How to play Skala
Skala is a social party game. A group of friends tries to read the clue-giver's mind - how in sync are you really?
Open or join a room
One player opens a room and gets a 6-character code. Everyone else joins from their phone with the code - no signup. A direct room link can be shared too.
How a round goes
Four steps - then back to the top, all the way to the podium.
A secret point
Each round, every player gets their own secret point on a scale between two opposite poles. Only they can see it.
Write a clue
Everyone writes a clue that should lead the others right to their point - all at the same time, so nobody waits.
Guess in turns
Submitted clues get revealed one at a time, in random order. On each turn, everyone but that turn's owner drags a marker on the scale to guess - based on that clue. Anyone who didn't write a clue gets no turn - and silence costs points.
Close = points
The target is revealed, and every guess scores by how close it landed. Then - on to the next clue.
How many points?
The green zone is the target. Points fall in a straight line from its centre to its edge - no steps. Outside the green: zero.
- 500
Points for a dead-centre hit. Halfway to the edge? Half that.
- +150
Speed bonus - only if you landed on the green. The faster, the more.
The clue-giver gets the average of the guessers' accuracy points: with 4+ players, +200 if everyone hit or −100 if nobody did. With two players - half the average.
- −200
For not sending a clue in time - silence costs 🤐. In a round where nobody sent one, nobody pays.
Safe bet
Once a round, after locking a guess, you can bet on it and earn 20% more on its points. Nothing to lose - just pick which turn.
Leaderboard and podium
Once every turn is revealed, a leaderboard is shown for that round, and at the end of all rounds - a festive podium and a winner is announced.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers before your first game.
What is Skala?
Skala is a social party game you play online, each player on their own phone. Every round, each player gets a secret point on a scale between two opposites, like “A name for a dog” and “A name for a baby”, and writes a clue that leads to it. The others drag a needle to where they think the clue points, and the closer the guess, the more points it earns.
Is it free? Do I need to sign up or download an app?
It's free. You play straight in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer, with no app to download and no signup: pick a nickname and a character and you're in. Signing in with Google is optional, and only needed to keep the question packs you write in your account.
How many players can play?
From 2 to 50 players in one room. From 4 players up, two more rules join in: the safe bet and the clue-giver's bonus (or penalty), so bigger groups have more to play for.
What do we need to play?
A phone for each player (or any device with a browser) and an internet connection. One player opens a room and gets a 6-character code, and everyone else joins with the code, a link or a QR scan. No big screen needed: each player's secret target shows only on their own phone.
Can we play remotely, over a video call?
Yes. Anyone with the code can join from anywhere, so you can play around the same table or each from home, on a video call or even just over chat.
How long does a game take?
The host picks Quick (about 7 minutes), Standard (about 15) or Chill (about 30), or sets anywhere from 2 to 20 rounds. The time estimate adjusts to the number of players.
Which languages can we play in?
The game comes in 18 languages: Hebrew, English, Arabic, Spanish, French, Russian, Portuguese, Chinese, German, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Ukrainian, Turkish, Persian, Hindi, Japanese, and Korean. Each player picks their own, and the 500 built-in questions are translated too, so everyone sees each question in their own language and friends who speak different languages can play in the same room.
What kind of questions are in the game?
There are 500 built-in questions. The host can play random questions or pick one topic out of 10: “Food”, “Love & relationships”, “Friends, family & awkward moments”, “Work & money”, “Entertainment & pop culture”, “Celebs & characters”, “Home & daily routine”, “Places & travel”, “Kids & childhood”, and “Opinions & debates”. Each question is a scale between two opposites, with plenty of room to argue about the middle.
Can we write our own questions?
Yes. Make a pack of your own pairs of opposites (up to 200), such as your group's inside jokes or the theme of an event, and start a game from it. No account needed: the pack is saved on your device, and if you sign in you can move it to your account.
How do you win?
Every guess earns up to 500 points for how close it lands to the target, plus up to 150 for speed when it hits the target zone. The clue-giver earns the average of the guessers' accuracy points, so a good clue pays off for everyone. After the last round, whoever has the most points wins, and the top three take the podium.
Who is it for?
Any group that likes to laugh and argue: a night with friends, a family get-together, a party, a team event or icebreaker at work, or a game with friends abroad. Anyone who can read and write a short clue can play.