12 pen and paper games
The cheapest games console ever made is a sheet of paper. Twelve games for waiting rooms, restaurants and long journeys.
For two
- Noughts and crosses Then try it on a 4 by 4 grid.
- Dots and boxes Take turns joining dots; complete a box to claim it.
- Battleships Call grid squares to find the other’s fleet.
- Sprouts Join dots with lines that never cross.
- Hangman Guess the word a letter at a time.
- Bulls and cows Guess a secret four-digit number from clues.
- Paper race track Draw a track on squared paper and move by counting squares.
For a group
- Consequences Write a line, fold, pass on.
- Picture consequences Head, body, legs.
- Categories A letter and a list: animal, food, country.
- Telephone pictionary Write, draw, write, draw.
- Squiggles Turn a scribble into a picture.
Run out of paper? Marble Rumble plays on the phone already in your pocket, for one to four.
More game ideas
Common questions
What games can you play with just pen and paper?
Noughts and crosses, dots and boxes, battleships, sprouts, hangman, bulls and cows, consequences and categories.
What is the best pen and paper game for two?
Dots and boxes and battleships are the favourites; sprouts is the most surprising.
Ready to flick?
Marble Rumble is free, runs in the browser and needs no account or download.