Electronic Catch Phrase

The Electronic Catch Phrase game is a more high-tech and portable version of the popular board game of the same name. (If you don't know anything about this game, check out our Catch Phrase Game overview.) It applies here as well with a few minor changes that we'll cover below.

Ages: Recommended for 16 years and older, but like the board game, kids as young as 12 can really enjoy this!
Number of Players: As with the board game, you need at least four but the more people the better!
Batteries Required: Three AAA Batteries required (and not included)

Parker Brothers has streamlined the original Catch Phrase game and put it all in one frisbee-sized disc. This disc does everything for you. It shows the words for each team, it keeps the score, it even acts as the dreaded timer. The shape also lends itself well to actually being thrown (not recommended, but it's going to happen in the course of a game). All in all, a very cool upgrade to the board game!

How to Play

For this, I'll point you over to our page on the actual Catch Phrase Game. The rules remain the same, with the only differences being that the disc does all the work. There's no board or team markers to keep track of points since the game device does it for you.

Pros for the Electronic Catch Phrase

• It's portable! Throw it in a bag for a long trip and you can play it in the car on the way. Bring it along for a camping trip or vacation and you'll have a great way to pass the time even when there's no electricity.
• It keeps the score for you. No more messing with the team markers and the game board. The device keeps track of the score while you play.
• It's durable. You should hear some of the stories about what this disc has gone through. Just as with the board game, the reader gets handed (read: thrown) to the other team quite quickly. Parker Brothers has done a good job with ensuring it can take a gentle beating.

Cons for the Electronic Catch Phrase

• Random Generator needs some work. - My number one complaint is that the electronic catch phrase repeats words. This happens with the board game version as well, but every now and then the random generator will give you a phrase that you may have just had. For something that has a supposed 10k words in its memory, it could use some work on selecting them.
• Difficulty - Younger players will have more issues with the electronic version than the board game. That's not to say they can't enjoy it because they definitely will, but every now and then they'll get a phrase they may have trouble with. You may want to modify the rules (let the skip the word) if that's the case. Also keep in mind that PB has created another version of this called the Electronic Catch Phrase Junior which may help alleviate the problem.

Conclusion

It's easy to give a recommendation for this game because it's the same as the original Catch Phrase Game which I love. Personally, I'd get them both. The original game for home play, and the Electronic Catch Phrase for travel and vacations. Portability is where the Electronic version really shines - it's an awesome game in a very compact case!