Charades Game

Don't forget charades! Many people forget the classic free party games.

The premise of the charades game is for a person to act out a word or phrase (pantomiming) without using sounds and for other players to guess the word or phrase.

There are several variations of this games. There is the competitive style and the laid back style.

Competitive Style One

Now, you could write down an extremely difficult clue to act out like "existentialism." That might be funny and could work if it was an inside joke. But, it is best to keep things in the spirit of fun and fairness.

Place each teams' clues in a separate hat or bowl and choose a team to go first (ladies first if it is a battle of the sexes or flip a coin).

Set a time limit for each round and determine the winning score (10 is a good number, or you could play through all the clues and see whoever gets the most).

Competitive Style Two

The difference here is a single person (the judge) writes all the clues (best to have them before the party). This person doesn't participate in the guessing.

So the judge shows the clues to a single player from each team. When the person with the clues says go, each team tries to guess the clue at the same time.

It is quite easy to cheat by looking at the other team's player who is acting out the clue. So, try and position the teams they are facing different directions.

A timer is optional here, the real pressure comes from trying to guess the clue before the other teams.

The first team to guess the clue gets the point, it is the judge's job to determine who said it first.

Laid Back Style

The person acting out the clue can make the clue up by him or herself. Or you could still use the clues in the hat ploy. Just make sure if someone else is acting your clue that you let the others guess it.

The most common way people act out a clue is to start by indicating the number of words. You can tell the players the number of words by holding up fingers.

If your clue is "Kill Two Birds with One Stone" you hold up six fingers. The guessers will (if they've ever played charades before) say "six words!" You then hold up one finger and guessers chime in, "first word!"

With your best efforts act out "kill" and so on.

Be sure to nod and waves your hands like crazy when they are getting close. When your friends do get the clue, point to your nose and to the person who said it first (they nose it!). Shake your head when your friends start getting cold.

This free party game also has practical applications when you're a cat and can't speak...

Now go and play charades game!
Where would you like to go next?

...Search for more free party game ideas?

...Buy fun party games for your upcoming event?

...Check out the best party game ideas for kids, teens, or adults?


Now that the "party's over"- keep it alive with sharing fun party game ideas!

Send in your fun party games ideas and photos to help others create their own sensational celebrations. Let's exchange our ideas and keep sparking more and more creative party games.

Submit your party game ideas and you may be included in our upcoming newsletter and website!

Return from Charades Game to Free Party Games