Free charades words you can use tonight

Charades is one of the easiest party games to run for free: you only need people, a timer, and something to pull words from. The quality of the night usually comes down to variety and pacing.

Build a “word bag” in five minutes

Ask everyone for three nouns on slips of paper, or pull ideas from our category guides below. Fold, shuffle, and draw - no special equipment required.

Keep words guessable for your crowd

If half the room has not seen the same show, skip ultra-niche references. Aim for shared culture: blockbuster films, common animals, everyday jobs, and classic books.

Download Showem when you want endless variety

Paper lists run out. Showem is free to install and generates new charades words whenever you need them, with categories and difficulty you can tune for your group.

10 free charades words for tonight

Recognizable scenes and objects - tweak anything that feels too niche for your table.

Elephant stampede
James Bond entrance
Volcano eruption
Helicopter landing
Surfing a wave
Bank vault scene
Haircut at the salon
Thunder and lightning
Mermaid swimming
Birthday candle wish

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.