I spent my early journalism days obsessed with the mechanics of the print shop. It wasn’t just about writing words; it was about the physical act of making them. I learned the trade fast. I even got my hands dirty on an antique letterpress owned by a colleague who shared my obsession with type. We’d spend hours manually setting lead blocks, spelling out headlines by hand.
It was satisfying until it wasn’t.
One careless moment sent a full composing stick of type flying across the room. The clatter was deafening. Every block scattered. In the aftermath, I learned a hard lesson about spacing. You need spacers to keep the letters from sliding apart when you lock the form. Some spacers were simple blank blocks. They created white space without leaving a mark. Then there were the dingbats.
These weren’t just empty space. They were decorative symbols. They stamped specific icons onto the paper, adding flair to the text.
Today, the letterpress is a relic. Commercial printers have moved to digital plates. But dingbats survived. They aren’t used to set type anymore. Instead, they mark the end of a chapter. They decorate print ads. They sit quietly in design layouts, waiting to be noticed.
But to play the Dingbats game, history lesson won’t win you points. You need to solve rebus puzzles.
These are visual riddles. They mix pictures with words to hide common phrases or idioms. The solution isn’t always obvious. Sometimes the clue is structural. Maybe an arrow points to the first word in a list like “aid aid aid.” That’s “first aid.” Other times, it’s phonetic. A picture of a cat next to a log? You’re looking for “catalog.”
The game itself is structured to test your patience. There are three tiers of difficulty. Each tier rewards you with points for solving the cryptic image.
- Thingbats : These mix images with letters or words. They’re the easiest entry point. Solve one for 5 points.
- Dingbats : No pictures here. Just letters and words arranged in tricky ways. These are worth 10 points.
- Kingbats : The boss level. These can be either a Thingbat or a Dingbat, but the layout is far more complex. Crack one and you get 15 points.
Dingbats, From Newspapers to iPhones
The journey from lead type to smartphone screen is long. It’s not just a change in medium. It’s a change in mindset. The tactile frustration of spilled type is gone. Now, the challenge is mental. You’re not fighting gravity. You’re fighting ambiguity.
Why do we still play these games? The answer isn’t in the points. It’s in the pattern recognition. Your brain loves solving codes. A picture of a “house” with a “key” inside it isn’t just a drawing. It’s a phrase. “House key.” Or maybe “lock and key.” The game forces you to think laterally.
Where did this shift happen? It started in print. Newspapers used dingbats to break up text. They were visual relief. When digital design took over, those symbols became icons. Emojis are the modern descendant. But the game? The game kept the old rules. It kept the logic.
Is it harder now?
It started with pencils. Paul Sellers, drawing from his base in Kent, England, churned out newspaper strips like Lancelittle and Eb & Flo back in the 60s. Those comics traveled. They ended up on newsstands in the US and beyond. But his real breakout? Whatzit?.
Launched in 1980, it was a word-and-picture puzzle. It showed up in local papers first. Then it went international. It was so popular it spun off into a board game of the same name. Sellers’ career didn’t just take off. It exploded.
From Whatzit? to Dingbats: A Global Rebrand
The game crossed the Atlantic quickly. In the US and Canada, it hit shelves as Katch-Its. Australia got the same title. Everywhere else? It was rebranded as Dingbats.
By the turn of the century, the format had fractured into various iterations. Puzzle books. Board game variations. All of them now out of print. The timeline looks like this:
- 1988: Junior Dingbats, licensed to Waddington’s in the UK
- 1990: Totally Dingbats, added solo timer play, also Waddington’s
- 1999: Dingbats Electronic Edition, licensed to Goliath
- 2003: Dingbats, licensed to Ravensburger in the US
The syndicate still lives on websites and mobile platforms today. But the game? It’s just Dingbats. The original name faded into history.
The Digital Leap and Family Involvement
2010 marked the 30th anniversary. That’s when a digital edition dropped for iPhone and iPod Touch. No word on an Android version, though. This was the first app from Starberry, a London-based company. The name comes from the Navaho word for blueberry.
For the Sellers family, the app wasn’t just a milestone. It was a collaboration. Every generation touched it.
Rus and Ben, Paul’s sons, led production. Rachel, his daughter, did the voiceovers. The graphics and sound? Grandsons. The testers? Grandkids. And Paul’s wife, Marj. His daughter-in-law. Tom Gidden and Vince Sneed, family friends, designed the core game.
It was a full-house effort.
How to Play Dingbats
The mechanics are simple but deceptive. You see a collection of images and symbols. They don’t make literal sense. But together, they form a common phrase. A pun. A double entendre.
You look. You guess. You solve.
The challenge lies in the abstraction. The images are visual metaphors. A picture of a “key” might represent the word “solution.” A “bear” could be “unhappy.” You have to translate the visual into linguistic.
It’s not just about vocabulary. It’s about lateral thinking.
Why do people still play? The tactile nature of the paper version offers a break from screens. The digital version offers portability. Both demand the same mental agility.
The game’s longevity speaks to its design. It doesn’t rely on trends. It relies on language. And language doesn’t go out of style.
Mastering the Tabletop Strategy
The board game itself is a different beast entirely. You’ll rarely find a fresh copy in stores anymore. They are out of print. But hunt through gaming cabinets or scour online marketplaces. You will find plenty of used sets. The setup is straightforward. Place four of each of the three card types face down on the board. Then it’s down to luck for the turn order. Some versions use dice. Others rely on a revolving board with an arrow. Spin it. Where the arrow lands dictates who starts.
Highest roll wins. Or the arrow lands on you. You take the first card. Flip it. An opponent sets a 30-second timer. That’s it. Half a minute to crack the rebus. Say the answer aloud. Flip the card to check.
If you got it right? Keep the card. Keep going. The goal is simple: solve as many puzzles as you can before the clock hits zero and the turn passes left.
How do you pick the next card? Look at the arrow printed under the current card. Usually, there are options. Multiple arrows point to adjacent spaces. Choose your path. Rarely, an arrow points to empty space. In that case, grab any card on the board at random.
Missed it? Replace the card. Stack a new one from a different-colored deck on top. The person who solves that top card wins both. It’s a jackpot. Sometimes the pile grows. Each card in that stack adds to your score. The game ends when all 12 spaces are cleared. Count up your haul. High score wins. Yell “Winner, winner, chicken dinner.” Or whatever makes you feel powerful.
Want to make it harder? Use the 12 optional wild cards. They add chaos. Extra time. Missed turns. Double points. It changes the dynamic completely.
Digital Adaptations and App Variations
Not every digital conversion respects the source material. The “Dingbats” app for iPhone and iPod Touch is an exception. Released around early 2012, it cost about $2. It works on iPad too. It keeps the core flavor but adds solo play. That’s a huge win for people without a group.
You tap the screen. Flip a virtual card. They come in sets of 12. Type your answer into the keyboard. A 90-second timer starts immediately. Get it right? The card vanishes. See the rest of the set. Wrong? You hear a ding. The card stays.
Speed matters. Solve faster, score higher. But here is the kicker: you can ask for a clue. Not during the timer. After it runs out. You can also request in-game hints. Or skip to another card and come back later. Stumped? You can pass. But be careful. You only get one pass for every 1,000 points. Ask for the answer via email if you’re desperate.
After the game, check the card gallery. Review what you solved. Connect to Twitter to share your score. It’s social. It’s competitive.
There’s also the Facebook app. Free. One new puzzle a day. Simple. Then there are web-based games like “Fun With Words.” They offer rebus puzzles too. But they don’t stick to the Dingbat timed format.
Beware of confusion. There’s another iPad app called “Dingbats” by Blockdots. It’s not the same game. Seller’s Dingbats are phrase puzzles. Blockdots is more like “Wheel of Fortune.” You pick consonants to match hidden vowels. It’s word play, yes. But totally different mechanics.
Global Tracking and Community Features
The Wall of Dingbats on the app’s website tracks global progress. Every time a player anywhere solves a puzzle, the corresponding card lights up. Solve one yourself? Your username might appear on the wall. It’s a subtle flex.
Developers use this data to track solve times. It helps them tweak the difficulty or understand player behavior. Privacy-conscious? You can turn off reporting. Go to the Upload Scores section. Stop sending your user name, country code, and timer stats.
Cracking the Code: Tips and Strategies
Playing Dingbats isn’t just about reading fast. It’s about pattern recognition. The visual puzzles rely on spatial arrangement. Words stacked on top of each other. Letters inside shapes. Overlapping phrases.
Focus on the structure first. Ignore the meaning for a second. Look at the geometry. Is “up” written above a house? “Roof top.” Is “eye” inside a circle? “In the eye of the storm.”
Practice with the daily Facebook puzzle. It’s low stakes. No timer pressure. Build your vocabulary of common idioms. Phrases like “piece of cake” or “break a leg” appear often.
When playing the board game, communication helps. If you’re stuck, listen to your partner. They might see the clue differently. The 30-second timer is brutal. Don’t panic. Breathe. Guess if you have to. A wrong guess just resets the timer. A right guess scores points.
In the digital version, use the hints wisely. Don’t blow them all on the first card. Save them for the hardest ones later in the set. The pass feature is valuable. Use it on a puzzle that’s just too obscure.
The key is variety. The cards change. New idioms. New visual tricks. Stay sharp.
Logic puzzles like Dingbats aren’t just time killers. They force your neurons to fire up and build connections. Your brain actually grows when you practice problem solving. It commits the info to short- and long-term memory.
But you want to win. Beating your personal best requires a plan. The answer doesn’t always pop into your head. Try these strategies instead.
Look for prepositions. Check if the puzzle visually places words under, over, or around each other. If “eggs” sits above “easy,” the answer is “eggs over easy.” Position isn’t always a preposition clue, though. Sometimes it’s literal.
Think literally. Words might show what they are doing. If “sun” moves progressively higher, it’s “sun rise.” Consider the physical action. If “camp” is in flames, that’s “campfire.” This works for picture-word combos too.
Check the font. Are letters puffy? Upside-down? Wavy? Wavy “brain” spells “brainwave.” Bold “c-h-a-n-c-e” creates “fat chance.” The visual style changes the meaning.
Deconstruct single words. If a word looks nonsensical, break it down. It likely contains another word. “jobINjob” splits into “in between jobs.” Pull the letters apart.
Get stuck? Read the card aloud. I breezed through rounds but missed one. It showed the King of Hearts followed by “bored.” I guessed “royally bored.” I was fixated on “royal.” I had to pass. Later, I read it aloud. Card. Bored. “Cardboard.” Hearing yourself speak triggers new connections.
Dingbats FAQ
How do you play Dingbats?
Place four of each of the three card types face down on the board. Flip a puzzle card when it’s your turn. Try to solve it before the 30-second timer expires. Say the answer aloud. Flip the card to check the solution. Move to the next card. Do as many as possible before time runs out.
Who invented the Dingbats game?
Paul Sellers, a cartoonist from Kent, England, created it. He drew strips like “Lancelittle” and “Eb & Flo” in the 1960s. These appeared in the UK, US, and elsewhere. In 1980, “Whatzit?” appeared in newspapers. It became internationally syndicated. It inspired the board game.
Can you play Dingbats online?
The physical board game is no longer made. You can’t buy new copies. Unless you find an old version for sale, play online.
What is a dingbat?
Dingbats are imprinted symbols or pictures. They stand in for words.
What’s an example of a dingbat?
The game uses rebus puzzles. These combine pictures and words. “Aid aid aid” with an arrow pointing to the first word means “first aid.”
