How to play Dixit
3–6 players · 30 min · weight 1.22
Dixit is a storytelling and deduction party game for 3–6 players (up to 12 with the expansion) that plays in about 30 minutes. Designed by Jean-Louis Roubira and published by Libellud in 2008, it won the Spiel des Jahres in 2010. Each player holds a hand of large illustrated cards featuring surreal, evocative artwork. On each turn, one player is the Storyteller — they choose a card from their hand and give a clue (a word, phrase, sound, gesture, or any other hint) that somehow relates to the image. Everyone else secretly plays a card that might also fit the clue; all cards are shuffled and revealed, and players vote on which card they think belongs to the Storyteller. Scoring rewards clues that are neither too obvious nor too obscure — the perfect Dixit clue should fool some but not all of your fellow players.
How to play
Setup: Shuffle all cards and deal 6 to each player. Place the score track on the table and give each player voting tokens numbered to match the number of players. The active Storyteller role rotates each round. On each round: 1. The Storyteller privately selects one card from their hand and places it face-down in the center, then gives a clue: any word, phrase, sentence, sound, or gesture that relates to their card. There are no restrictions on clue type — poetry, onomatopoeia, song lyrics, and abstract sounds are all legal. 2. Every other player secretly selects one card from their own hand that they feel best matches the clue, and places it face-down. 3. All cards (the Storyteller's and everyone else's) are shuffled and laid out face-up, numbered. 4. Each non-Storyteller player secretly votes for the card they believe is the Storyteller's, using their numbered voting token. 5. Reveal all votes simultaneously and score. Scoring: If ALL players find the Storyteller's card, or if NO player finds it, the Storyteller scores 0 and every other player scores 2 points. If at least one but not all non-Storytellers identify the Storyteller's card, the Storyteller AND those who guessed correctly each score 3 points. Additionally, each player earns 1 bonus point for every vote their own submitted card received (whether or not they are the Storyteller). Draw back up to 6 cards and pass the Storyteller role clockwise. First player to reach 30 points wins (or highest score when the deck runs out).
Strategy
Dixit is a social calibration game — the skill is reading your specific group's imaginative wavelength. The perfect clue is calibrated to your table: A clue that every player immediately understands scores you zero. A clue so cryptic no one gets it also scores you zero. The ideal clue has about half the table finding your card — specific enough that imaginative players who know you well can connect it, vague enough that literal thinkers cannot. Over time, learn how each person at your table thinks. Personal references score well: An inside joke, a shared memory, or a reference specific to your friend group creates exactly the right ambiguity. Strangers will not know it; people who know you will. With a close group of friends this is the most powerful clue strategy. As a non-Storyteller, your goal is twofold: guess correctly AND collect votes on your card. The best submitted cards are those that legitimately fit the clue but have a subtle quality that marks them as "not quite right" to a careful observer. Look for the image that is thematically adjacent but emotionally distinct from what the clue implies. Read the Storyteller's personality: Some players are very literal; their clue "blue" means the bluest card in their hand. Others are wildly abstract; their clue "the sound of waiting" could mean almost anything. Track patterns across rounds and adjust your guessing strategy to each individual Storyteller. Clue variety keeps the game fresh: Give single-word clues, multi-word phrases, song fragments, abstract emotions, and gestural clues on different turns. Predictability in clue style lets experienced players read you too easily.
Tips
- Your clue should be findable by roughly half the table — calibrate to your group, not to a general audience. - Personal references and inside jokes make excellent Storyteller clues with people who know you. - When submitting your card as a non-Storyteller, choose an image that plausibly fits the clue but has a distinct feel the Storyteller would not have intended. - Don't vote for your own card (it's not permitted) but do look for cards submitted by players whose style you know. - The bonus point for receiving votes on your submitted card is small but accumulates — choose evocative cards even when you know the Storyteller's. - Abstract clues work best with abstract artwork; match the register of your clue to the surreal quality of the image. - If you're consistently scoring zero as Storyteller, your clues are either too obvious or too obscure — ask for feedback after the game. - With 6 players the guessing pool is larger and it's harder to guarantee any single correct guess — lean toward moderately accessible clues.
Player count & time
3–6 players in about 30 minutes; up to 12 with the Harmonies expansion and extra components. Best with 4–5 players — enough variety in guessing without the voting becoming too diluted.
Expansions
Dixit has numerous expansion packs (Odyssey, Journey, Memories, etc.) that add 84 new cards each. Because the card artwork is the game's soul, more cards extend replayability significantly. All expansions are compatible with the base game.
Why it works across audiences
Dixit requires no genre knowledge, no vocabulary advantage, and no prior gaming experience. The surreal artwork equalizes players of different backgrounds. It is one of the few games that plays equally well with children, grandparents, and competitive gamers at the same table.
Common beginner mistake
Giving clues that are too direct ("there's a bird in my card" when the image clearly shows a bird). The delight is in the poetry of the connection, not the accuracy of the description.
Sources & attribution
- https://www.libellud.com/our-games/dixit/
Original how-to-play summary — not a substitute for the official rulebook.