In reverse charades the whole team acts and one player guesses. It is louder, faster and great for shy players, because nobody performs alone.
How reverse charades works
One player from the team is the guesser and stands with their back to the screen. Everyone else on the team sees the word and acts it out together. The guesser calls out answers. Get as many as you can before the timer beeps, then the other team goes.
- Make two teams. Each team picks a guesser for the round.
- Turn the guesser around. The guesser faces away from the screen.
- Start the timer. Press Start, then Next to show the first word to the actors.
- Act together. The whole team acts out the word at once.
- Score each guess. Press Got it for each correct guess, then Next for a new word.
Words that work best
Actions and animals are the stars here, because a whole group can be a herd of elephants or a crowded escalator. Group scenes like Tug of war, Roller coaster or Musical chairs are a lot of fun. Try the Actions category for the most chaos.
Rules to agree first
- No talking, mouthing or spelling with fingers.
- Skips are allowed but cost time.
- Rotate the guesser every round so everyone gets a turn.
For the classic version, use the charades word generator.
Last reviewed October 25, 2026. Word list hand-picked and checked for family play.
Frequently asked questions
What is reverse charades?
A team version of charades: everyone except one player acts the word together, and that one player guesses. Teams race to guess the most words in a minute.
How many players do you need?
At least six, so each team has a guesser and two or more actors. It works well with big groups and office parties.
Does the timer beep?
Yes. Turn on the timer, pick 30, 60, 90 or 120 seconds and press Start. When time runs out it plays three short beeps, shows Time's up and passes the turn to the other team. Untick Sound if you want it silent. Phones in silent mode may mute the beep.
Will I see the same word twice?
Not in the same game. Every word you see is remembered on this device, so it will not come back until you press Reset used words. The counter under the card shows how many words are left in the set you picked.
Can I print the words as cards?
Yes. Choose US Letter or A4 in the Print cards panel and press Print 40 cards. You get one page with a 4 by 10 grid of prompts from your current filters. Cut along the dashed lines and drop the cards in a hat or bowl.