Charades rules

How to play charades: rules, signals and scoring

One player acts without speaking while the others guess. Play cooperatively with two people, or split four or more players into teams. Start with a phone, paper slips or the printable host kit below. There is no single universal house ruleset: agree on time, passes and scoring before the first turn.

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More options: browse charades ideas Download the free host kit (US Letter)

Use this guide

Make the round work.

What you need
For team play, use four or more players, a timer and a source of prompts. Two people can take turns acting and guessing without competitive teams. Keep the screen facing the actor and use Hide word when passing the phone; a generator alone does not keep an exposed screen private.
The basic rules
One player from the acting team takes a prompt and acts it out silently while their teammates guess. No speaking, no mouthing words, no pointing at objects in the room that give the answer away, and no spelling letters in the air. Everything else is allowed.
How a turn runs
Start the clock, then act. The performer's own team calls out guesses freely. If they guess correctly before time runs out, that team scores. If not, play passes to the other team, who take a new prompt.
Timing
Sixty seconds is the standard round. Use thirty seconds for single-word speed rounds, and ninety seconds to two minutes for long film titles or abstract concepts. Agree the length before the game starts rather than negotiating it mid-round.
Scoring
The simplest scoring is one point per correct guess, first team to ten wins. For a longer night, award two points for a correct guess in the first thirty seconds and one point after that, which rewards a clear performance over a lucky one.
Passing and skipping
Most groups allow unlimited passes with no penalty, since a stalled prompt kills the energy in the room. Stricter groups allow three passes per turn, or deduct a point for each pass beyond the first.
Common disputes worth settling first
Decide in advance whether pointing at a person counts, whether nodding to confirm a partial guess is allowed, and whether the performer may hold up a prop. Every group draws these lines differently, and settling them early prevents an argument in round three.
Playing with a big group
Above ten players, split into smaller groups running parallel rounds, or rotate three or four teams. Use 30- or 60-second turns and rotate the performer each time. Parallel groups reduce waiting more than adding people to one large guessing team.

Prompt starters

Ideas to pull from fast.

Use a list as a starting point, then open the game when you want the round to run itself.

15-minute classroom session

Minutes 0-2: choose 12 familiar action or vocabulary words and model one silent turn.
Minutes 2-4: let pairs practise two words without a timer. Offer a seated or partner version.
Minutes 4-12: play six 60-second turns, allowing about 20 seconds to swap actors after each turn.
Minutes 12-15: ask each pair to explain one useful gesture and use a guessed word in a sentence.
For curriculum vocabulary, paste your own list into the generator. Avoid student names or private information.
Allow a pass without explanation. Review words for the group's age, language level and accessibility needs before starting.

Standard hand signals

Number of words: hold up that many fingers
Which word you're acting: hold up fingers again
Number of syllables: tap fingers on your forearm
Sounds like: tug your earlobe
The whole concept: sweep a large circle with both arms
Shorter word: hold your hands close together
Longer word: pull your hands far apart
You're close, keep going: wave both hands toward yourself
Plural: link your two little fingers
Past tense: wave a hand back over your shoulder

Category signals

Film: crank an old-fashioned movie camera
Book: press your palms together, then open them
Song: mime holding a microphone and singing
TV show: draw a rectangle in the air
Play: pull an imaginary stage curtain aside
Person: stand with hands on hips
Quote or phrase: draw quote marks with your fingers

House rules to agree first

Round length: 30, 60, or 90 seconds
Passes: unlimited, three per turn, or penalised
Props: allowed or banned
Pointing at people or objects: allowed or banned
Nodding to confirm a partial guess: allowed or banned
Score to win: first to 10, or most points in 30 minutes

Before you start

Questions, answered.

How do you play charades?

Split into two teams. One player takes a prompt and acts it out silently while their team guesses before the clock runs out. No speaking, mouthing, or spelling letters in the air. A correct guess scores a point, then play passes to the other team.

What are the hand signals in charades?

Hold up fingers for the number of words, then again for which word you're acting. Tap your forearm for syllables, tug your earlobe for sounds-like, sweep a big circle for the whole concept, and wave both hands toward you for close, keep going.

How long is a round of charades?

Sixty seconds is standard. Use thirty seconds for single-word speed rounds and up to two minutes for long film titles or abstract concepts. Agree the length before the first round.

How many people do you need for charades?

Two people can alternate acting and guessing cooperatively. Competitive team play works with four or more. With a large group, run smaller groups in parallel or rotate teams and performers so everyone gets a turn.

Can you make sounds in charades?

No. The traditional rule is complete silence from the performer, including no mouthing words and no sound effects. Many family groups relax this for young children and allow animal noises.

How do you score charades?

One point per correct guess, first team to ten wins. For a longer game, award two points for a guess in the first thirty seconds and one point after that.

Keep exploring

Related games and guides.

Open the charades generator

Charades generator

Generate prompts by category, audience, and difficulty with a built-in round timer.

Charades ideas by category

Ready-made prompt lists for kids, adults, movies, and funny rounds.

Charades words

Single-word prompts for fast thirty-second speed rounds.

Ready for the whole group

A host kit you can print and use

Four pages: a quick rules and gesture sheet, a ten-round score sheet for four teams, twelve blank prompt cards, and a 15-minute classroom plan with seated and partner options. Choose the paper size your printer uses.

Download US Letter PDF Download A4 PDF

Free to print for your game night, class or community group. CardYard's suggested session plan has not been classroom-tested. Adjust the words and pace for your players.

Need ready-made prompts? Browse 180 classic words or print the 60-card kids pack. To use your own vocabulary, open the generator, then Custom Theme → Use my own words.