TallynightHow to keep score in charades
Charades has no official rulebook, so agree on the scoring before you start. The simplest way: play in two teams, act out one phrase a turn, and score a point when your team guesses it before time runs out. When everyone has acted, the team with the most points wins.
- Players
- 4 or more, in 2 teams
- Who wins
- Most points when everyone has acted
- Each turn
- One phrase, against the clock
- Time limit
- Agree on it, from 1 to 3 minutes
Ways to score charades
There's no official scoring. These are the ways tables keep score, with the simplest first.
| Way to play | What you score | Who wins |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 1 for each phrase your team guesses in time | Most points |
| Timed | The time each guess took, counting a miss as the full limit | Lowest total time |
| Steals | Points as above, plus 1 for guessing the other team's phrase after their time runs out | Most points |
Tallynight counts the points way: a tap for each phrase guessed.
Turns and timing
Teams take turns. One player draws a phrase written by the other team and acts it out without a word, while their own team guesses. Then a player from the other team acts.
The actor can't speak or mouth the words. Spelling with your hands and pointing at things in the room are usually banned too.
Set a time limit everyone agrees on. A minute keeps the game moving, and younger players may want longer.
Play until everyone has acted at least once, or for a set number of rounds. Give each team the same number of turns.
The signs everyone uses
- Number of words: hold up that many fingers.
- Syllables: lay that many fingers on your forearm.
- Sounds like: tug your ear.
- Film: crank an old camera. Book: open your hands like a book. TV show: draw a screen in the air. Song: pretend to sing.
- That's it: touch your nose and point at the player who guessed.
Variants that change the score
- Steals: if your team runs out of time, the other team gets one guess. If they're right, the point is theirs.
- The timed version: time every phrase, up to the limit, and count a miss as the full limit. Add up each team's times, and the lowest total wins.
A scoring example
Two teams, five rounds, a minute a turn. Each round, both teams act one phrase.
| Round | Team A | Team B |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 4 | 3 |
Team A wins 4 to 3. If the teams tie, give each team one more turn.
Keep score for Charades in Tallynight
Charades is set up for you: a running score, highest wins, a point a tap. Add each team as a player, and each team gets a big tile in its colour.
Start the 60-second turn timer for each turn, and tap the team's tile when they guess in time.
- A 60-second turn timer, which you can change
- Add each team as a player
- Undo, and a scoring log to fix any point
- Tap End game when everyone has acted
A Charades score sheet to print
Playing on paper tonight? Print a free Charades score sheet, or save it as a PDF.
Questions
How do you keep score in charades?
Give a team 1 point for each phrase it guesses before time runs out. When everyone has acted, the team with the most points wins.
How long should a charades turn be?
There's no official time. A minute keeps the game moving, and up to 3 minutes gives harder phrases a chance. Agree before you start.
Can you talk in charades?
No. The actor can't speak or mouth the words. Signs for the number of words, syllables and sounds like are fine.
What does touching your nose mean in charades?
It means someone guessed right. The actor touches their nose and points at the player who said it.
Can you score charades by time?
Yes. Time each phrase, count a miss as the full time limit, and add up each team's times. The lowest total wins.