How to Play Six Degrees

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Six Degrees is a fast-moving word and association game for two to six players requiring nothing more than paper, pens, and a reasonable general knowledge. One player names two apparently unrelated subjects and everyone races to link them through a chain of logical connections, each step following on directly from the last, reaching the second subject in six moves or fewer.

Its appeal is in the variety: no two rounds play the same way, chains can be wildly creative or bracingly direct, and the game rewards lateral thinking far more than rote knowledge. It is equally at home on a kitchen table, in the back of a car, or as a pub game where paper is passed around between rounds.

A little history

The game draws on the popular concept that any two people or subjects can be linked through a surprisingly short chain of connections, an idea that entered broad public consciousness through academic social network research in the mid-twentieth century and was later widely popularised in various quiz formats and television programmes. The specific pen-and-paper parlour game described here has no single documented inventor and its origins as a structured game are unclear, though versions of the connection challenge have been played informally in schools and pubs across the UK since at least the 1980s.

Setting up

1. Seat all players around a table or in a circle where they can write privately.
2. Give each player a sheet of paper and a pen or pencil.
3. Choose a scorekeeper who will also note the agreed target score or number of rounds.
4. Decide before play begins how many rounds you will play or what points total wins the game. A target of 10 points or 8 rounds works well for 2 to 4 players.
5. Determine who goes first as the Setter for the opening round, by any agreed method such as youngest player or a quick coin toss.

How to play

1. The Setter for the round announces two subjects aloud. These are typically well-known people, places, objects, or concepts, for example 'a bicycle' and 'Napoleon Bonaparte'. Both subjects are written clearly at the top of every player's sheet so there is no dispute about the starting and ending points.
2. On a signal from the Setter, all players, including the Setter, simultaneously begin writing a chain of connections on their own paper. Each entry in the chain must follow logically and directly from the one before it.
3. Every connection step must be statable in a single clear sentence linking one item to the next, for example: 'Napoleon Bonaparte led the French army. The French army used horses. Horses are ridden with a saddle. A saddle has leather straps. Leather comes from cattle hides. Cattle are kept on farms alongside bicycles.' Each step is written on its own numbered line.
4. The chain must begin with one of the two named subjects and end with the other. It may not simply repeat the starting subject as a step.
5. The maximum number of steps between the two subjects is six. A player may complete a valid chain in fewer than six steps.
6. The first player to complete a chain puts their pen down and says 'Six Degrees' aloud. All other players must immediately stop writing.
7. The winning player reads their chain aloud, step by step. All other players judge each connection: a connection is valid if a clear, direct logical link exists between consecutive items. Connections based on wordplay alone, such as puns, are not valid unless all players have agreed before the game begins to permit them.
8. If the group accepts every step in the chain as valid, that player scores one point and takes over as Setter for the next round.
9. If any step in the chain is challenged and rejected by a majority of players, the chain is ruled invalid. Play then moves to the player who finished second, who reads their chain under the same scrutiny. If no completed chain is valid, no point is awarded and the same Setter sets a new pair of subjects.
10. In the event of a tie, where two players put their pens down simultaneously, both chains are read. If both are valid, both players score one point. If only one is valid, that player alone scores.
11. Repeat for the agreed number of rounds or until a player reaches the agreed winning total.

Winning and scoring

The player who first reaches the agreed points total wins the game. A common target is 10 points for a short game or 15 points for a longer session. If playing a fixed number of rounds rather than to a points target, the player with the most points when all rounds are complete wins. In the event of a tie on points at the end of a fixed-round game, the tied players each set one final tiebreaker round that only the tied players compete in, and the first to score wins overall.

The fine points

The most common dispute is over whether a connection step is sufficiently direct. The standard ruling is that if two or more players cannot immediately see the link without it being explained at length, the step is invalid. A connection that requires background knowledge most players do not share should also be ruled invalid. The Setter has no casting vote on disputes about chains; majority rules among all players present, with ties going against the chain.

A second common issue arises when a player claims to have finished but their chain actually contains seven or more steps. This is an invalid chain regardless of whether each individual step is logical, and the round passes to the next finisher. Players are advised to number each step clearly as they write to avoid this error. If the Setter announces subjects that prove impossible to connect in six steps, which is rare but possible with very obscure pairings, the Setter should retract and set a new pair without penalty, though other players may call this out and the group can agree a house rule limiting how often a Setter may retract.

How to win more often

• Work inward from both ends simultaneously. Write down the starting subject and brainstorm two or three natural connections from it, then do the same from the ending subject. Look for a middle ground where the two ends can meet in the fewest total steps.
• Use broad, versatile categories as bridging steps. Concepts such as a country, a widely known industry, a sport, or a historical period can connect to an enormous range of subjects and are hard to challenge.
• Do not aim for six steps by default. A three-step or four-step chain is quicker to write and quicker to read aloud, reducing the chance of an error or a successful challenge.
• When setting subjects as the Setter, choose pairs that seem very distant but actually share an obvious bridge. This keeps rounds short and avoids the awkwardness of an unchainable pair, while still being satisfying when solved.
• Listen carefully when a rival reads their chain. Even an invalid chain often reveals a bridging idea you can use as the Setter in a future round.

Variations

Famous People Only

Both starting subjects must be real, well-known people, and every step in the chain must also be a named person. Connections are made through shared roles, relationships, or events, for example two people who appeared in the same film, worked in the same field, or lived in the same city at the same time. This version rewards biographical knowledge and is popular with older players.

Cooperative Six Degrees

All players work together rather than against each other, contributing one step each in turn around the table to build a single shared chain. The group wins if a valid chain is completed within six steps before running out of turns; the group loses if they cannot connect the subjects. This version works particularly well with younger players or as a gentle introduction to the game.

Five Degrees

The chain limit is reduced from six steps to five, making the puzzle meaningfully harder and speeding up play. This variant suits experienced players who find six steps too generous and want to reward sharper lateral thinking. All other rules remain identical.

Open Challenge

Rather than everyone writing simultaneously, the Setter poses the pair of subjects and players take turns in order, each contributing one step aloud to a shared chain written on a central piece of paper. Any player may challenge a step immediately after it is spoken. If the challenge succeeds, the player who offered the invalid step is eliminated from that round. The last player remaining scores the point. This version is louder, more social, and better suited to larger groups of five or six.

Six Degrees: frequently asked questions