BrainSpin Card Game

Last updated: 19 October 2026

What the BrainSpin card game is

Abralind came up with BrainSpin as a student at Cornell, drawing shapes from the doodles in his notebook margins. He showed it at the Chicago Toy and Game Conference in 2014, and Winning Moves Games released it at the New York Toy Fair in February 2016, according to Maryland Today.

He told the magazine: "A huge part of the game, and my job, is listening to people's perspectives." Abralind now sells the game himself. His shop says it sold 70,000 copies between 2016 and 2021, and that he is looking for a new publisher.

How a round works

• The card: one player turns over a card with a simple line shape on it.
• The list: everyone writes down everything the shape looks like to them, against a timer.
• The scoring: you read out your lists, and an answer earns a point only if nobody else wrote it.

So the game rewards the odd answer rather than the obvious one, and the scoring works a little like Boggle.

Key facts

• Price: $24.99 for two copies, about £19 at the European Central Bank exchange rate on 19 October 2026, plus shipping
• In the box: 54 cards
• Players: 2 to 10
• Designer: Frankie Abralind
• First released: February 2016, by Winning Moves Games
• Sold by: the designer's own shop, which ships to the UK

Who BrainSpin suits

• Party hosts: it needs only pens and paper, and up to 10 people can play.
• Teams and teachers: Abralind pitches it as an icebreaker and a way to show how differently people think.
• Families with older children: anyone who can write a list can join in.

For more games to play with friends, our guide to board games for adults covers more games for a night in.

The limits of BrainSpin

It is not easy to buy in the UK. I struggled to find it on Amazon UK, so the designer's US shop is the only place I could find selling it new. The price is in dollars, and international shipping and any import charges come on top.

You also have to buy two copies at once. That suits a group gift or a classroom, but it is more than most homes need.

Finally, it is a simple game. There is no board and little strategy, so it suits a warm-up or a party more than a long games night.

Where to buy BrainSpin in the UK

Frankie Abralind's shop lists the two-pack at $24.99 and offers a USA or international shipping choice at checkout. The BrainSpin shop page has the current price and stock.

BrainSpin at Frankie Abralind's shop

FAQs

How much is BrainSpin?

$24.99, about £19, for a two-pack from Frankie Abralind's shop, plus shipping. I checked the price on 19 October 2026.

How many people can play BrainSpin?

Between 2 and 10 players.

How do you score in BrainSpin?

You get a point for each thing you saw in the shape that no other player wrote down.

Who invented BrainSpin?

Frankie Abralind, a designer and design thinking consultant from Washington, DC.

Can you buy BrainSpin in the UK?

Yes, by ordering from the designer's shop with international shipping. I could not find it on Amazon UK.

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I checked the price and stock at Frankie Abralind's shop on 19 October 2026.

Buy from Frankie Abralind

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