Acting
Body language only, not a sound. Classic charades and the one that gets the biggest laughs.
Charades rules: how the game works
Charades is a party guessing game: one player gets a secret word, title or phrase, and their team has to guess it from clues, while the word itself is never said out loud. The charades rules below cover the classic game and the phone version, where the guesser holds the phone to their forehead, the others act or describe, and a tilt down means correct, a tilt up means pass. Most correct guesses wins.
- 01
Pick a topic
Choose one everyone knows. Movies for film buffs, Animals with kids, Act It Out for a mixed crowd.
- 02
Choose how to play and set the timer
Acting, describing, drawing or humming? A round lasts 45 seconds. With premium you choose the length, up to 120 seconds.
- 03
The guesser raises the phone to their forehead
Screen facing out, so the others can see the word and the guesser cannot. Landscape, held with both hands, is the most comfortable.
- 04
Everyone else gives clues
Act, describe, imitate. Saying the word or any part of it is not allowed, and neither is giving a rhyme or spelling it out.
- 05
Tilt: down = correct, up = pass
Got it? Tilt the phone down and the next word appears. Stuck? Tilt it up to pass. A new word only shows once the phone is level again.
- 06
Score at the end of the round
The app tallies the correct and passed words. Hand the phone on, and whoever has the most points at the end wins.
Describing
Explain it with words, but you cannot say the word itself or any part of it.
Humming
Songs, movie themes, jingles: melody only, no lyrics. A favorite with music lovers.
Drawing
Sketch it on paper, a napkin or in the air. No letters or numbers allowed.
Charades rules for scoring and time
Every correct word is 1 point. A round lasts 45 seconds, and every pass takes 5 seconds off the clock, so skipping has a price. Premium lets you choose rounds up to 120 seconds and switch the time settings: +5 seconds for every correct answer, and the -5 seconds on a pass on or off. In Solo or Team mode, enter player names and the app keeps a scoreboard and names the winner. Our pick: 60 seconds with +5 on correct.
Tips for better rounds
- In a bigger group, play in teams and take turns.
- Play Team or Solo mode with names, so the app keeps the scoreboard for you.
- With kids, Animals and Act It Out work best.
- Hold the phone with both hands, slightly above your forehead, so everyone can see it.
- If nothing clicks within 5 seconds, pass. Struggling too long costs you points.
- Decide on house rules (humming, drawing, pass penalty) before the first round, not during it.
Charades rules: frequently asked questions
What is charades?
Charades is a guessing game for groups. One player gives clues for a secret word, phrase or title, and their team tries to guess it before time runs out. In classic charades the clue-giver acts silently; many groups also allow describing, humming or drawing. It needs no board, just people, a timer and a source of words.
What does charades mean?
The word comes from the French "charade", originally a riddle in which a word is hinted at syllable by syllable. In 19th-century Britain, party guests began acting those syllables out, and the acted version became the game. The dictionary definition today: a game in which players guess a word or phrase from someone’s mimed clues. In everyday speech, "a charade" also means an obvious pretense.
What are the basic charades rules?
Split into teams. One player gives clues for a secret word while their team guesses. You cannot say the word, any part of it, a rhyme, or spell it. A round lasts 45-120 seconds, each correct guess is a point, and the team with the most points wins. In the phone version, tilt down for correct and up to pass.
Can I say the word in charades?
No. The word, any part of it and rhymes are all off limits. That is the one hard rule. Everything else (acting, describing, humming) is up to your group.
What are the hand signals in charades?
Crank an old film camera for a movie, open your palms like a book for a book, draw a box in the air for a TV show, hold up fingers for the number of words, tug your ear for "sounds like". The full list, with team setup and drills, is in our guide on how to play charades.
How long should a round be?
In the app, a round is 45 seconds, which keeps the game fast. With premium you can set up to 120 seconds, which helps with tough topics like Countries or Cities. Playing on paper, 60 seconds is the classic.
How do you keep score in charades?
Every correct word is one point; passes score nothing and cost 5 seconds of the round. In the app, Solo and Team modes take player or team names and keep a running scoreboard with a winner at the end, while Quick mode skips names and scores. With premium you can also add +5 seconds for every correct answer.
Where do we get words if we have no app?
Use the free charades generator: it picks a random word from 1,700+ words in 8 topics, right in the browser. For printable lists, see our charades ideas.
The next round is yours.
Free on iPhone and Android. All you need is one phone and at least two people.
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