Dial In
Tune into the right spot.
One player is handed a secret number on a spectrum and has to nudge the rest of the group toward it with a single clue — too obvious and it's boring, too vague and everyone scatters. Everyone else is just trying to land their dial as close as possible.
Objective
The Broadcaster drops a clue for a hidden spot on a 1–100 scale. Every Tuner moves their dial — closest to the target wins the round.
How to play
- A spectrum is shown to everyone (e.g. 'Freezing Cold' ↔ 'Blazing Hot'). One player is the Broadcaster and secretly sees a target number from 1 to 100.
- The Broadcaster writes a single clue that nudges players toward the target — not too obvious, not too vague.
- All other players (Tuners) see the clue and move their dial to where they think the target lies. Lock in before the round closes.
Scoring
Tuners score by distance to the target: 3 points within 5, 2 within 10, 1 within 20, otherwise 0. The Broadcaster never guesses and scores the Tuners' average, rounded down — so a clue the whole room can read pays them too.
Example round
- The spectrum is 'Freezing Cold' to 'Blazing Hot'. Ben is the Broadcaster and secretly sees the target: 72 out of 100.
- Ben writes the clue: 'A summer afternoon in the shade.'
- Ana sets her dial to 68. Cleo sets hers to 80. Dan sets his to 55.
- The target of 72 is revealed: Ana is 4 away, Cleo is 8 away, Dan is 17 away.
- Ana lands within 5 and scores 3 points; Cleo lands within 10 and scores 2 points; Dan lands within 20 and scores 1 point; Ben, as Broadcaster, never guesses and scores the Tuners' average rounded down: (3 + 2 + 1) ÷ 3 = 2 points.
Strategy tips
- As the Broadcaster, aim your clue at the middle of what you think the group will interpret it as — a clue that's too clever tends to scatter guesses wildly in both directions.
- As a Tuner, resist anchoring hard on the exact midpoint of the spectrum by default; a good clue usually pulls the target away from dead center.
- Watch how other Tuners phrase their reasoning if the group talks it through before locking in — a range of interpretations is a signal the clue was ambiguous, not that any one guess is safe.
- Because the Broadcaster scores the Tuners' average, they want a clue the whole room can read — evocative beats clever.
Best with
Needs at least two players (one Broadcaster, one Tuner) but feels much richer with four or more Tuners, since the spread of dials after the reveal is where most of the conversation happens.
Variations
- Agree to let Tuners briefly discuss their reasoning out loud before locking in, turning it into a group negotiation instead of a solo guess.
- Rotate the Broadcaster role strictly by turn order so everyone gets an even number of rounds writing clues.
- Play a themed set of spectra for the night — only movie ratings, only spice levels, only how awkward a situation is.
FAQ
Does the Broadcaster ever score points?
Yes — the Broadcaster never sets a dial, but scores the average of the Tuners' points that round, rounded down.
How close does my guess need to be to score the maximum?
You need to land within 5 of the secret target to earn the top 3 points; within 10 scores 2, within 20 scores 1, and anything further scores 0.
Can the same player be the Broadcaster every round?
The host controls how the Broadcaster role is assigned each round, so it can rotate or stay fixed depending on how the lobby is set up.