Dobble
Officially Dobble (Spot It! in North America)
Real-time visual perception card game (Asmodee, 2009) where players race to spot the ONE matching symbol between any two cards from 55 cards each with 8 symbols. 5 different mini-games (Twin Twin, Tower, Well, Hot Potato, Poisoned Gift). Perfect for family + educational use. 20M+ copies sold.
What is Dobble?
Dobble (marketed as Spot It! in North America) is a real-time visual-perception card game published by Asmodee (Play Factory subsidiary), designed by Denis Blanchot + Jacques Cottereau, released 2009. Each of 55 circular cards has 8 symbols; any two cards share exactly one common symbol (mathematically based on projective geometry using order 7). Players race to spot + call out the matching symbol first. Comes with 5 different mini-game rulesets: (1) Twin Twin — pass card to opponent when you spot match; (2) Tower — draw + call match to add to your tower; (3) Well — call match to discard card into center well; (4) Hot Potato — pass card to opponent to force them to spot; (5) Poisoned Gift — call match to add card to opponent's collection. Themed versions include Dobble Kids, Dobble Harry Potter, Dobble Star Wars, Dobble Numbers/Letters. Excellent educational tool for pattern recognition, visual attention, and speed reading. 20M+ copies sold globally as of 2024. Perfect quick 5-15 minute play; ages 6+.
Quick facts
Category
Card Games
Type
Mixed
Players
2–8
Duration
~15 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇫🇷 France
Estimated origin
Released 2009 by Play Factory (later Asmodee); rebranded Spot It! for North America 2011
Olympic
No
Popularity
major
How it works
Objective
Fastest player to spot the ONE matching symbol between two cards wins each interaction; game victory conditions per mini-game.
Match structure
5 mini-games: Twin Twin (fastest), Tower (build collection), Well (empty hand), Hot Potato (avoid collection), Poisoned Gift (give away collection).
Rules
Basic rules
Each 2 cards share exactly 1 symbol
Projective geometry ensures every pair of cards has exactly one common symbol.
Spot + call out the symbol first
Race to visually identify + verbally name the shared symbol.
5 different game modes
Choose Twin Twin / Tower / Well / Hot Potato / Poisoned Gift ruleset per round.
Advanced rules
Team play + educational adaptations
Can be played in teams; educational use for children learning symbols/vocabulary.
Themed variants
Dobble Kids, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Numbers, Alphabet, and dozens of licensed themes.
Scoring
Varies by mini-game — cards collected/discarded win/lose depending on ruleset.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Correct match call | Card gained/discarded per ruleset |
| Fastest reaction | Wins the contested pair |
Win condition · Depends on mini-game: most cards (Tower), fewest cards (Well), avoid cards (Hot Potato), give-away all (Poisoned Gift).
Equipment
55 Dobble cards
Circular cards each with 8 symbols; any 2 cards share exactly 1 symbol.
Metal storage tin
Compact travel-friendly metal container.
Rulebook with 5 mini-games
Twin Twin, Tower, Well, Hot Potato, Poisoned Gift.
Positions & roles
Player
×1Visual perception racer.
Officiating
Family/party game; no formal officiating.
- Group consensus for close calls; no formal officials
Penalties & fouls
Penalties
Wrong symbol call
Some mini-games penalise wrong call (take extra card, skip next turn).
Simultaneous match
Fastest verbal call wins; group judges disputed calls.
Strategies
Scan grid systematically
Beginners scan grid systematically; experts learn perceptual shortcuts to spot the match instantly.
Verbal quickness practice
Not enough to see it — must say symbol name fast. Practice English/local-language symbol name recall.
Focus + peripheral vision
Use peripheral vision to scan symbol positions while foveally checking centre.
Terminology
- Dobble
- Original French name (spelling of 'double')
- Spot It!
- North American branded name
- Match
- The one shared symbol between two cards
Major competitions
Not applicable — casual family/party game
n/a · n/a · since 2009
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Asmodee Group
Founded 1995 · Guyancourt, France
Play Factory
Founded 2000 · France
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Denis Blanchot + Jacques Cottereau (designers)
Records
20M+ copies sold globally
Asmodee — 20 million+ copies sold worldwide as of 2024 (2024)
Projective geometry design
Denis Blanchot — Card design based on projective geometry order-7 finite plane ensuring exactly one match per pair (2009)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Kids/family intro
Start with Twin Twin — simplest mini-game.
intermediate
- 1
All 5 mini-games rotation
Cycle through all 5 to find favourite.
advanced
- 1
Educational + speed-focused play
Use in classroom; time-attack speed rounds.
Frequently asked
Is Dobble the same as Spot It?+
Yes — same game. Dobble is the original French name (used in Europe + rest of world); Spot It! is the North American branded name (Blue Orange Games license).
Why does every card share exactly one symbol?+
The card design uses projective geometry of order 7 — a mathematical finite plane where each pair of lines/cards intersects at exactly one point/symbol.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Dobble— Wikipedia