Charades › How to play
How to play Charades
Charades is a group guessing game played with one phone: the guesser holds it to their forehead, everybody else sees the word and gives clues, and the goal is to guess as many words as possible in 30 seconds.
What you need to play
- An Android phone with the Charades app installed.
- At least two people: one guesser and one (or more) giving clues.
- A bit of room to move, because acting is part of the game.
How a round works
- Pick a category from the menu: animals, objects, food, movies, football or Argentina.
- Hold the phone to your forehead with the screen facing your friends. A 5-second countdown gives you time to get ready.
- Everybody else sees the word on the screen and gives you clues or acts it out. Saying the word is not allowed.
- If you get it, tilt the phone up: the screen turns green and you score a point. To pass, tilt it down and the screen turns red.
- A round lasts 30 seconds. At the end you see your score and can hand the phone to someone else.
Basic rules
- You cannot say the word, parts of it or its translation.
- Clue givers can talk, make sounds or act; agree on what you prefer before you start.
- For teams, each team plays one round per turn and the team with the most points after several rounds wins.
Tips to score more
- Do not get stuck: if a word is not working, pass and move on to the next one.
- Clue givers should start with the easiest thing to say: a category, a sound, a gesture.
- Tilt the phone calmly: a wide, clear movement, without shaking it.
The words in the app are currently in Spanish. For ideas to build your own rounds, see the category pages, like animals or movies.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Charades?
Hold the phone to your forehead with the screen facing out, everybody else gives clues without saying the word, and you tilt the phone up if you got it or down to pass. A round lasts 30 seconds.
How many people can play?
From two. One guesser and one or more clue givers; you can also play in teams by passing the phone around.
What if I do not know the word?
Tilt the phone down to pass and another word appears.