Team
Puppet Charades
Two players pair up: the puppeteer knows the word, the puppet knows nothing. Without speaking, the puppeteer moves their partner's body to act the word out for them, and it is the puppet themselves who has to guess the word they are being made to mime, before the timer runs out.
The strangest mechanic in the catalogue, and by far the one that gets filmed most. The puppet does not know what they are acting: they have to work it out while doing it, with the room watching in silence.
How to play, step by step
- Form pairs. In each pair, one puppeteer and one puppet.
- Only the puppeteer reads the card. The puppet sees nothing: they are the one who will guess.
- The puppeteer stands behind or beside their partner and moves them: arms, hands, legs, head, stance. Neither of them speaks.
- The puppet goes along with it, watches what they are being made to do, and calls out their guesses.
- They have to find the word before time runs out. Everyone else watches without giving it away. At the buzzer, swap roles.
- Safety rule, non-negotiable: the puppet can stop at any moment. No handling of the face, neck or back.
Variants
- Double puppet. One puppeteer, two puppets. Complexity jumps and the scenes turn absurd.
- Blind puppet. The puppet closes their eyes. They lose all bearings, the movements go loose, and the mime gets much funnier.
Playing tips
- Pair people who know each other. Physical contact has to be obvious for both.
- Film it. This is the Capsule game most built for short-form video.
- Action words beat objects: "fishing", "getting a shot", "carrying a piano".
Frequently asked questions
Two square metres is enough, but standing. It is the one game in the catalogue that really requires getting up.
The puppet. They never know the word: they execute first and understand afterwards. Everyone else watches and resists giving the answer away.
Not in this form in party game apps. It is one of two mechanics unique to Capsule, alongside Directed Charades.
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?