What is Charades?
The acting game everyone knows, minus the scraps of paper. The actor taps Show Word to see a secret prompt, hides it, and the 60-second timer starts. The rest of the room guesses. Six categories — Movies, Animals, Actions, Objects, Famous People and Kids — cover every age and every party.
Split into teams with the Team Generator, track points with the Scoreboard, and use fullscreen so the timer is visible from the sofa.
🎭 Read the full guide: Charades: History, Rules and Hand Signals
Charades words list
The generator deals these one at a time with the timer — here is the full word list to browse or play from paper:
Animals (30)
- Elephant
- Kangaroo
- Penguin
- Monkey
- Snake
- Giraffe
- Crab
- Frog
- Chicken
- Gorilla
- Flamingo
- Sloth
- Octopus
- Butterfly
- Lion
- Cow
- Bat
- Peacock
- Shark
- Owl
- Rabbit
- Camel
- Bee
- Dolphin
- T-Rex
- Squirrel
- Turtle
- Eagle
- Mosquito
- Hippo
Actions (30)
- Brushing teeth
- Playing cricket
- Making tea
- Skydiving
- Riding a bike
- Taking a selfie
- Milking a cow
- Surfing
- Ironing clothes
- Walking a dog
- Painting a wall
- Playing the drums
- Building a sandcastle
- Juggling
- Fishing
- Doing yoga
- Changing a tyre
- Sleepwalking
- Baking a cake
- Bowling
- Climbing a mountain
- Playing chess
- Washing dishes
- Rowing a boat
- Blowing out candles
- Flying a kite
- Hailing a taxi
- Playing video games
- Feeding a baby
- Ice skating
Movies (32)
- Titanic
- Jaws
- Frozen
- The Lion King
- Jurassic Park
- Spider-Man
- Harry Potter
- Finding Nemo
- Star Wars
- The Matrix
- Toy Story
- Shrek
- Batman
- Avatar
- Rocky
- Home Alone
- King Kong
- Ghostbusters
- The Godfather
- Cinderella
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Mission Impossible
- Kung Fu Panda
- Mad Max
- Back to the Future
- Superman
- Indiana Jones
- Bahubali
- 3 Idiots
- Sholay
- Dangal
- Inception
For Bollywood and Hollywood film titles specifically, use the Dumb Charades movie generator.
Halloween Charades
Halloween charades is the easiest party game to run: one phone deals a secret word, the actor mimes it with no sound, and the room shouts guesses before the timer ends. This version has 100 Halloween words in four packs: creatures (vampire, werewolf, headless horseman), actions (carving a pumpkin, bobbing for apples), Halloween movies and spooky things.
Add player names so turns rotate fairly, pick a pack, and tap Deal. Everything is kid-friendly, so the same game works for a class party, a family evening or the adult half of the night.
Halloween charades words: all 100 ideas
The exact cards the game deals, grouped by pack. Screenshot a list for a paper version, or let the game deal them secretly.
Creatures and monsters (25)
- Vampire
- Werewolf
- Mummy
- Zombie
- Ghost
- Witch on a broomstick
- Skeleton
- Frankenstein’s monster
- Black cat
- Bat
- Giant spider
- Headless horseman
- Scarecrow
- Grim Reaper
- Goblin
- Troll under a bridge
- Sea monster
- Swamp creature
- Banshee
- Poltergeist
- Gargoyle
- Evil clown
- Mad scientist
- Haunted doll
- Invisible man
Halloween actions (25)
- Carving a pumpkin
- Trick-or-treating
- Bobbing for apples
- Putting on a costume
- Screaming at a horror film
- Sneaking through a haunted house
- Stirring a cauldron
- Casting a spell
- Rising from a coffin
- Turning into a werewolf
- Digging up a grave
- Hiding under a bed
- Eating too much candy
- Making a scary face
- Walking like a zombie
- Flying on a broomstick
- Being chased by a ghost
- Lighting a candle in the dark
- Knocking on a creaky door
- Wrapping yourself like a mummy
- Telling a ghost story with a torch
- Getting cobwebs in your face
- Dancing the Monster Mash
- Checking under the bed
- Howling at the moon
Halloween movies (25)
- Hocus Pocus
- Ghostbusters
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- Beetlejuice
- Casper
- Coraline
- Monster House
- Hotel Transylvania
- The Addams Family
- Corpse Bride
- Frankenweenie
- ParaNorman
- Halloweentown
- Goosebumps
- Scooby-Doo
- Gremlins
- Edward Scissorhands
- Jaws
- King Kong
- Godzilla
- The Mummy
- Twilight
- Harry Potter
- Maleficent
- Monsters, Inc.
Spooky things (25)
- Jack-o’-lantern
- Cauldron
- Broomstick
- Candy bowl
- Coffin
- Crystal ball
- Cobweb
- Tombstone
- Full moon
- Haunted house
- Witch’s hat
- Skull
- Spooky mask
- Candle
- Bag of candy
- Bubbling potion
- Creaky door
- Fog machine
- Fake blood
- Magic wand
- Fangs
- Costume wig
- Scary movie ticket
- Torch with dying batteries
- Trick-or-treat bucket
Halloween charades rules
Teams of 3–6. The actor taps Deal, reads the secret card alone and taps Start. No talking, humming or mouthing words; hand signals for the number of words and syllables are allowed. The team shouts guesses until they say the exact card or the 60 seconds end. One point per card; the game rotates turns if you add names. For children under seven, allow sound effects — a werewolf that cannot howl is a sad werewolf.
More for the party: Halloween Scavenger Hunt, Halloween Would You Rather, Halloween Trivia and the full Halloween games page.
Christmas Charades
Christmas charades after dinner needs one thing: a fresh word nobody has seen. This version holds 95 festive cards in four packs: things (candy cane, snow globe, tangled fairy lights), actions (wrapping a present badly, untangling lights, sneaking a look at presents), Christmas movies and song titles. The actor sees the secret card, the timer runs, the room guesses.
Add names for fair turns. The Actions pack is the funniest with mixed ages; Songs is the office favourite.
Christmas charades words: all 95 ideas
The exact cards, grouped by pack. The game deals them secretly with a 60-second timer; this list is for a paper version.
Christmas things (25)
- Christmas tree
- Snowman
- Reindeer
- Sleigh
- Stocking
- Candy cane
- Gingerbread house
- Snow globe
- Christmas cracker
- Mistletoe
- Wreath
- Fairy lights
- Star on the tree
- Chimney
- Elf
- Santa’s beard
- Wrapping paper
- Snowflake
- Ice skates
- Sled
- Hot chocolate
- Nutcracker
- Advent calendar
- Turkey dinner
- Christmas pudding
Christmas actions (25)
- Decorating the tree
- Wrapping a present badly
- Opening a present you don’t like
- Building a snowman
- Having a snowball fight
- Hanging a stocking
- Baking cookies
- Singing carols at a door
- Sledging down a hill
- Ice skating and falling over
- Climbing down a chimney
- Putting the star on top of the tree
- Untangling fairy lights
- Pulling a cracker
- Eating too much dinner
- Waking up at 5am on Christmas morning
- Checking a list twice
- Riding a sleigh
- Kissing under the mistletoe
- Shovelling snow
- Drinking hot chocolate
- Falling asleep after dinner
- Wearing an ugly sweater
- Sneaking a look at presents
- Leaving a mince pie for Santa
Christmas movies (25)
- Home Alone
- Elf
- The Grinch
- The Polar Express
- Love Actually
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- A Christmas Carol
- Frozen
- The Snowman
- Jingle All the Way
- Die Hard
- Klaus
- Arthur Christmas
- The Santa Clause
- Miracle on 34th Street
- It’s a Wonderful Life
- Gremlins
- Nativity!
- The Holiday
- Last Christmas
- A Boy Called Christmas
- Rise of the Guardians
- Happy Feet
- Ice Age
- The Muppet Christmas Carol
Christmas songs (titles to act) (20)
- Jingle Bells
- Silent Night
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Frosty the Snowman
- Let It Snow
- White Christmas
- Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
- Deck the Halls
- Last Christmas
- All I Want for Christmas Is You
- Feliz Navidad
- The Twelve Days of Christmas
- Winter Wonderland
- O Christmas Tree
- Joy to the World
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- Little Drummer Boy
- Silver Bells
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
- Jingle Bell Rock
Rules for Christmas charades
Two teams. The actor sees the card alone and acts with no sound; the team guesses until they say the exact title or the timer ends. For songs, the actor may signal “song” by pretending to sing (silently). Grandparents get an extra 30 seconds by house rule.
Game setup
How to play Charades
- Split into teams and pick a category.
- The actor taps the card to see it — no words, no sounds.
- Start the timer and act it out.
- Tap Got it when the team guesses, or Skip.
- Swap teams; highest score wins.
What the screen does for you
Charades on AllPartyGames.com is the referee, not the whole game: it gives the host Show card, Timer, Got it / Skip, Team scores. Tap the ? button inside the game for these rules at any time, or 📺 for TV mode on a big screen.
How many players?
Charades works with 4+ players and a typical round takes about 20–45 min. Recommended age: All ages.
Best occasions
Tips
- Standard rules: no talking, no pointing at objects, no mouthing words.
- Agree signals first — "sounds like" (tug ear), number of words (fingers), "movie" (film camera).
- Thirty seconds per word keeps big groups moving.
Charades FAQ
How do you play charades with this tool?
The actor taps Show Word, memorises it, taps Hide and starts the timer. Team-mates guess before time runs out. Tap Got It or Skip, then pass the phone.
How many prompts does Charades have?
Hundreds across all modes, hand-written and shuffled so you rarely see the same one twice in a session.
Is it suitable for kids?
Use the Clean mode (or the dedicated kids version where available). Spicy modes are for adults.
Can I play online with friends who are far away?
Yes — share your screen on a video call, or send the prompt with the Share button.
What are good Halloween charades words?
Creatures with a clear move are the best: vampire (cape and fangs), werewolf (howling), mummy (stiff arms), witch on a broomstick, zombie walk. Actions like carving a pumpkin, trick-or-treating and bobbing for apples are easy for younger children. All 100 are in the game and listed on this page.
How do you play Halloween charades with kids?
Use the Creatures and Actions packs, allow sound effects for children under 7, and give each actor 60 seconds. Teams of 3–4 keep everyone involved.
What are good Christmas charades ideas?
Actions win: building a snowman, opening a present you do not like, untangling fairy lights, falling asleep after dinner. For songs, stick to titles everyone knows — Jingle Bells, Silent Night, Last Christmas. All 95 are listed below.