Bid on a Squid

2+ players, 20ish minutes to play, ages 10+

Overview

In Bid on a Squid, players are competing to guess the answer to a question, such as “How many bones are in the human hand?”, without going over.

Players take it in turns to ‘bid’ on the answer, where the next bid must be a higher answer than the previous. If a player thinks that the answer has got too high, they can pass. Once all players have passed except one, the answer is revealed. If the final players answer is below the correct answer, they score points. If it is above the correct answer, however, all the other players score points instead! First player to get 10 points wins!

Set up

Get a method to keep track of your scores – pen and paper, an app or sweets etc

Place an object that you can grab in one hand in the middle of the table, such as a small toy, a spoon or a hairbrush. This is called The Jig.

The player who looks the most like a squid goes first.

Scroll down to the first question on this page – it works best if it’s on a mobile and can be places on the table for everyone to see.

How to play

1. The first player reads the question out loud to all players.

2. The first player then ‘bids’ on the answer, saying any number. It can be a whole or a decimal up to one decimal place.

3. The next player can either:

• Increase the bid by saying a higher number than the previous answer
• or
• Pass. If they pass they are out for the rest of the round and cannot bid again.

4. Repeat step 3, continuing around the table as many times as necessary until all players have passed, except one – who we will dramatically call: ‘The Final Bidder’.

5. Reveal the correct answer by clicking "Show Answer" and then two things can happen:

• If The Final Bidder’s answer was the same or below the correct answer they score 2 points.
• Or
• If The Final Bidder’s answer was above the correct answer, all other players score one point. In a 2 player game, the other player scores two points instead of one.

6. The Final Bidder goes first in the next round.

7. Continue playing more rounds until a player reaches 10 or more points.

THE JIG:

Ignore The Jig is you're playing over zoom (but some questions may need to be skipped if they are too easy without it!)

At any point during a round, as long as they have not already passed, a player can grab The Jig in the middle of the table. When they grab The Jig, they must, at the same time, shout out an answer. It can be below the current bid.

Reveal the correct answer and if this answer is exactly correct, they score 4 points. If it is not exactly correct, all other players score 2 points (3 points in a 2 player game). If a player does not immediately shout out an answer when grabbing The Jig, treat the answer as if it was incorrect and score points accordingly (2 points for all other players, 3 points in 2 player game).

Scoring Reminder

Final Bidder's answer was at or below the correct answer:
2 Points for the Final Bidder

Final Bidder's answer was above the correct answer:
1 Point for all other players in 3+ player game or 2 points for the other player in 2 player game.

Winning the game

The first player to get 10 points or more wins.

Variant

Feel free to play in teams or to play without The Jig for a more relaxed game or if you want to play it sitting on the sofa or if you are playing over zoom  - although you may have to skip an easier question or two if not using The Jig!