Chess or Say It Different?
Both games come with Gather. Here’s how they differ and when each one fits better.
The key differences
- There’s no player count that suits both – Chess and Say It Different are made for different groups.
- From 3 players on, only Say It Different works: it goes up to 12 players, Chess only up to 2.
- Say It Different is louder than Chess (very loud vs. silent).
- Say It Different is quicker to learn than Chess (explained in a minute vs. takes experience).
- Say It Different needs a TV, or an iPad or Mac as the table; Chess also runs on phones alone.
- Say It Different needs at least 4 players – with fewer people, only Chess works.
- Only Chess can be played against the computer – Say It Different needs real players.
- Say It Different has more interaction than Chess (constant debate vs. you react to each other).
At a glance
| At a glance | Chess | Say It Different |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Board and dice games | Party games |
| Players | 2 players | 4–12 players |
| Length of a game | 10–40 min | 10–20 min |
| Age | ages 6+ | ages 10+ |
| Luck or skill | pure skill | mostly skill |
| Noise level | silent | very loud |
| Learning curve | takes experience | explained in a minute |
| Interaction | you react to each other | constant debate |
| TV | not needed | needed |
| Against the computer | yes | no |
| Teams | no | yes |
| Bluffing | no | no |
| Reading needed | no | yes |
Which one suits you?
Chess
Two players, one board, no luck: whoever plans better wins. With a clock it turns into a race against time; without one there’s room to think things through.
Pick Chess when two people want a calm, focused game.
Say It Different
Two teams, 60 seconds, one word after another – and the obvious words are off limits. A watcher from the other team sees the same card and hits “Forbidden!” the moment one slips out.
Pick Say It Different when there are four or more of you and it’s allowed to get loud.
What they have in common
- Both come free with Gather and need no account.