Brain Teasers
Hint Heist
One operative sends limited intel. Agents race to crack the vault code.
- Category
- Brain Teasers
- Players
- 3–10 players
- Duration
- ~10 minutes (estimate)
- Best group size
- We recommend 4 to 8 players, enough agents to make the race competitive. It needs at least 3.
How to play
Hint Heist is a one-word clue game with a vault-cracking theme. It needs at least three players and plays five rounds by default.
Each round, one player is the Operative. Only they see the vault code, a secret word. Everyone else is an Agent. Once play begins, there are 60 seconds on the clock. The Operative sends one-word clues, called intel drops, from their phone, and each clue appears for everyone to see. The intel budget is limited, so every word counts.
Agents type guesses on their phones. Each Agent has 4 attempts per round, and after a miss there is a short 2-second trace before they can guess again. The first Agent to crack the code wins the round.
Fast and efficient cracks pay the most. The winning Agent earns 500 points plus a speed bonus of up to 300 more, based on how much time is left. The Operative earns 300 points plus a bonus of 75 for every clue they did not need. That makes the Operative’s challenge clear: find the one word that unlocks the code fastest.
It is fun because it rewards two kinds of cleverness at once, the sharp clue and the quick leap.
Tips for hosts
- Operatives should start with their strongest clue, not a gentle warm-up. Unused clues are worth points.
- Agents should not burn all four attempts in a panic. The short trace after a miss adds up.
- It works well for groups who enjoy word games but want something more social than a spelling race.
- Rotate the Operative role around the room so everyone gets a turn on both sides.
Best for
Best for: Word lovers who like a quick race with a clever twist.
Play Hint Heist
Open Sofa Showdown on a laptop or computer connected to your TV, choose Hint Heist from the game shelf, and share the four-letter room code with your friends.
Play now Opens hosting on this screen. Nothing starts until you choose a game.