Dumb charades, the game and the app
Hold it to your forehead.
Your friends act it out,
You guess it!
Dumb charades is the silent acting game every Indian family, hostel and office party knows: one person acts out a movie name without speaking, the team guesses. Here you get the rules, the signs and 700+ movie names for dumb charades, plus a free app that deals the words and runs the timer.
What is dumb charades?
Dumb charades is a guessing game in which one player silently acts out a word or, most often in India, a movie name, and their team has to guess it within a time limit. No speaking, no lip movement, no writing: only gestures, expressions and a few agreed signs for "movie", "number of words" and "sounds like".
It is the same game the rest of the world calls charades. In India it is almost always played with film titles, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu or English, at family get-togethers, Diwali parties, college fests and office Friday fun. Learn the dumb charades rules and signs, grab a ready list of movies for dumb charades, or let the dumb charades movie generator pick a title for you. Guessy turns the game into a phone app: the guesser holds the phone to their forehead and everyone else acts.
- Players
- 4+
- best in two teams
- Classic round
- 2-3 min
- per movie, on paper
- In the app
- 45 sec
- up to 120 with premium
- Movie names
- 700+
- in our free web lists
- App topics
- 27
- 8 free, in English
- Price
- Free
- iPhone and Android
How to play dumb charades, in three steps.
Full rules- 01
The other team picks a movie
They whisper it to your actor or write it on a chit. Your team cannot see it.
- 02
Show the signs, then act
Movie sign, language, number of words. Then act word by word, or the whole story. Not a single word spoken.
- 03
Guess before the timer ends
Two or three minutes per movie is the usual. Guess it in time and your team scores a point.
Hold it to your forehead and tilt!
In the Guessy app the roles flip: the guesser holds the phone to their forehead, everyone else acts. Got it? Tilt down. Want to pass? Tilt up. Try it: swipe the card, or tap below.
- TILT UPPASS
Pass
Stuck? Tilt the phone back and the next word comes up.
- LEVELELEPHANT
New word
Hold it straight in front of your forehead. That is when the next word appears.
- TILT DOWNCORRECT
Correct
Got it? Nod the phone down and the point is yours.
Movie names for dumb charades.
- 01Bollywood classicsSholay
- 02Bollywood 90s and 2000sHera Pheri
- 03Latest BollywoodStree 2
- 04Difficult titlesJaane Bhi Do Yaaro
- 05TamilRoja
- 06TeluguMagadheera
- 07HollywoodTitanic
700+ movie names in seven lists, all free on this site.
Diwali night, college fest, office Friday. Anywhere there is a crowd.
- Family get-together
- Diwali party
- Holi
- Kitty party
- College fest
- Office fun Friday
- Birthday
- Wedding sangeet
- Road trip
- New Year
Since 2016 at parties around the world, free on iPhone and Android. 27 topics in the app, 700+ movie names on this site, and it plays without internet.
Playing with little ones?Guessy Kids: pictures instead of words, no reading required.What is dumb charades?
Dumb charades is a team guessing game in which one player acts out a word or movie name without speaking, and their team guesses it before time runs out. In India it is mostly played with Bollywood, Tamil, Telugu and Hollywood movie titles.
How do you play dumb charades?
Split into two teams. The opposing team gives your actor a secret movie name. The actor shows the movie sign, the number of words, then acts it out silently. Your team guesses within 2-3 minutes; a correct guess is one point. The full dumb charades rules explain all the signs.
Where can I find movie names for dumb charades?
Is there a dumb charades app?
Yes. Guessy - Dumb Charades is free on iPhone and Android. The guesser holds the phone to their forehead, the others act, describe, hum or draw, and the app keeps time and score. Its built-in word lists are in English (actions, animals, Hollywood movies and more); the Indian movie lists are on this website.
Does the app need internet?
No. Once installed, the game works offline, so it is handy on a train journey, a road trip or in a hill station with no network.
Lights, camera, your turn.
Free on iPhone and Android. One phone and a few friends is all it takes.