the idea isn’t to crush your opponent, it’s to outscore them. Double Ditto is on par with Scattergories or Boggle. Nobody really remembers who won, everyone remembers the conversations and fun that took place.
Summary
Double Ditto is a basic party game with simple rules and quick gameplay. It lends itself well to larger groups of people. While it isn’t a game people can play for hours at a time. Double Ditto deserves a spot in the pool of games played on any party game night.
Double Ditto The Quick Thinking Party Game brought to you by David M.
I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.
