Fast reflexes and a watchful eye are critical to winning Spot It. Players compete to find matching symbols among game cards to Spot It! Read on to discover the Spot It game rules and instructions.
One unique feature of Spot It is the multiple playing options included in the card game. Read below to learn five different gameplay variations so you’ll never tire of this seek-and-find card game.
This Spot It game rules guide will cover the following:
- What is Spot It?
- What you’ll need to play Spot It
- Spot It Game Rules
- How to play Spot It (Video Tutorial)
- FAQs
Read on to learn how to play Spot It.
What is Spot It?
A quick and easy card game, Spot It, is designed with many playing variations. Players try to find matching images on sets of cards to earn the most points.
Number of Players: 2-8 players
Ages: 6+
Difficulty: Easy
Length of Play: 15 minutes
Category: Card game, family game
Similar to: Twin It, Clack, Emojinks
Main Objective: Players look for matching images between two cards to score points.
Why We Love It: This fun grab-and-go card game is the perfect boredom buster for a lengthy car trip or vacation.
What You’ll Need to Play Spot It
Everything you need to play is included in this boxed set.
The complete game box contains:
- 55 Cards
- 5 Minigame Instructions
Area of Play
All you need is a table or playing surface to set up the game.
There are five game variations; however, they each require minimal setup.
Spot It Game Rules
Described below are the five miniversions of the game Spot It.
Each game requires players to find matching images between cards. The images must be the same color and picture, but the size may differ.
The Tower
Begin by dealing one card to each player face-down, and put the rest of the deck face-up in the middle of the table.
Simultaneously, players flip their cards over and try to spot a matching image on the center card and their own card.
The first player to find a match calls it out loud and places the card face-up on top of their card, creating a pile.
Now that a new card is revealed, play continues until there are no cards remaining in the center deck. The player with the most cards collected at the end wins!
The Well
Place one card face-up in the center of the table. Deal the rest of the cards evenly to all players, face-down. Try to be the first player to get rid of all of your cards.
Simultaneously, players flip their draw piles over and begin looking for a matching image on the center card.
Call out the match first, and you can place your card on top of the center card. Keep this gameplay going, using the new center card each time.
The first player to run out of cards wins!
Hot Potato
Shuffle the cards and deal one card face-down to each player. Set aside the remaining cards for later.
The object of this Spot It game is to have the least amount of cards after playing at least five rounds.
Simultaneously, players flip their cards over in the palm of their hands, so the images are facing up.
When you spot a matching image, call it out and then place your card on top of their card. Then, continue this gameplay by trying to rid of the card in your hand.
When a player spots the match, they will hand over all the cards to the other player.
When one player is left with all the cards, they lose the round. They can place the cards aside, forming a personal discard pile.
Continue playing until the end of the fifth round. The person with the least amount of cards in their discard deck wins!
The Poisoned Gift
Deal one card face-down to each player. Place the remaining cards face-up in the middle of the table to form a draw pile.
Players flip their cards over at the same time and begin looking for a match between the center card and any other player’s card.
Whoever spots the match first calls it out and places the center card on top of the player’s card with the matching image.
Gameplay continues in this version of Spot It until the draw pile runs out. Then, the player with the least amount of cards wins the game.
Triplet
The object of this game is to collect the most cards.
Place all the cards face-down into a deck. Then, the first player draws the top nine cards from the pile and arranges them on the table in three rows of three, face-up.
All players begin searching to find a matching symbol on any three of the visible cards.
Once you find a matching set of three, call it out and collect the set of three cards for your own pile.
Replace the empty three spots with new cards from the original deck.
The game ends when the deck is depleted, there are fewer than nine cards left on the table and no more sets of matching cards.
The player with the most cards is the winner.
How to Keep Score in Spot It
There is no numerical scoring when it comes to the different gameplay styles of Spot It. Most variations allow players to win if they collect the most or have the fewest cards by the end of the game. Each version is explained specifically in the Spot It Game Rules section above.
How to Play Spot It – Video Tutorial
Frequently Asked Questions
How many different Spot It games are there?
The original boxed game specifies directions for five variations on the actual gameplay. However, new editions include a waterproof game and a camping-themed edition.
What age is Spot It for?
Spot It is recommended for ages 6 and up.
Other Games Similar to Spot It (Our Guides)
If you are looking for other family-friendly games, be sure to check these out:
- How to Play Sequence for Kids
- Classic Uno rules
- Happy Salmon Rules
- Blink Card Game
- Clack (guide coming soon)
- Emojilinks (guide coming soon)
- Fly Swatter game
