How to play Never Have I Ever without drinking

The rules in a minute

Add everyone’s names, choose a deck and decide how long to play: a quick round is 10 cards, or you can pick 20 or the whole deck. The phone shows whose turn it is to read. Read the card aloud, starting with “Never have I ever…” Anyone who has done it says so, and that’s the whole answer. There’s no timer and no winner: when the table is ready, tap Next player and pass the phone along. The fun is in the stories people choose to tell.

Answer aloud or vote secretly

Before you start, tap Change and pick how the group answers. Answer aloud is the default: one card for the whole table, and everyone answers at once. With Secret voting, the phone goes around and each player taps I have, I haven’t or Pass my turn, while earlier answers stay hidden. Once everyone has answered, Reveal answers shows how many said yes and how many said no. Secret means private until the reveal, not anonymous: afterward, anyone can open Who chose what? and see each person’s answer. If you’d rather not appear on that list, pass your turn.

Open the game and read its rules — start with the free deck on one shared screen.

Instead of drinks: optional ways to keep score

Some groups like to keep a little tally. Two house rules work well, though the app won’t keep track of them for you. Fingers down: everyone starts with five fingers up and puts one down for each “I have”; the last person with a finger still up reads the first card of the next round. Story points: keep track of who told the story that got the biggest laugh, just for bragging rights. The app also has an optional forfeit button that draws a light task with no alcohol, money or embarrassment involved; if it doesn’t suit you, draw another or skip it. Nobody has to take a forfeit to keep playing.

Ten original prompts to start with

Never have I ever pushed a door that clearly said “pull.” · Never have I ever cut my own hair at home. · Never have I ever fallen asleep at the movies. · Never have I ever sent birthday wishes on the wrong day. · Never have I ever assembled furniture without looking at the instructions. · Never have I ever learned a few words of a language just for one trip. · Never have I ever finished a jigsaw puzzle only to find a piece missing. · Never have I ever returned a library book months late. · Never have I ever rooted for a team just because I liked its colors. · Never have I ever baked bread from scratch. These are light, everyday prompts for a mixed group; read one at a time and let the answers lead.

Welcome the story, never demand it

A simple “I have” is a complete answer. If someone smiles knowingly, ask “Want to tell us?” rather than “Why?”, and move on if the answer is no. Pass this card skips a prompt for everyone; in secret voting, Pass my turn skips only your answer. Neither needs an explanation. Don’t make up statements aimed at one person in the room: a prompt should invite stories, not put someone on the spot.

Choose a deck and see what’s free

The icebreakers deck is free: 20 prompts, no account needed. Plus unlocks all 90 cards across five moods on the host’s shared phone: After the small talk, Just the two of us, A little deeper and the optional A spark between us · 18+. The 18+ deck is never picked for you: before starting or resuming it, someone has to check a box confirming that everyone playing is 18 or older and wants to try it. To play offline, save the separate free collection from Get the app before you lose your connection; Plus needs an internet connection.