A Charades App for the Whole Family
A good family game needs to be quick to start, fair for different ages and fun for everyone from the youngest player to the grandparents. Here is what to look for in a charades app for families, and how to set up a game where children and adults play together on one phone.
Warm-up words for a family round
Easy, funny ideas that every generation can act out:
- Making a sandwich
- Walking the dog
- Mowing the lawn
- Birthday cake
- Playing guitar
- Taking a selfie
- Washing the car
- Grandpa snoring
- Baby crawling
- Cooking pasta
- Riding a horse
- Flying a kite
- Going fishing
- Painting a wall
- Pizza delivery
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.
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What players say
Set up teams in under a minute and laughed for an hour.
No installs for my friends - just pass the phone.
The built-in word bank keeps throwing new prompts so nobody gets bored.
Free - iOS & Android
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Choose categories and round rules, run teams and timers, and keep scores on one phone - built for in-room charades on iOS and Android.
Fully customizable game rules
Add your friends in seconds
Automatic team shuffling
Ready, set, Showem!
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See how Showem works
Screens from the latest app - from setup to the word on the card.
Fully customizable game rules
Add your friends in seconds
Automatic team shuffling
Ready, set, Showem!
What a family charades app needs
Look for a game that runs on a single phone, so everyone can sit in a circle with no extra devices. It should work offline for travel and holidays, let you choose categories and difficulty so the words suit children, and use short rounds with a clear timer. The best apps also let kids who cannot read yet take part, because a game that leaves out the youngest player is not really a family game.
Set up a family game in two minutes
Add everyone who is playing and let the app split them into teams. If a child cannot read, tick the option that says so when you add them: they will get pictures instead of words. Pick the categories you like, such as animals, food and things, choose the easy difficulty for young children, and set a round time of one or two minutes. Choose a low score target of ten points if you want a game that finishes before bedtime.
Balancing the game for different ages
Teams that mix adults and children are fairer than all-kids against all-adults. Use the difficulty setting to keep words simple, and give younger players more time or one extra pass. Pictures for the non-readers and words for the others let everyone play at their own level inside one game. If the family has teenagers, add categories such as movies or music to keep them interested.
When family charades works best
Charades fits any moment with a few people and no screens to hand out: a rainy Sunday, a long car ride, a holiday dinner, a birthday party or a visit from the grandparents. Because the words come from the app and it works offline, you can play on a train or on a camping trip with no signal. Keep a game to fifteen or twenty minutes, and stop while everyone still wants more.
Ideas to make it special
Give the teams silly names and let the winners choose the next film for the evening. Add a rule that the youngest player can ask for a hint once per turn. Try a round where everyone acts in slow motion, or one where the performer may only make animal sounds. Take turns being the phone holder so that nobody sees the word before the performer. Small touches turn a simple game into a family tradition.