Best free words for charades (simple rules of thumb)

The best free prompts are not the cleverest - they are the ones your whole room can attack together. A few guidelines beat a random pile of hard trivia.

Pick concrete, visual ideas

Words that suggest motion, size, sound-alikes, and obvious props are easier to act. Abstract concepts can be funny for advanced groups, but they stall mixed rooms.

Match difficulty to the moment

Early rounds should feel generous. Once the group is loud and loose, you can sprinkle in tougher books, deep-cut movies, or odd jobs.

Let Showem handle variety after the starters

When you want “best” words at scale, use a generator tuned to categories. Showem is free to download and keeps prompts fresh so repeats do not flatten the night.

10 strong free charades words

Concrete motion and shared culture - retire anything your specific group does not recognize.

Airplane turbulence
Monkey bars
Light switch rave
Zombie walk
Basketball buzzer beater
Sherlock magnifying glass
Rainbow after rain
Clock ticking deadline
Penguin waddle
Robot dance

These ideas are starters. Download Showem free for more words, teams and timers, and same-phone play on one device - from the App Store or Google Play.