menu_bookRules & tips
theater_comedy
Charades
Act it out. No words, no sounds, no pointing at things in the room.
group4-20 playersschedule20-40 min
No app, no setup. Everything you need is on this page.
flag
Objective
One player acts out a word or phrase while their team guesses. No talking, no sounds, no writing. You are playing against the clock and, if you want to keep score, against the other team.
sports_esports
How to Play
- Split into two teams. Everyone writes two words or film titles on slips of paper.
- Fold the slips into a bowl and mix them. Both teams draw from the same bowl.
- One player draws a slip and acts it out for their own team, with sixty or ninety seconds on the clock.
- The team guesses. If they get it before time runs out, they score a point.
- Teams alternate. Play a fixed number of rounds so everyone gets a turn to act.
lightbulb
Pro Tips
- Agree the signals first: a film is a hand-crank camera, a book is two palms opening, syllables are fingers on the forearm. Two minutes of setup saves ten of arguing.
- Keep the slips easy. Obscure words feel clever to write and kill the round for everyone watching.
- Put the actor where everyone can see. At a wedding that is in front of the top table, not in a corner by the bar.
all_inclusive
Variations
- Reverse charades: the whole team acts and one person guesses. Chaotic, and much funnier with a big group.
- Three rounds, one bowl: act the first round, describe in a single word the second, act again the third, all with the same slips. People remember them, and it gets fast.
- Themed bowl: only songs, only films from one decade, only things the couple have done together.
Questions people ask
- How long should each turn be?
- Sixty seconds for a lively group, ninety while people are still warming up. Set a phone timer where everyone can see it.
- What should we write on the slips?
- Films, songs, animals, jobs and household objects. Mix easy with hard, and skip anything half the room will not know.
- How many players do you need?
- Four at a minimum, two teams of five or six is ideal. Beyond twenty, make three teams so nobody waits long between turns.
Keep the photos from tonight
Create a gathering, put the QR code on the table, and every photo your guests take lands in one album. Nothing for them to download.
More games for your gathering
domino_maskImposterFind the imposter among your friends! One player doesn't know the secret word.arrow_forwardquizTwo Truths and a LieGuess which statement is false! A classic icebreaker game.arrow_forwardback_handNever Have I EverName something you've never done. Everyone who has puts a finger down.arrow_forward