Word guessing games examples

If you are looking for a board game about guessing words, there are quite a few great options, but with the popularity of a few key games (I’m looking at you Codenames and Just One), there are lots of great games that end up getting overlooked.

That’s a shame because word games are a great way to get your brain working and improve your lateral thinking skills because they force you to think differently than other board games.

If you are playing with kids, they are also great to help get them interested in learning new words and reading, as well as improving their spelling, vocabulary, and grammar skills.

Here is our list of the best board games about guessing words for you to check out.

Best Board Games About Guessing Words – Quick Comparison

1. Best Lateral Thinking: Codenames

Codenames is a game for 2 – 8 players that takes about 15 minutes and is very easy, taking only a couple of minutes to teach.

In Codenames, you are split into two teams. Each team has a spymaster, who gives the clues about the words to guess, and a team of field operatives, who need to guess the clues. There is a 5-by-5 grid of 25 spies (represented by words) on the table, and the spymaster is given a grid to say which people are spies and which people are assassins. They have to give one-word clues to their team to guess the spies without guessing any assassins, and they have to do it faster than the other team.

There are so many good moments packed into a game of Codenames. Sometimes you all click and get the clues, but sometimes there’s that sinking feeling when you realize what the spymaster meant but you just didn’t get it. Being a quick game, it makes it to the table a lot and is just a lot of fun.

For those who can’t read yet, there is also Codenames: Pictures, which is very similar but with pictures.  I find in a way this adds more to the game as pictures have a lot more elements you can describe and connect together than words sometimes do.

2. Most Fun: Just One

Just One is a cooperative word game for 3 – 7 players that takes about 20 minutes. It’s a very light, fun party game that also makes an excellent family board game.

In Just One, you pick a bunch of cards out of a huge deck to be your guessing words for the game. As a group, you aim to guess the word cooperatively. You go around the table, taking turns. On your turn, you pick a card with a word on it that you don’t get to look at, and everyone else has to write down clues for you to guess that word.

The part that makes this fun is that if two people give a duplicate clue, that clue is eliminated and you don’t get the word. This means when you pick a clue, it has to be good enough to be related to the word, but obscure enough that no one else will pick it.

This game is just a lot of fun every time it comes to the table, and because it takes about 2 minutes to teach, it makes it to the table a lot.

3. Most Approachable: Decrypto

Decrypto is another lightweight game for 3 – 8 players that can take around 15 – 45 minutes.

In this game, there are 2 teams, and each team is given 4 words, something along the lines of:

1. Path
2. Spear
3. Soap
4. Cheese

One person on the team then picks up a decoder card that has 3 numbers on it, and they need to give clues related to the numbers on the card, so let’s say the decryption card says 1-3-4, they may give the clues walk (for path), wash (for soap), and dairy (for cheese). Both the opposing team and the players’ team need to guess the numbers on the decryption card. If the opposing team guesses correctly, they get a point, or if your team guesses incorrectly, you lose a point.

Because your team knows the words, you are at a distinct advantage for your clues, but you need to give clues that are obscure enough that as the game progresses, the opposing team doesn’t have too much information to guess the order and win.

It’s a very approachable game, and I find it takes a little more thinking and teamwork than Codenames or Just One, making it a great game for a group that wants something a bit deeper.  The interactivity in this game makes it one of my gaming group’s favorite word games.

4. Best 2 Player Game: Codenames: Duet

Codenames: Duet is very similar to Codenames, except it’s designed as a two-player cooperative version.

In Codenames: Duet, there are 25 cards in a grid, each with a word on them, and you are looking for agents without guessing any of the assassins, but you are working together. Each player is given an answer key card with some of the agents and assassins revealed on it, and you are giving clues to each other so that you can together guess all 15 agents on the board without guessing any of the assassins before the timer runs out.

I do really like this game, as when you are working together to guess the agents it adds a lot of interactivity that I find the original codenames doesn’t have. It works fantastically as 2 players, but you can play it with more just by splitting into teams (though you don’t want them to be too big or not everyone will get to be involved in the decision).

5. Best Strategic: Letter Jam

Letter Jam is a game for 2 – 6 players that takes around 45 minutes. It’s an easy game in comparison to most board games, but with most word-guessing games being party games, this is probably the heaviest game on this list.

In this game, each player is given a set of letter cards that make up a word, but they don’t get to see the letters (a bit like Hanabi if you’ve played that before), they have to put them face up for others to see.

The clue giver then has to give a clue with the letters from other people’s words by giving each player a token with a number that is the position of the letter in their word. So let’s say the clue giver gives the word “CAT”. They may give the first player a 1 token as they have a C, and the second player a 2 token as they have the letter A. Each player then needs to look around and take a guess at what their letter is.

This is a very challenging game that will make you think. You can make it easier or harder by using longer or shorter words. If you are looking for a word guessing game that feels heavier than a party game, this is it.

6. Best Cooperative: So Clover!

This is a cooperative party game for 3 – 6 players that takes around half an hour to play and is quite easy to learn. It’s made by the same company that made “Just One” and has a pretty similar feel, but it is different enough that if you like word guessing games it would be a worthwhile pickup.

In So Clover! each player has a board with 4 clovers, and you put a card with a word on it in each spot of the 2 x 2 grid. This leaves you with 2 different words on each edge, and you have to put a clue that associates these two words together on that edge. Then the word cards are removed and, using the clues on the 4 edges the other players have to guess where each of the word cards go.

I like this game because it is engaging and you get some clever word associations. While it’s a party game and super easy to teach and quick to play, I find it hits the spot for thinking a bit more than some of the others on this list.

7. Most Unique: When I Dream

This is an easy game for 4 – 10 players that takes around 20 – 40 minutes.

In each round of When I Dream, one player wears a mask as they are asleep, and the other players have the objective of either making them guess their dream word correctly, incorrectly, or half and half, and then they give the dreamer clues to try help them guess the word. The dreamer also gets points if at the end of the round they can correctly remember the cards from their dream (which is harder than it sounds as you are paying attention to who’s lying that you don’t remember the cards that well).

It’s fun and unique, it doesn’t feel like any other game you have played and therefore carves out an easy spot on a gaming shelf among other word-guessing and social deduction games which can tend to have a lot of crossover in mechanics.

8. Best Social Deduction: Werewords

Werewords is an easy game for 4 – 10 players that takes only 10 minutes to play.

In this game, people in the group have 4 roles:

• The Mayor – who knows the magic word to vanquish werewolves from the village but can’t speak
• The Seer – who knows the word but can’t let the werewolf find out who they are
• The Werewolf – knows the word and wants people to guess it wrong by asking misleading questions
• The Villagers – who ask the mayor questions to try to guess the word correctly.

This game is won by the villagers if they guess the word without the werewolf guessing the seer, or if they don’t guess the word but can guess the werewolf, which makes for some interesting strategy as your goal isn’t always to guess the word as quickly as possible.

This game is kind of like 20 questions meets a social deduction game. For those who read my recommendations a lot, you’ll know I don’t particularly enjoy social deduction games, but I think this one works well because the social deduction is a lot more subtle than in other games.

9. Twist on a Classic: Trapwords

Trapwords is an easy game for 4 – 8 players that takes about 30 – 45 minutes.

If you’ve ever played the classic word board game Taboo before, it’s like that, but with a bit more to the game.

You play in two teams, and each team has a clue giver who is given a word and has to give clues to make their team guess the word correctly. The catch is that the other team picks the trap words, that is the words the clue giver is not allowed to say or they lose. But the clue giver doesn’t know what these words are, so they have to work around that and give some weird and wonderful clues that they hope don’t use the trap words the other team has chosen.

There is a secondary element to this game where you are romping through a dungeon and the words trigger traps. It’s fairly light and easy, and it’s great for people who want a more gamified experience, but I think it takes away from the essence of the game a little.

10. Best Mind Reading: Medium

Medium is a super light and easy game for 2 – 8 players that takes approximately 30 – 45 minutes to play.

In Medium, you are trying to be a medium and read each other’s minds. In pairs, players are given two cards, and they have to try to guess the same word that connects the words on the two cards together (they get 3 tries) to score points.

This is the kind of game that shines based on the players. If you have players with big personalities that like to laugh, then you’ll get some really weird connections between words. But if you have a quieter gaming group, then this game may fall a bit flat.

Honorable Mentions

There aren’t actually that many word guessing games, but there are a few more worth mentioning that just didn’t make the cut for the top 10.

Some other great games don’t exactly fit the criteria of guessing words but give a very similar feeling when you play.

• Wavelength – This is almost the opposite of a word guessing game. The player whose turn it is is given a category and a rating, and they have to give a word so the other players correctly guess the rating. For example, I might get the category food and 50%, so I pick sandwiches, as they’re good, but not necessarily great. This is one of my favorite board games, as it just brings everyone together to discuss ideas really well.
• Cross Clues – this is another one that is similar to Just One, Codenames, and So Clover, where you have a grid of clues and are working to give a clue that crosses over between the two clues so that the other players choose the right spot in the grid to fill the grid up. It’s also a great game, I just didn’t want too many with the same mechanics in the top 10.
• Detective Club – This is a social deduction game, where the clue giver lets everyone know a word except one person, and then everyone has to play cards that relate to that word. The clue giver then says the word and everyone has to justify why their cards are related to that word (with one player completely bluffing) and the other players have to figure out who’s bluffing. It’s a very fun game involving words, but since you aren’t guessing a word it didn’t make the list.
• Master Word – This is like the traditional game Mastermind, but with words. So there is a person that knows the word you are trying to guess, and the other players give 4 words each round, with the guide then telling them how many clues they guessed that relate to the word. It can be a bit subjective on what the guide thinks is related, but as Mastermind was one of my favorite games as a kid, I just can’t help but like this game.

Conclusion

There are quite a few good word-guessing games out there. The most popular by far are Codenames, Codenames: Duet, and Just One, which are all fantastic games. But if you are looking for something similar but that has its own unique twist (maybe someone in your gaming group already owns these games or you’ve played them to death), then So Clover! and Cross Clues are both fantastic games with similar vibes.

If you are looking for a social deduction game, I highly recommend When I Dream as it has a unique twist on the genre. Werewords is also pretty good, it’s pretty similar to the One Night Ultimate Werewolf social deduction games but adds in the twist of word guessing that makes it a bit more interesting.

If you are looking for something a bit deeper, Letter Jam is the only word guessing game that isn’t a light party game and requires you to think and concentrate a lot more to cooperatively figure out what everyone’s words are.

If you’re looking for some of the best guessing games, then you’re certainly in the right place! Check out these guess game ideas for all ages, including kids, teenagers and adults.

Guessing Games Ideas

Let’s get into all the fun guessing games that you might want to try out! Keep on reading.

#1: Mystery Box Guessing Game for Kids

This is one of my favourite guessing games for kids. Put a bunch of objects into a bag or box and students have to reach their hands it and try to guess what something is before pulling it out. It’s ideal for focusing on things like letters, adjectives, classroom objects, etc. Check it out here:

Mystery Box Game.

#2: Animal Vocabulary Guessing Game

#3: Password Guessing Game

This is a fun guessing game for all ages! Write down a bunch of words that you want to review on large pieces of paper. Students take turns describing it to one of their teammates who has to guess what it is. Have a look here:

Password Guessing Game.

#4: The Memory Circle

Challenge students’ memories with this memory game. It can be used for names or things like the simple past. Basically, students have to add a sentence to the game and then all the further players have to say everything that was previously said and add their own statement.

Does that make sense? Not to worry if it doesn’t! Just have a look here for more details:

Memory Circle.

#5: The Flyswatter Game

Try out this fun game for kids! Write down a bunch of words that you want to review on the board. Then, a student from each team comes up to the board and picks up a flyswatter. The teacher gives hints and the first student to guess the correct word gets a point for their team. Erase that word and replace it with a new one.

Sounds fun? It definitely is and students love this one. Learn more about it:

Flyswatter Game.

#6: General Knowledge Guessing Game Online

#7: Concentration Guessing Game

This is a fun guessing game to play for all ages. It’s ideal for reviewing just about anything. Make up sets of cards (word-definition, word-picture, etc.) and then in small groups, students have to play a memory game. The key is that students place the cards back in the same spot so it’s not a random luck kind of thing. Find out all the details:

Concentration.

#8: Word Challenge Spelling Game

This is a fun game that helps students with their spelling skills. Everyone can stand up and the teacher says a word. Students take turns adding a letter, one by one. If someone gets a letter wrong, they sit down and are out of the game. Check it out here:

Word Challenge.

#9: Guess the Word (with Flashcards)

When I teach kids, I almost never set foot in the classroom without a set of flashcards. There are a ton of things you can do with them, including as simple as “guess the word.”

You can also get students to ask you questions. For example, if you’re teaching about animals, students can ask, “Is it a tiger?” The teacher can answers yes or no. The teacher could also give some hints about it such as the colour.

Have a look here for even more ideas:

Flashcards Activities and Games.

#10: Odd One Out, a Fun Guessing Game

#11: Running Dictation

This is a challenging game for slightly older and higher-level students. Basically, students have to work together to dictate a conversation. Then, when that’s done, they have to put it into the correct order to make a coherent conversation.

It’s a nice activity for getting some energy back into the classroom. Find out more about it:

Running Dictation.

#12: Pictionary Guessing Game

I love to play Pictionary with my students! It’s a nice way to review key vocabulary from previous lessons. Students have to draw a picture, based on the slip of paper that the teacher gives them and the other students have to guess what it is.

#13: Find Someone Who Bingo

This is a fun game that involves students talking to their classmates to try to find a person who fits a certain square. For example, has a brother or plays soccer. Check it out:

Find Someone Who Bingo.

#14: Country Guessing Game

#15: Closest in Meaning

Try out this challenging guessing game with your students. There’s a target sentence and then 2 or 3 other sentences that are similar. Students have to choose the one which is the closest in meaning. Have a look here:

Closest in Meaning.

#16: Charades

This is another classic guessing game. Students have to act out a word or phrase, based on the slip of paper that the teacher gives them. Their teammates have to guess what it is.

#17: Riddles for Kids

#18: Mixed Up Sentences

This is a simple way to help students with making grammatically correct sentences. Write some sentences that have the word order mixed up. Then, students have to unscramble them. Learn more about it:

Mixed Up Sentences.

#19: J0bs and Occupation Guessing Game

#20: Disappearing Text

Try out this fun guessing game for all ages. Write a sentence on the board and students have to read it out loud, together. Then, erase some of the words and students have to say the entire thing again. Eventually, there will be nothing left but students have to remember what it was.

It’s ideal for reinforcing sentence structure or vocabulary. Check it out:

Disappearing Text 

#21: I Spy

This is a fun guessing game idea for kids. I’m sure you’ve played it before. The teacher can say, “I spy, with my little eye something that is green.” Students have to take turns guessing what it is. The person who guesses the correct thing can go next.

#22: 20 Questions

I’m sure you’ve also played 20 questions before! Someone chooses a secret noun (person, place or thing), and then the rest of the people have to ask yes/no questions to try to figure out what it is. My rule is that a guess also counts as a question in order to prevent random guessing which makes this game not that fun.

It’s easy to adapt 20 questions for the level by restricting the object chosen. For example, animals. But I might also make it into the “10 questions game” if I do that.

#23: Prepositions of Place Guessing Game

#24: What Am I?

In this game, students go in groups and choose something. I generally restrict it to a category. Jobs, food, and animals all work well. Then, students have to write 3 hints, starting with the most general. For example:

• This person has to go to university.
• You can find this person in a hospital.
• This person gives medicines and has to deal with needles

The answer? A nurse.

#25: How Many Candies Guessing Game

This is a fun guessing game for all ages that I like to do around the holidays. I get some holiday-themed candies and place them in a jar, counting them as I go and I seal it up. Then, everyone gets one guess as to how many there are. The person closest gets to keep them!

#26: Flip Chart Vocabulary Review

#26: Guess the Number

Someone picks a number. The other people say a number and that person says whether or not it’s higher or lower. Eventually, they can get the original number. The challenge is to do it in the fewest possible guesses.

Guessing Games Online

Want to have some fun with online guessing games? Have a look at our recommendations:

Yaks Games

Drawize

Kid Pillar

Trivia and Riddles

Do you know some kids who want to have some fun with riddles and trivia? Then you’ll definitely want to pick up this handy resource. It’s ideal for teachers!

You can easily find this book on Amazon. Have a look now:

Guess Games FAQs

There are a number of common questions that people have about guessing games. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.

What’s a fun guessing game?

A fun guessing game that you might already know is 20 questions. Some other good ones are charades and Pictionary.

What is the game where you guess places?

The game where you guess places is called GeoGuessr. It started as a web app and the challenge is to guess the location based on random street view pictures.

What is the number guessing game?

The number guessing game is played when someone thinks of a random number. The other people guess a number and the person says whether it’s higher or lower. Eventually, the correct number can be found.

Guessing Games: Join the Conversation

Do you have any fun ideas for guessing games? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.

Last update on 2022-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API