Charadesplay the charades game online, free
One phone, two-plus teams, a 60-second clock. Pick your categories, act out the prompt with no talking, and race to guess it — no app, no sign-up, right in your browser.
Categories
Teams
2 teams take turns
Rounds each
Round length
Act it out with no talking — a point for every prompt your team guesses in time
What is charades
Act it out. Guess it fast. No talking allowed.
Charades is the classic acting-and-guessing party game. Split into teams, and on each turn one player mimes the word on screen — no speaking, no props — while their team races a 60-second clock to shout it out. Every correct guess is a point. After every team has had its rounds, the highest score wins. It is quick to learn, endlessly replayable, and this version keeps score so you do not have to.
- 15 word categories
- Mix Easy, Medium, and Hard with themed sets like Animals, Movies, Famous People, Jobs, Food, and For Kids. Your picks are shuffled into one deck for the match.
- One phone, no app
- The whole game runs in the browser on a single device that passes around the room. No download, no room code, no accounts — a match is one tap away.
- Your timer, your teams
- Round lengths from 45 to 120 seconds, one to six teams, one to five rounds each, and an optional pass penalty. Set it to match your group.
- Score kept for you
- Points, the countdown, team handoffs, and the final standings are all tracked automatically. Records live on your device — never on a server.
How to play
How to play charades
Charades is a game of gestures and quick guesses. Choose your categories, hand the phone to the actor, and race the clock — a point for every prompt the team lands before time runs out.
- 1
Set up the match
Pick the word categories you want in the mix, choose a round length (45 to 120 seconds), and set how many teams are playing and how many rounds each team gets. One phone is all you need — it passes around the room.
- 2
Hand the phone to the actor
On each turn the handoff screen names the team. That team picks one person to act; everyone else on the team guesses. The actor takes the phone, taps to start, and the countdown begins.
- 3
Act it out — no talking
The actor mimes the prompt on screen using only gestures: no speaking, no mouthing words, no pointing at objects in the room. Standard signals help — hold up fingers for the number of words and syllables, cup a hand to your ear for "sounds like", and so on.
- 4
Guess, score, and pass
When the team says the prompt, tap the card (or press the space bar) to score a point and deal the next word. Stuck? Tap Pass to move on. When time runs out the round score is banked and the phone goes to the next team. Most points after all rounds wins.
Tips to score more per round
- Act the category first — movie, animal, action — so the team knows what kind of answer to shout.
- Break a long prompt into syllables and act the easiest one first to get the team talking.
- Use size and shape: draw the object in the air, show how heavy or tall it is, mime how you hold it.
- For a person, lock onto one signature move, pose, or catchphrase gesture rather than a full life story.
- Guessers should say every half-thought out loud — the actor can only react to guesses they can hear.
- When the team is close, slow down and exaggerate the missing piece instead of starting over.
- Pass early on a prompt you truly cannot act. Ten wasted seconds is a whole extra word next time.
FAQ
Charades, answered
Straight answers about the free charades game you can play online in your browser.
What is charades?
Charades is a word-guessing party game. Players split into teams; on each turn one person acts out a word or phrase in silence — no talking and no props — while their team races a timer to guess it. Every correct guess is a point, and the team with the most points at the end wins. charadesgame.app is a free browser version you play on one phone passed around the room.
Is this charades game free to play online?
Yes. charadesgame.app is completely free and runs entirely in your browser. There is nothing to buy, download, or install, and there are no interruptive video ads, premium categories, or paywalls. Open the page, pick your categories, and play.
Do I need an app or an account?
No. The game is the website — a 100% browser-based build with no app-store download and no sign-up. Your settings and records are saved locally in your browser, so there is no login to manage.
How many players and phones do I need?
You need at least two people so someone can act while someone else guesses, and it is much more fun with four or more split into two teams. Only one phone or screen is required — it passes to whichever team is acting. There is no room code and no second device.
How does scoring and the timer work?
Each round is a fixed length you choose at setup — 45, 60, 90, or 120 seconds. While the clock runs, every prompt your team guesses correctly is one point; tap the card to score it and get the next word. Passing a prompt gives no point (or minus one if you turned on the pass penalty). When the timer hits zero the round score is added to the team total and the phone passes on.
What are the rules for the person acting?
No talking, whispering, mouthing words, or sound effects. No pointing at objects or people in the room and no props — only gestures and body movement. Beyond that, standard clue signals are allowed and encouraged: finger counts for words and syllables, a hand cupped to the ear for “sounds like”, and category signs for movies, books, songs, and TV shows.
Can I choose the word categories?
Yes. At setup you pick any combination of the 15 categories — Easy, Medium, Hard, Actions, Animals, Movies, Famous People, Jobs, Sports & Hobbies, Food & Drink, Around the House, Emotions, Places & Travel, For Kids, and Holidays & Events. The game shuffles all the words from your selected sets into one deck for the match.
How does a match end and who wins?
A match runs until every team has acted the number of rounds you set (one to five each). The team with the highest total score wins. If two teams tie for the top score, the summary screen shows it as a draw.
What are the standard charades hand signals?
Hold up fingers for the number of words, then for which word you are on. Rest fingers on your forearm for the number of syllables. Cup a hand behind your ear for “sounds like”. Frame your face for a movie, open your hands like a book for a book, sing silently for a song, draw a rectangle for a TV show, and pinch your fingers for a small word like “a” or “the”. Pull hands apart for “longer”, push them together for “shorter”, and beckon for “keep going, you’re close”.
How do I get more points per round?
Act the category first so the team knows what kind of answer to shout. Break long prompts into syllables and start with the easiest one. Guessers should call out every partial idea — the actor can only build on guesses they hear. And pass quickly on a prompt you genuinely cannot act rather than burning ten seconds on pride.
Can kids play?
Yes. It is a family-friendly game with no chat and no store. Add the “For Kids” category (and “Easy” and “Animals”) for simple, friendly prompts, and consider the 90 or 120-second round so younger actors are not rushed.
Does the game save my progress?
Your last-used settings and your records — matches played, total correct guesses, best single round, and best match score — are saved locally in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server and there is no account. Because the save lives on the device, a different phone, a new browser profile, or cleared site data looks like a fresh start. A match in progress is not saved if you close the tab.