Betrayal at House on the Hill
You explore a randomly built haunted mansion together, but one of you will eventually…
Outburst
Your team races against the clock to shout out as many items as you can that fit a mystery topic, earning points for each correct guess. The twist is that one item on each card is worth bonus points, so you might just hit the jackpot.
4–30
Players
45 min
Duration
Medium
Difficulty
Indoor
Location
10+
Min age
You need:
🃏 Cards
🎲 Dice
🎯 Other
How to Play
- Split into two teams and place your scoring peg at zero on the board.
- One team draws a topic card and reads only the category heading.
- Your team shouts out items that match the topic before the timer runs out.
- You earn one point per correct guess; one item is worth bonus points (rolled on dice).
- If you guess correctly, you can pass up to three times per game.
Outburst is a timed team trivia game where fast thinking and category knowledge determine the winner. Set up by dividing players into two teams, placing each team's scoring peg at zero on the board, and gathering your cards and dice.
Each round, one team becomes the guessing team. The team captain draws a topic card and reads only the category heading aloud (for example, "Things in a Bathroom"). The team then has a limited time to shout out as many correct items as possible that match that category. All team members can speak at once, making it a collaborative sprint.
For each correct answer, your team earns one point. On each card, one item is designated as a bonus item; if your team guesses it, roll the dice to see how many bonus points you earn.
Before guessing or after getting one correct, your team may pass on a topic up to three times total during the entire game. If you pass, the other team must play that topic on their turn.
After your turn ends (either by running out of time or electing to stop), the other team takes their turn with a fresh card. Teams alternate until one reaches 60 points and wins the game.
The game includes a special card viewer that hides the answer list until inserted, preventing accidental peeking and keeping the challenge fair.
Designer Brian Hersch conceived Outburst while listening to a historical radio program during his drive to a dinner party in 1986.
Turn Timer
1:00
Ready
Variations
Outburst Junior
Simplified version for ages 4-10 with color-coded cards of varying difficulty.
Solo Speed Mode
Single player or one team plays to beat their own high score within a set number of rounds.
Category Challenge
Teams take turns naming items in rapid-fire rounds without the dice bonus; first to name 20 unique items wins.
