Phone-Based Party Games: Jackbox, Kahoot, Heads Up And 15 More

Phone games solved the oldest party problem: getting twelve people playing the same thing without teaching anyone rules.

Here's what each of the main ones needs, and which group it actually suits - because they are not interchangeable.

Jackbox Party Pack

• One screen everyone can see - a TV, laptop or projector - plus one phone per player as a controller. Players join at a website with a room code, no app to install.
• Three to eight players, plus an audience option for larger groups.
• Quiplash is the easy entry point: a prompt, everyone types an answer, everyone votes on the funniest.
• Drawful for a group that likes drawing badly, Trivia Murder Party for quiz people, Fibbage for bluffers.
• The packs are sold separately and the games in each differ, so check what's in a pack before buying rather than buying the newest.
• Warning worth stating: the writing games are funnier with people who know each other, and rougher with a mixed-age family group.

Kahoot

• Made for classrooms and perfect for parties, work quizzes and family Christmas. One host screen, everyone joins with a PIN on their phone.
• You write the questions or pick a public quiz somebody's already made.
• Faster answers score more, which keeps the leaderboard moving and creates genuine tension in the last question.
• Unlimited players in practice, which makes it the best option for a big room.
• Free tier covers most party use. Check the current player limits before an event rather than on the night.

Heads Up and the pass-one-phone games

• Heads Up: hold the phone on your forehead, your team describes the word on screen, tilt down for correct and up to pass. Records a video of your face doing it, which is half the appeal.
• Psych, from the same makers, for bluffing.
• Charades apps, which are Heads Up without the polish and free.
• Song quiz apps that play clips.
• These need one phone only - see our one-phone list if that's all you've got.

The rest worth knowing

• Evil Apples and Cards Against Humanity style apps - adults only, and check the room first.
• Skribbl.io, free in a browser, which is Pictionary for any number of people.
• Gartic Phone - drawing telephone, free, and genuinely one of the funniest things you can do on a call.
• Among Us for a group that already plays it, baffling for one that doesn't.
• Wordle, Connections and the daily puzzles, done out loud as a group over breakfast.
• Houseparty-style trivia and geography games for two people on a sofa.

Running a phone games night that works

• Check the wifi password is written down somewhere before people arrive.
• Have a charger cable or two out. Phone games flatten batteries fast.
• Pick two games, not six. Setting up a new one kills the momentum every time.
• Test the sound through the TV before anyone arrives, which is where these evenings usually fall over.
• Have one non-phone game ready for the person whose battery has died or who doesn't want to join in.

Shop cards

How to write it so it lands

• Test the TV sound before anyone arrives.
• Two games all evening, not six.
• Chargers out, wifi password written down.

Where to shop next

• TikTok and viral 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 do you need to play Jackbox?

One shared screen - a TV, laptop or projector - and a phone each. Players join at the Jackbox website with a room code shown on screen, so nobody installs anything. Three to eight players, with an audience mode for bigger groups.

Is Kahoot free for a party?

The free tier covers most party use - you host on one screen and everyone joins with a PIN. Player limits on free plans change, so check them before the event rather than on the night.

How do you play Heads Up?

Hold the phone against your forehead so you can't see the word. Your team describes it without saying it. Tilt the phone down when you get it right and up to pass, and keep going until the timer runs out.

What's the best phone game for a big group?

Kahoot, because there's no practical player limit and everyone joins with a PIN. Skribbl.io and Gartic Phone also handle large groups and are free in a browser.

What's the best free phone party game?

Gartic Phone and Skribbl.io - both free in a browser, no installs, and they work for a room or a video call.

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.