Family game night games for kids and adults
Family game night works best when the youngest and oldest players can both win. These picks are simple enough for kids to follow, still fun for adults, and need no board, cards or batteries.
Family mode is on by default, so no adult prompt ever appears. Add the family once as players and the phone remembers everyone for next week.
The 5 best games
1. Charades (2+ players)
Kids are often the best actors. Play in two teams so younger players have help guessing.
- The actor holds the phone so only they can see it, then taps Start.
- Act out the word on screen. No talking, no sounds, and no pointing at things in the room.
- When someone guesses it, tap Got it. Stuck? Tap Skip for a new word.
- When time runs out, the actor scores 1 point per word guessed. Pass the phone on.
2. Pass the Bomb (3+ players)
Simple categories like animals and colours, and a ticking bomb that makes everyone laugh. Make the fuse longer for little ones.
- Read the category out loud, then tap Light the fuse.
- Say one answer that fits, tap Pass, and hand the phone to the next player.
- No repeats. If the group says an answer doesn’t count, try again before passing.
- When the bomb explodes, whoever is holding it loses. Everyone else scores 1.
3. Whisper Chain (4+ players)
The telephone game with tongue-twisters built to fall apart. Needs 4 or more players.
- The first player taps Peek, reads the phrase, then taps Hide it.
- They whisper it once into the next player’s ear. Keep passing it round the circle, with no repeats.
- The last player says what they heard out loud. Tap Reveal to see the original.
- Find where it went wrong. Everyone who passed it on correctly before that point scores 1.
4. 20 Questions (2+ players)
A thinking game that teaches good questions. Works with just 2 players, so it’s handy for a parent and child.
- The answerer taps Peek, memorises the secret, then taps Hide it.
- Everyone else takes turns asking yes-or-no questions. Tap + after each one to count them, up to 20.
- The answerer can only say yes or no. Tap Reveal when someone guesses, or after question 20.
- Tap whoever guessed it for 1 point. If nobody did, tap the answerer instead.
5. True or False (2+ players)
Surprising facts about animals, the body and history. Kids love catching adults out.
- Read the statement out loud.
- Everyone shows thumbs up for True or thumbs down for False, all at once.
- Tap Reveal answer.
- Tap every player who got it right. They each score 1.
Tips
- Let the youngest player go first.
- Use teams to mix ages so nobody feels left behind.
- Turn on large text in Accessibility for grandparents.
Questions
What age are these games for?
Most family picks work from about age 6 with a little help reading, and all of them work for adults. Family mode hides adult prompts by default.
Do we need a phone each?
No. One phone is enough. Pass it round, and secret screens stay hidden until the right player taps.