A man and woman laughing face to face on a sofa, hands held, mid-game
Grown-up game night

Charades for adults

These 591 charades ideas are pitched at adults: situations everyone recognises ("replying all by mistake"), films and shows from the last fifty years, songs and idioms. They are harder than the family lists but stay PG-13, so they work at a dinner party, an office social or with the in-laws.

For a competitive table, play in two teams with a 60-second timer and the team score panel. For a relaxed one, skip the timer and let the funny ones run.

MoviesMedium

The Hunger Games

 

Funny charades ideas for adults

This set has 30 ideas. Start with "Parallel parking", "Finding a gray hair", "Office holiday party" — give each actor 60 seconds; it mixes quick single-word turns with longer scenes, so swap easy and hard cards to keep the pace even.

Best for: teens and adults, office and dinner-party tables · 30 in this set, shown below

  • Parallel parkingMedium
  • Finding a gray hairHard
  • Office holiday partyHard
  • HangryHard
  • AccountantHard
  • Forgetting to write the new year on a checkHard
  • Lose your marblesMedium
  • Changing a flat tireMedium
  • Over the hillHard
  • StressedHard
  • Real estate agentHard
  • Starting a dietHard
  • Put a sock in itMedium
  • Stuck in trafficMedium
  • Pretending you're turning 29 againHard
  • Office workerHard
  • Herding catsHard
  • Losing your keysMedium
  • Computer programmerHard
  • Burning the candle at both endsHard
  • Going through airport securityMedium
  • Assembling flat-pack furnitureHard
  • Doing taxesHard
  • Pretending to workHard
  • Forgetting someone's nameHard
  • Replying all by mistakeHard
  • Speaking on mute in a meetingHard
  • Waiting for a delivery all dayHard
  • Paying the billsHard
  • Calling customer serviceHard

Movie charades for adults40 of 153

This set has 153 ideas. Start with "The Empire Strikes Back", "Return of the Jedi", "Raiders of the Lost Ark" — give each actor 60 seconds; it mixes quick single-word turns with longer scenes, so swap easy and hard cards to keep the pace even.

Best for: mixed-age groups, family night and first-time players · 153 in this set, shown below

  • The Empire Strikes BackMedium
  • Return of the JediMedium
  • Raiders of the Lost ArkMedium
  • Top Gun: MaverickMedium
  • The Dark KnightMedium
  • AquamanMedium
  • Black PantherMedium
  • The AvengersMedium
  • Captain AmericaMedium
  • Guardians of the GalaxyMedium
  • Ant-ManMedium
  • Doctor StrangeMedium
  • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's StoneMedium
  • The Lord of the RingsMedium
  • The HobbitMedium
  • The Hunger GamesMedium
  • DivergentMedium
  • The Maze RunnerMedium
  • High School MusicalMedium
  • Freaky FridayMedium
  • Mean GirlsMedium
  • CluelessMedium
  • The Princess DiariesMedium
  • Legally BlondeMedium
  • The MaskMedium
  • Dumb and DumberMedium
  • Ace Ventura: Pet DetectiveMedium
  • Liar LiarMedium
  • Bruce AlmightyMedium
  • Groundhog DayMedium
  • Forrest GumpMedium
  • Cast AwayMedium
  • Men in BlackMedium
  • Independence DayMedium
  • ArmageddonMedium
  • TransformersMedium
  • Dirty DancingMedium
  • Notting HillMedium
  • The NotebookMedium
  • You've Got MailMedium
See the full list →

TV and song charades40 of 161

This set has 161 ideas. Start with "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Seinfeld", "Billie Jean" — give each actor 60 seconds; it mixes quick single-word turns with longer scenes, so swap easy and hard cards to keep the pace even.

Best for: mixed-age groups, family night and first-time players · 161 in this set, shown below

  • Bohemian RhapsodyMedium
  • SeinfeldMedium
  • Billie JeanMedium
  • Parks and RecreationMedium
  • Hey JudeMedium
  • Brooklyn Nine-NineMedium
  • Let It BeMedium
  • Modern FamilyMedium
  • Hotel CaliforniaMedium
  • The Big Bang TheoryMedium
  • Stairway to HeavenMedium
  • Young SheldonMedium
  • Sweet CarolineMedium
  • New GirlMedium
  • Don't Stop Believin'Medium
  • Saved by the BellMedium
  • Livin' on a PrayerMedium
  • Boy Meets WorldMedium
  • Don't Stop Me NowMedium
  • Gilmore GirlsMedium
  • Another One Bites the DustMedium
  • Grey's AnatomyMedium
  • Love StoryMedium
  • Doctor WhoMedium
  • Blank SpaceMedium
  • Stranger ThingsMedium
  • Bad RomanceMedium
  • The MandalorianMedium
  • Rolling in the DeepMedium
  • Downton AbbeyMedium
  • Someone Like YouMedium
  • Emily in ParisMedium
  • Crazy in LoveMedium
  • Outer BanksMedium
  • Uptown FunkMedium
  • Cobra KaiMedium
  • DespacitoMedium
  • Law & OrderMedium
  • Shape of YouMedium
  • NCISMedium

Phrases and idioms40 of 99

This set has 99 ideas. Start with "Break the ice", "Spill the beans", "Piece of cake" — give each actor 60 seconds; it mixes quick single-word turns with longer scenes, so swap easy and hard cards to keep the pace even.

Best for: mixed-age groups, family night and first-time players · 99 in this set, shown below

  • Break the iceMedium
  • Spill the beansMedium
  • Piece of cakeMedium
  • Raining cats and dogsMedium
  • Let the cat out of the bagMedium
  • Hit the sackMedium
  • Cold feetMedium
  • Under the weatherMedium
  • Cost an arm and a legMedium
  • Butterflies in your stomachMedium
  • Head in the cloudsMedium
  • Walking on eggshellsMedium
  • Elephant in the roomMedium
  • Couch potatoMedium
  • Hold your horsesMedium
  • Break a legMedium
  • Cry over spilled milkMedium
  • Hit the roadMedium
  • Once in a blue moonMedium
  • On cloud nineMedium
  • Over the moonMedium
  • Pull someone's legMedium
  • Time fliesMedium
  • When pigs flyMedium
  • Busy as a beeMedium
  • Quiet as a mouseMedium
  • Night owlMedium
  • Top dogMedium
  • Big cheeseMedium
  • Cat got your tongueMedium
  • Monkey businessMedium
  • Fish out of waterMedium
  • Cross your fingersMedium
  • Knock on woodMedium
  • Zip your lipMedium
  • Two peas in a podMedium
  • Hit the booksMedium
  • Keep your chin upMedium
  • Hang in thereMedium
  • All earsMedium
See the full list →

Books, jobs and feelings40 of 58

This set has 58 ideas. Start with "Goosebumps", "Sarcastic", "Psychologist" — give each actor 60 seconds; it mixes quick single-word turns with longer scenes, so swap easy and hard cards to keep the pace even.

Best for: teens and adults, office and dinner-party tables · 58 in this set, shown below

  • GoosebumpsMedium
  • SarcasticHard
  • PsychologistHard
  • The Secret GardenMedium
  • NostalgicHard
  • Little WomenMedium
  • OverwhelmedHard
  • Black BeautyMedium
  • SuspiciousHard
  • Treasure IslandMedium
  • SkepticalHard
  • Robinson CrusoeMedium
  • SmugHard
  • Moby-DickMedium
  • AwkwardHard
  • HamletMedium
  • StarstruckHard
  • MacbethMedium
  • BashfulHard
  • Pride and PrejudiceMedium
  • MischievousHard
  • Oliver TwistMedium
  • SheepishHard
  • A Christmas CarolMedium
  • IndifferentHard
  • The Great GatsbyMedium
  • EcstaticHard
  • Lord of the FliesMedium
  • Animal FarmMedium
  • The Old Man and the SeaMedium
  • Gulliver's TravelsMedium
  • The Call of the WildMedium
  • White FangMedium
  • HeidiMedium
  • The Three MusketeersMedium
  • The OutsidersMedium
  • The GiverMedium
  • The Da Vinci CodeMedium
  • Gone GirlMedium
  • Jane EyreHard

64 cards from this list, eight to a page with cut lines and card backs for double-sided printing. Free PDF.

US Letter PDFA4 PDF

Questions

What are funny charades ideas for adults?

Everyday frustrations make the best ones: assembling flat-pack furniture, parallel parking, speaking on mute in a meeting, waiting for a delivery all day.

Are these charades ideas clean?

Yes. Every list on the site is PG-13 at most. There is no "dirty" version, so you can play with colleagues or family without surprises.

How do you make charades fun for adults?

Use teams and a timer, mix funny situations with films and songs, and let the losing team choose the next category. Reverse charades, where the whole team acts, is a good icebreaker.

What are good movie charades for adults?

Titles most adults have seen, from Jaws and Titanic to The Shawshank Redemption. The movie section above sticks to medium and hard ones.

Can I use these ideas for an office party?

Yes. The funny situations section is full of office life, and nothing on the list is risqué.