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Just One
A cooperative party game where everyone except the active player secretly writes one clue word to help them find the answer, but a clue that matches another player's is cancelled. Instead of winning or losing, you record how many words the whole team got right, so there is no pressure.
Rules
Everyone but the guesser secretly writes a one-word clue, all matching clues disappear, and the guesser gets one chance to identify the Mystery Word from what remains.
The whole game at a glance
Everyone plays as one team. Each round has one active player while everyone else writes clues. Cancel duplicates, allow one guess, and count won cards when the 13-card deck is empty.
Components and setup
| Component | Count | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Cards | 110 | Five numbered Mystery Words per card |
| Easels | 7 | Hold cards and display clues |
| Erasable pencils | 7 | Give each with its matching easel |
| Cloths | 7 | Erase clues after each round |
| Rulebook | 1 | 2025 edition |
- 1Give every player one matching easel and erasable pencil, plus one cloth.
- 2Shuffle the cards, take 13 at random as a facedown central deck, and return the rest to the box.
- 3Choose the first active player at random.
Phase 1 — select the Mystery Word
Unknown word
If a clue-giver does not know the selected Mystery Word, they may ask the active player to choose a different number.
Phase 2 — write clues
Without consulting one another, everyone except the active player secretly writes no more than one valid clue word for the Mystery Word.
Do not coordinate
Write independently. An obvious clue is easy to understand, but it is also more likely to match another player's clue and disappear.
Phase 3 — compare and cancel clues
Once all clues are written, the active player closes their eyes. Everyone else reveals easels and lays down every identical or invalid clue so it is hidden.
- Cancel every copy of an identical word.
- Cancel words from the same family, such as Japan and Japanese.
- Treat singular/plural forms and misspellings of the same word as identical.
- Cancel any clue that was invalid from the start.
If every clue is canceled
Do not show anything to the active player. Return only the current Mystery Word card to the box and skip directly to the end of the round.
Phase 4 — one guess or a pass
The active player opens their eyes and sees only the surviving clues. They may make exactly one guess, or choose to pass.
Wrong guess with an empty deck
If an incorrect guess occurs with no top card left in the deck, remove one previously won card if possible.
Phase 5 — end the round and score
- 1Take back your easel and erase the clue with your cloth.
- 2The player to the left of the previous active player becomes active.
- 3When the 13-card deck is empty, end the game and count only faceup won cards.
| Won | Rulebook level |
|---|---|
| 13 | Perfect |
| 12 | Almost champions |
| 11 | Very good |
| 9–10 | Good |
| 7–8 | Average |
| 4–6 | Good start |
| 0–3 | Try again |
Three- and four-player variant
Compare all clues together
A player's own two clues can cancel each other, and either can cancel a clue written by someone else.
Edition and awards
Designed by Ludovic Roudy and Bruno Sautter, Just One was published by Repos Production in 2018 and won the 2019 Spiel des Jahres. The 2025 edition adds 550 new words and cloths while retaining the 13-card structure and core play.
Korean rulebook status
The Korean retail edition and official tutorial were verified, but no public official Korean rulebook text was available. Numeric rules follow Repos Production's English rulebook.
Frequently confused rules
Q. Are all 13 cards used in one round?
No. The entire game starts with 13 cards. At least one card disappears each round, and the game ends when the deck is empty.
Q. Do a wrong guess and a pass cost the same?
No. A pass removes only the current card. A wrong guess removes the current card and the top card of the deck.
Q. Do we cancel only one copy of a duplicate clue?
No. Every easel showing that matching clue is canceled.
Q. Are singular and plural forms different clues?
No. Singular and plural forms of the same word count as identical and are both canceled.
Q. Can the active player make several guesses?
No. They get one guess, or they may pass.
Sources
Repos Production official English rulebook (4 pages, 2025 edition)Repos Production official product pageKorea Boardgames official tutorial video — Korean terminology cross-referenceBoardGameGeek — players, time, weight, and first-edition componentsWiki cross-reference — Wikipedia: Just OneWiki cross-reference — NamuWiki search (no matching article verified)Spiel des Jahres official 2019 winner pageRule summaries are reference content written by us, not quotations from the official rulebook. Always check the official rulebook for exact rules. Diagrams are original schematics, not rulebook illustrations.
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Last updated 2026-09-15
💡 Master tip
A slightly offbeat clue that others are unlikely to write often works better than the most obvious word. Guessing in advance what angle the other players will take is the key to avoiding duplicates.
Ready for something heavier
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Digital clue checker
A helper that automatically filters out duplicate words when clues are written on a phone
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