Outsmarted Board Game Review
Outsmarted! is an app-driven trivia board game published by QPlay in 2020. It supports 2 to 24 players, is rated for ages 8 and up, and a typical game runs anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours depending on settings. The game blends a physical board with a companion app that hosts a quiz-show experience, complete with countdown timers, multimedia questions, and age-adjusted difficulty. This review breaks down how it plays, what you get in the box, and whether it belongs on your shelf.
Outsmarted Game Overview
Outsmarted! positions itself as a “live TV quiz show” in board game form. Players pick a 3D miniature genius character, roll dice to move around the board, and answer trivia questions served through the app. The goal is to collect all six colored IQ rings by landing on ring spaces and answering category-specific questions correctly. Once a player or team collects every ring, they enter a Final Round where they must answer three consecutive questions correctly within 60 seconds to win.
The app handles question delivery, scoring, timers, and even hosts the experience with sound effects and visual cues. Questions span ten core categories and include images, video clips, and audio. A Breaking News category gets updated regularly, so the question pool stays current.
| Publisher | QPlay (Self-Published) |
|---|---|
| Year Released | 2020 |
| Players | 2–24 |
| Age Range | 8+ |
| Playing Time | 30–120 minutes |
| Game Type | Trivia, Electronic, App-Driven |
| Complexity Rating | 1.00 / 5 (BGG) |
| Mechanism | Roll and Move |
What’s in the Outsmarted Box?
The physical components are fairly simple, which makes sense given how much of the experience lives in the app.
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Game Board | Folding board with color-coded category spaces, IQ ring spaces, roll-again spaces, and random question spaces |
| Miniatures | Six 3D “genius” character figurines |
| Dice | Standard die (the app also has a virtual dice option) |
| Tablet/Phone Stand | Folding stand for propping up your device during play |
| License Key | Unique key card for registering the app to your copy of the game |
| Instructions | Quick start guide |
The miniatures are charming and well-made for a game at this price point. The board itself is functional, with clear paths and marked entry/exit points for IQ ring spaces. There are no question cards — everything comes through the app, which keeps the box compact.
Outsmarted Game: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Age-adjusted difficulty levels the playing field between kids, teens, and adults, so younger players can actually compete
- Over 10,000 multimedia questions with images, audio clips, and video keep games from feeling repetitive
- Supports remote play — friends and family can join from anywhere using the free app and a virtual board
- Question content gets updated regularly, including a weekly Breaking News category
- Timed game modes (30, 60, or 90 minutes) let you control session length
- Supports up to 24 players in team mode, making it one of the few trivia board games that scales to large groups
Cons
- Requires a connected device and reliable internet throughout the game — no offline play
- The license key registration process can be finicky, especially on Apple devices
- Roll-and-move is a dated mechanic that gives players limited strategic choice over their path
- Connection drops during remote play can disrupt the flow, especially on mobile data
- Additional question packs cost extra beyond the core set
How to Play Outsmarted
Setup
Each player or team picks a genius miniature and places it on the yellow start circle. Download the Outsmarted app, register your license key, and create player profiles with correct age bands. If playing in teams, create team profiles with two to four players each. Select your game mode — solo or team play, full game or timed — and allocate assists (the game recommends starting with two of each type, totaling six).
Turn Structure
The app randomly determines turn order. On your turn, roll the die (physical or virtual) and move your miniature that many spaces in your chosen direction. Then select the matching question category in the app. The app displays a question with a countdown timer, and you pick from multiple-choice answers.
Three types of assists are available during a question: a 30-second time extension, a 50/50 that removes two wrong answers, and a skip that lets you avoid the question entirely. Only one of each assist can be used per question.
Collecting IQ Rings
To earn an IQ ring, you must land on a ring space with an exact dice roll. Ring spaces have a single entry and exit point, so direction matters. Once you land on a ring space, you stay there until you answer a ring question correctly for that category. If you fail, the app offers you another ring question on your next turn.
Turbo Mode
When enabled, Turbo Mode kicks in after four to six correct answers in a row. Assists become inactive and the timer drops by five seconds with each additional question. This prevents any single player from dominating extended turns.
Final Round and Winning
After collecting all six IQ rings, you enter the Final Round. You must answer three consecutive text-only questions correctly within 60 seconds. If you fail, progress carries over — so if you got one right, you only need two more on your next attempt. The first player or team to complete the Final Round wins. In timed games, the player with the most rings at the end wins, with assists as a tiebreaker.
Outsmarted Game Mechanics
At its core, Outsmarted uses roll-and-move — a mechanic familiar to anyone who’s played a classic board game. The physical board gives you some route choices since you can move in either direction from any position, but the dice still control your pace. The real decisions come from assist management and category targeting.
What sets Outsmarted apart from traditional types of board games in the trivia genre is the app integration. The app handles all question delivery, difficulty scaling, and scoring. It adjusts questions based on each player’s registered age, which means a 9-year-old and a 35-year-old get different questions on the same category. That single feature does more for family play balance than any house rule ever could.
The assist system adds a layer of resource management. Deciding when to burn a 50/50 or save your skip for a ring question introduces a bit of tactical thinking into what is otherwise a knowledge test.
Who Should Play Outsmarted?
Outsmarted is built for families and mixed-age groups. If your household includes kids, teenagers, and adults who all want to play together without the usual trivia handicap problem, this game handles that well. The age-adjusted difficulty is its strongest feature.
Large gatherings also work. With support for up to 24 players in teams, it handles holiday parties and group get-togethers where something like Trivial Pursuit would drag. Timed modes keep things moving.
Hobbyist board gamers looking for deep strategy won’t find it here. The roll-and-move structure and reliance on trivia knowledge mean this sits firmly in the family and party game space. If you’re comparing it to other options for game nights with adults, it works best when the group prefers trivia over strategy.
Skip it if you don’t have a reliable internet connection during game night, or if your group dislikes app-dependent games. The experience falls apart without stable connectivity.
Where to Buy Outsmarted
| Retailer | Link |
|---|---|
| Amazon | Amazon – Outsmarted |
| Target | Target – Outsmarted |
| Official Store | outsmarted.com |
| eBay | eBay – Search Outsmarted |
| BoardGameGeek Market | BGG – Outsmarted |
FAQ
Is Outsmarted good for beginners?
Yes. The app walks players through everything, and there’s almost no learning curve. Setup takes a few minutes, the rules are straightforward roll-and-move, and the app handles scoring and question delivery automatically. Even non-gamers pick it up fast.
How long does an Outsmarted game take to play?
A full game with no time limit can run one to two hours depending on player count. Timed modes let you cap sessions at 30, 60, or 90 minutes. The timed options work well for casual play or when you need to fit the game into a set window.
What is the best player count for Outsmarted?
Four to eight players in teams tends to be the sweet spot. Solo play with two people is fine but less exciting. Large groups of 12 or more work in team mode, though turns take longer. The game technically supports up to 24 players.
Is Outsmarted worth buying?
If your group enjoys trivia and you want a game that genuinely works across age groups, it earns its price. The regularly updated question pool keeps it fresh longer than card-based trivia games. The dependency on an app and internet connection is the main drawback to weigh.
What games are similar to Outsmarted?
Trivial Pursuit is the closest comparison, though Outsmarted’s app-driven format and age-adjusted questions set it apart. Other party-style board games like Wits & Wagers and Smart Ass offer different takes on trivia for mixed groups.
