Party Games That Use One Phone Only: 18 For A Single Screen

Everybody has a phone but only one of them has any battery, and the wifi in the holiday cottage is a rumour. These games need one phone between the lot of you.

Most use nothing but the timer, the camera roll or a playlist.

Pass-the-phone games

• Forehead word game: one person holds the phone facing out with a word on it, everyone describes it. Use any notes app - no app needed.
• The timer challenge: sixty seconds to name twenty things in a category, phone passed round.
• Hot potato with the timer set to a random length and the phone passed until it buzzes.
• The typing relay: one sentence typed letter by letter round the circle, nobody may look at the last letter typed.
• The autocorrect story: start a sentence and only tap the middle suggested word. Read the results aloud.

Playlist and music games

• Guess the intro - one second of a song, first to shout the name.
• Shuffle roulette: hit shuffle, whoever the song reminds you of has to tell that story.
• The lyric gap: play a song, pause it mid line, everyone writes the next line.
• Musical statues and musical chairs, which need one phone and a speaker.
• Build a playlist together, one song each, with a rule - a song from the year you were born, a song you're embarrassed by.

Camera roll and photo games

• Last photo: everyone explains the last picture they took. Better icebreaker than any purpose-built one.
• Guess the year: pick an old photo, everyone guesses when it was taken.
• The zoom-in game: zoom right into part of a photo and have people guess what it is.
• Recreate the photo - stage an old group picture again.
• Photo scavenger hunt, one phone, teams take turns.

Quiz and question games on one screen

• Read-aloud quizzes from any quiz page - one person reads, everyone writes on paper.
• Would you rather, never have I ever and two truths and a lie, with the questions on the screen.
• The Wikipedia game: open a random article, first to get to a target article using only links.
• Guess the Google autocomplete - type half a search and everyone guesses how it finishes.
• Maps roulette: drop a pin somewhere random on street view and guess the country.

Shop cards

How to write it so it lands

• The notes app is a whole games box.
• Download a playlist before you go anywhere with bad signal.
• Last photo is the best icebreaker there is.

Where to shop next

• TikTok and viral party games
• Phone-based party games
• Escape room at home and puzzle nights
• Murder mystery party for beginners
• How to run a quiz night
• Alcohol-free party games
• Games night for people who hate games
• Board games hub
• Adult birthday party games
• Traditional British party games
• Pen and paper games
• Free feel good tools
• Shop cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What party games can you play with one phone?

Forehead word games using the notes app, guess the intro with a playlist, the last photo icebreaker, the autocorrect story, the Wikipedia game and any read-aloud quiz. None need an app or good wifi.

What's a good party game with no wifi?

Anything using the timer, the camera roll or downloaded music - hot potato with the timer, last photo, guess the year and the typing relay all work fully offline.

How do you play the autocorrect story game?

Type the start of a sentence in a notes app, then only tap the middle word your keyboard suggests, over and over. Read the results out. Best of three, funniest wins.

What's the Wikipedia game?

Open a random Wikipedia article and name a target article. Players race to get from one to the other using only links inside the pages. Fewest clicks wins.

Do you sell games, kits or party supplies?

No - we make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. Everything recommended here is either free, an app, or something you already have, and the only products on this page are our own cards.