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Charades

Act it out. No talking.

Charades needs no board, no cards and no setup. One person acts out a word while everyone else shouts guesses, and the clock does the rest. This version gives you 300 words across six categories, a 60 second timer and automatic scoring, so nobody has to keep track on paper. You can also open an online room instead of passing one phone around: everyone joins on their own screen, so only the actor sees the word while everybody sees the clock and the score. You still all need to be able to watch the acting, so playing with friends who are somewhere else means running a video call of your own alongside it.

Play Charades online

One phone each. Act it out, tap who guessed it.

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Pick a category

Who is playing?

How to play charades

  1. Split into a group of at least two players and pick a category.
  2. The first actor takes the phone and taps to start the 60 second clock.
  3. They act out the word on screen. No talking, no pointing at objects, no spelling.
  4. When someone shouts the right answer, the actor taps that person's name. Both of them score a point.
  5. A new word appears straight away. Keep going until the clock runs out.
  6. The phone passes to the next player. After everyone has acted twice, the highest score wins.

The rules people argue about

The actor cannot speak, mouth words, or point at real objects in the room. Gestures for the number of words and syllables are allowed, and so is miming a smaller part of the word. Skipping is free here, because arguing about whether a skip costs a point is how charades nights end early.

Charades words by category

All 300 words are listed below. Use them here or read them out from a printed list.

Actions

Everyday movements anyone can mime.

  • Brushing teeth
  • Riding a bike
  • Swimming

Animals

Easy wins for younger players and loud rooms.

  • Elephant
  • Monkey
  • Snake

Jobs

Professions with a gesture everyone recognises.

  • Doctor
  • Firefighter
  • Chef

Objects

Things you can shape with your hands.

  • Umbrella
  • Toothbrush
  • Ladder

Movies & TV

Titles with a release in every market we ship.

  • Titanic
  • Jaws
  • Frozen

Kids

Simple enough for the youngest player in the room.

  • Rain
  • Sun
  • Star

Just want a random word without the timer and the scoring?

Open the charades generator

Charades reviews

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Charades questions

How many players do you need for charades?

Two is enough, though it is better with four or more so the actor has a room to play to. This version needs at least two players before it will start.

How long is each turn?

Sixty seconds. The actor gets through as many words as they can in that time, and a new word appears the moment someone guesses correctly.

Is this charades generator free?

Yes. All 300 words across all six categories are free, with no account and no app to install.

What are good charades words for kids?

Single, concrete things a child can copy with their body: animals, weather, and simple actions like jumping or sleeping. The Kids category on this page is built from exactly those.

Can you talk during charades?

No. The actor cannot speak, mouth the word, or point at a real object in the room. Everyone else can shout as many guesses as they like.

Can you play charades online with friends?

Yes, with one thing to sort out yourself. Open an online room and share the link, or read out the six-character code, and everyone joins on their own phone: one person acts, the others call out their guesses, the actor taps whoever got it, and the scores are kept for you. That is what replaces passing a single phone around. The room has no video, voice or chat, though, so everyone has to be able to see the person acting - if your friends are somewhere else, start your own video call and run the room alongside it.

More party games

Charades is one of several free games here, all playable in a browser with no downloads.

See all games