Cover Word or Thirty-One?

The key differences

• From 10 players on, only Cover Word works: it goes up to 12 players, Thirty-One only up to 9.
• Cover Word needs a TV, or an iPad or Mac as the table; Thirty-One also runs on phones alone.
• Cover Word needs at least 4 players – with fewer people, only Thirty-One works.
• Only Thirty-One can be played against the computer – Cover Word needs real players.
• Cover Word has more interaction than Thirty-One (constant debate vs. you react to each other).
• Cover Word is played in teams; in Thirty-One everyone plays for themselves.
• Cover Word rewards skill more than Thirty-One (mostly skill vs. skill and luck).
• Cover Word is louder than Thirty-One (loud vs. lively).

At a glance

At a glance	Cover Word	Thirty-One
Type	Party games	Card games
Players	4–12 players	2–9 players
Length of a game	15–30 min	10–20 min
Age	ages 10+	ages 8+
Luck or skill	mostly skill	skill and luck
Noise level	loud	lively
Learning curve	quick to learn	quick to learn
Interaction	constant debate	you react to each other
TV	needed	not needed
Against the computer	no	yes
Teams	yes	no
Bluffing	no	no
Reading needed	yes	no

Which one suits you?

Cover Word

Two teams, 25 words on the TV, and only the clue givers know which belong to whom. One word and one number have to steer their team to several cards – and away from the trap.

Pick Cover Word when there are at least four of you and you enjoy lateral thinking.

Thirty-One

Three cards in your hand, three in the middle: swap until one suit gets as close to 31 as you can. Whoever knocks ends the round – and the worst hand then loses a life.

Pick Thirty-One when a bigger group wants a fast card game with a bit of a thrill.

What they have in common

• Both work for 4–9 players.
• In both, everyone has secret information on their own phone.
• Both come free with Gather and need no account.