Team
Directed Charades
The director knows the word and guides their partner by voice alone, calling out positions to take. The actor follows the instructions with their eyes closed, and has to work out for themselves the word they are miming.
The vocal twin of Puppet Charades, and the harder of the two. No physical contact this time: everything runs through movement instructions, which rules out naming the thing itself.
How to play, step by step
- Form pairs: one director, one actor.
- The actor closes their eyes and keeps them closed for the whole round. Only the director sees the word.
- The director never touches the actor: they only call out positions to take. "Raise your right hand, palm up, put your left hand on your left hip."
- They may not name the word, describe what the actor represents, or use a word from the same family.
- The actor is the one who guesses: they follow the instructions, call out their guesses, and have to find the word they are miming before time runs out.
- Everyone else watches the scene without giving the answer away. Swap at the buzzer.
Variants
- No hands. The director may only give instructions about legs and torso. Very frustrating, very effective.
- Two actors. One director, two actors, guided in turn. The scenes become tableaux.
Playing tips
- Short instructions, one at a time. A complex sentence freezes the actor.
- Warn the room: the actor is moving blind. Move the coffee table.
- "Pretend you are driving" almost names the word. Decide up front whether that phrasing is allowed.
Frequently asked questions
Puppet runs on physical contact, Directed on voice alone with closed eyes. In both, the player being moved or directed is the one who has to guess the word.
They do not comment on the scene, but they do call out guesses: finding the word is their job. The director only ever gives movement instructions.
Sixty seconds by default. The timer is adjustable from five seconds to five minutes in the app, and this one takes a longer setting well.
Other games
13 party games. One app.
Forbidden Words, Guess in X Words, Charades, Puppet Charades, Directed Charades, Headbands, Hum the Song, Sing the Song, Spicy Questions, Debates, Drawing Game, Imposter and Whose Photo Is This?