The categories you pick define the entire game. Too easy and rounds end in seconds. Too obscure and everyone's staring at blank columns. Here are 12 categories that actually work — from the classic six everyone knows to creative additions that keep experienced players engaged.
A random letter is drawn. Everyone races to fill each category with a word starting with that letter. When the first player finishes all categories, they call STOP and everyone else gets a grace period to finish up. Scoring: a unique answer gets 10 points, a duplicated answer (someone else wrote the same thing) gets 5 points, and a blank gets 0. Play 5-10 rounds and the highest total score wins.
These are the ones most people grow up playing with. They work for every age and skill level because the knowledge they require is universal.
The backbone of the game. Most letters have obvious answers (B → Brazil, F → France), but some are brutal — try finding a country starting with X or W. That's where the points are.
Capitals and famous cities are easy, but the real skill is knowing less common ones that nobody else will write. Writing "Paris" for P gets you 5 points (everyone writes it). Writing "Porto" might get you 10.
Everyone loves this category. Easy letters have dozens of options (C → Cat, Cow, Camel, Cheetah, Chimpanzee), while hard letters force you to dig deep. "N" — can you get past Newt?
This one trips people up. Trees, flowers, herbs, vegetables — they all count. But when you're under pressure and the letter is K, suddenly your entire knowledge of botany evaporates. Kale? Kumquat? Players who know their flora have a real edge here.
Any physical object counts. This is the safety net category — even on the hardest letters, you can usually think of some object. The challenge is avoiding the same obvious answers everyone else writes.
Any first name works. The catch is that the obvious names are so obvious that everyone writes them — "A" → Anna, "M" → Maria. To score 10 instead of 5, go for less common names that are still clearly real. Marta beats Maria. Adriana beats Anna.
Once you've played the classic six a few times, these additions keep things fresh. The online version at roomforgames.com includes all of them — you toggle them on or off before each game.
Sounds easy until you realise how few colours start with certain letters. B has blue, beige, burgundy, bronze — you're fine. But D? H? This category rewards creative thinking — does "honey" count as a colour? Arguments guaranteed.
From Accountant to Zoologist. This category has surprising depth once you get past the obvious ones. It also generates fun moments when someone writes something hyper-specific like "Zookeeper" while everyone else is stuck on Z.
Any well-known brand or company name. This category is surprisingly fun because it reveals what brands people associate with each letter. Apple, Amazon, Adidas — A is easy. But Q? U? That's where it gets interesting.
Football, fencing, figure skating — F is fine. But what sport starts with U? Or Y? This category is deceptively difficult and tends to produce a lot of blanks, which makes it a great differentiator for competitive games.
Any movie title. Film buffs will love this; casual viewers will struggle. The time pressure makes it especially hard — you know you've seen a film starting with R, but you can't remember its name when you have 20 seconds left.
Apple, banana, cherry — sure. But what fruit starts with N? Or U? This category seems easy until you hit a hard letter and realise you can only name about 15 fruits total. Vegetables help expand the options, but most people's vegetable vocabulary is surprisingly limited.
The ideal number of categories is 6 to 8. Fewer than 6 makes rounds too fast — someone finishes in 10 seconds and calls STOP. More than 10 makes rounds drag on.
For a balanced game, mix 2-3 easy categories (Country, Animal, Thing) with 3-4 medium ones (City, Name, Job, Brand) and 1-2 hard ones (Colour, Sport, Fruit/Veg). This way every player gets some easy wins but also faces a challenge.
If you're playing with kids, drop the harder categories entirely and stick to Country, City, Animal, Thing, Name. If you're playing competitively with adults, swap "Thing" for "Movie" and add "Sport" — fewer easy points, more blanks, bigger score swings.
💡 House rule that works well: Let the losing player from the previous round pick one new category for the next round. It keeps the game evolving and gives the underdog a chance to play to their strengths.
What are the classic categories for Countries & Cities?
The traditional categories are Country, City, Animal, Plant, Thing (object), and Name (first name). The online version at roomforgames.com also adds Colour, Job, Brand, Sport, Movie, and Fruit/Vegetable.
How many categories should you play with?
6 to 8 is the sweet spot. Fewer than 6 makes rounds too fast. More than 10 slows the game down. The online version defaults to 8 and lets you toggle them on or off.
What is Countries & Cities game called in other languages?
In Polish it is called Państwa Miasta. In German it is known as Stadt Land Fluss. In Swedish it is Länder och Städer. The concept is the same everywhere — a letter is drawn and players race to fill categories.
Can you play Countries & Cities online?
Yes — roomforgames.com has a free online version for 2-12 players. Pick your categories, draw a letter, and race to fill them. Automatic scoring, no pen and paper needed.
Ready to play? Pick your categories and start a game — it's free.