How to play Alias: rules, timer and scoring
PartyPebble editorial team · Updated
Alias is a team word-guessing game: one player explains a word without saying it, while teammates try to guess before time runs out. In PartyPebble, one phone handles the words, timer and score for 2–4 teams. These are the rules of this version; other editions may score passes differently.
Set up a first game on one phone
Make 2–4 teams with at least one clue-giver and one guesser in each. Open Alias, name your teams and choose the free deck. Start with 60 seconds per round, or choose 30 or 90 seconds. Give every team the same number of turns. Only the clue-giver should see the screen; keep it facing away from the other players.
Give clues without saying the word
Describe what the thing does, where you find it or what it looks like. For “umbrella”, try “you hold this above your head when it rains”. Do not say the word, a word with the same root or a translation. Agree before starting whether gestures are allowed: a words-only round makes it easier to keep the same rules for everyone. These examples are practice clues, not a list you need to memorise.
Open the game and read its rules — start with the free deck on one shared screen.
Guessed means one point; Pass means zero
Tap Guessed when your team says the right word, or Pass to move on. In PartyPebble a pass does not subtract a point. For example, five correct words and two passes give the team five points. There is no need to spend half the round on a word nobody can guess.
Fix accidental taps before the next team
When the timer ends, review the round. If a card was accidentally marked Guessed, change it to Pass; if a correct answer was marked Pass, correct that too. In the five-point example, changing one mistaken Guessed mark to Pass leaves four points. Confirm the round only after the team agrees, then pass the phone.
Rotate the clue-giver and compare equal turns
Let a different teammate explain on the next turn. Compare final scores only after each team has played the same number of rounds. The highest score wins, and equal scores share the win. For four people, two teams of two are a simple start; larger groups can split into three or four teams.
Choose a deck and know what is free
The free icebreaker deck contains 40 words, with no account needed. Plus unlocks all 200 words across five moods on the host’s shared phone. The optional Spark deck requires an explicit 18+ choice. For offline play, save the separate free collection from Get the app before you lose your connection; Plus needs internet.
For your next gathering: How to host a game night with one phone.
A good place to begin.
Gather your people and try a short round. Let the questions do the introductions.
Find your first question