Paper Race: a car race review game for the whole class
A classroom race game: every right answer moves your team's car, the last car gets a boost, first over the line wins. Free, on one screen, no student devices.
Paper Race is a classroom race game: each team has a car, every right answer moves it one step toward the finish line, and the first car across wins. The car in last place gets a double boost, so no team is ever out of it. It's quick, easy to explain and works with any subject.
At a glance
| Players | The whole class in 2–4 teams free (up to 8 with Oly Pro) |
| Time | 5–15 minutes for 12 questions |
| Works with | Picture, word, listen, spell, meaning and your own questions; any subject |
| Best for | Warm-ups, young learners, short end-of-lesson review |
| You need | One screen and your phone |
How to play Paper Race
- Make or pick a question set. Snap a textbook page, paste a word list, type a topic, paste your own questions, or start from the free library.
- Pick Paper Race, set the teams and start. Oly places the finish line to fit your game (see below).
- Play. Teams take turns. A right answer moves the team's car one step; if the team is in last place, two steps. A wrong answer leaves the car where it is. The first car over the finish line wins and the game ends right there. If nobody gets there before the questions run out, the car furthest ahead wins.
Rules and scoring
- Right answer: +1 step. A team's score is the number of steps its car has moved.
- Last-place boost: a team that is behind everyone else (alone or tied at the back) moves 2 steps. When all cars are level, nobody gets the boost.
- The finish line is set from the number of questions and teams: about 80% of each team's share of questions, never fewer than 4 steps or more than 12. With 12 questions and 3 teams it's 4 steps; with 30 questions and 2 teams, 12.
- Double or triple questions move the car 2 or 3 times as far (a boosted car on a double question moves 4).
You can switch these in the lobby before the game, or mid-game from the settings button:
- Timer: none, 10, 20, 30 or 60 seconds; running out counts as a wrong answer.
- Wrong answers lose a point: the car rolls back one step, so the car always matches the score. Off by default; a car never goes behind the start.
- Steal: off by default. When on, after a miss, another team may answer; if it's right, that team's car moves (no extra turn).
- Hide the score, a seasonal theme, and full, calm or no effects.
You see the answer on your phone and tap Correct or Not yet; on a touch screen students can tap a multiple-choice answer themselves.
What you can teach with it
English: picture, word, listen, spell and meaning questions, plus your own. Sentence-order questions aren't used in this game.
- Transport at A1: car, bus, bike, train, as picture and listen questions.
- Spelling practice: spell questions on the week's word list; one step per correct word.
- Opposites at A2: your own questions like "fast → ?", "early → ?".
Other subjects use multiple choice, true/false and open questions:
- Math: quick mental arithmetic, one sum per turn.
- Science: true/false statements to check a unit.
- History and geography: "which country…?" questions before a test.
Tips from the classroom
- Short and sharp: 12 questions make a race of 5 to 10 minutes, perfect for the end of a lesson.
- The boost keeps everyone in. Point it out when a team falls behind: two steps per answer catches up fast.
- Big class: 4 teams with a class list, so Oly calls one student per team each turn.
Play it without a screen
- Draw one lane per team on the whiteboard, with a start and a finish line about 5 steps away.
- Each team gets a car: a magnet or a drawn arrow.
- Ask team by team; a right answer moves the car one step, two if that team is last.
- First car to the finish wins.
The screen version sets the finish line for you, adds pictures, sound and animation, keeps score, and lets you run it from your phone.
Questions teachers ask
Is Paper Race free?
Yes. The game, the library and your own typed questions are free. The free plan includes 10 AI question sets a month (3 from photos) and up to 4 teams; Oly Pro allows up to 8.
Do students need devices?
No. The class plays on one screen. You use your phone as the remote by scanning the QR code or typing the 6-digit PIN.
How long is the race?
Between 4 and 12 steps, set from your number of questions and teams, so a race usually finishes before the questions run out.
Can a car go backwards?
Only if you turn on "wrong answers lose a point". Then a wrong answer rolls the car back one step, never behind the start.
How many students can play?
Any number. Split the class into 2 to 4 teams on the free plan, or up to 8 with Oly Pro; each team gets a lane.
Can I use my own questions?
Yes. Paste them as question | answer | wrong, wrong, type them in the editor, or import a public Kahoot link.
For another race to the top, try Ladder Climb, or Hoop Shot for a sporty change.