Charades

1 Game Overview

Charades is the timeless acting guessing game. One player silently acts out a word, phrase, movie title, or book title while their team guesses. No speaking, no sounds, no pointing at objects in the room - just mime and gesture.

No special equipment needed - just people, ideas, and a timer. Perfect party game that everyone already knows.

2 What's in the Box

• Paper and pens (for writing clues)
• A bowl or hat (for drawing clues from)
• Timer (phone works great)

3 Setup

1. Divide players into 2 equal teams.
2. Each player writes 2-3 words/phrases on slips of paper and folds them up. Put all slips in a bowl.
3. Decide on a time limit per turn (60-90 seconds is standard).
4. Flip a coin to see who goes first.

4 How to Play

1. One player draws a slip from the bowl - they are the Actor for this round.
2. The Actor has a few seconds to read the clue, then signals the category using standard signals (see below).
3. Start the timer. The Actor silently acts out the clue while their team shouts guesses.
4. If the team guesses correctly, they score a point. The Actor can confirm with a thumbs-up or point-at-nose ("nose" signal).
5. Alternate teams each turn.

Standard Signals

• Movie: Crank an imaginary movie camera
• Book: Open hands like a book
• TV show: Draw a rectangle in the air
• Song: Pretend to sing (hand near mouth)
• Number of words: Hold up that many fingers
• Which word: Hold up that many fingers, then that word's count
• Sounds like: Cup hand to ear
• "The": Make a T shape with fingers
• Correct!: Point at nose with one hand, point at guesser with other
• Shorter: Squeeze fingers together
• Longer: Pull hands apart
• Whole phrase at once: Sweep hands wide

5 Winning

The team with the most points after an agreed number of rounds wins. Alternative: keep going until the bowl is empty, then count points.

6 Strategy Tips

• Do the easy part first. If acting "Jurassic Park" - do the word count, show "Jurassic" (old dinosaur mime), then "Park" (swings and slides).
• Use "sounds like" liberally. It unlocks so much - cup your ear, then mime a word that rhymes.
• Commit to your performance. Big, exaggerated movements are easier to read than subtle ones.
• Know your audience. Pick clues that match your crowd. Movie buffs? Use films. Foodies? Food-related phrases.