How to play

1What you need

6 to 15 players, each with a phone, plus one screen everyone can see (a TV, tablet or laptop) for the host. The host creates the game (and can play too); everyone else scans the QR code or enters the game code to join. Joining is free.

2Pick a secret identity

Everyone is dealt one card with five famous identities: a character, a famous person, a musician, an actor and a sports star. Pick one (or write your own) and don't tell anyone!

In a Category Challenge, everyone picks from the same category.

3The Reader

When everyone has locked in, the app picks a Reader. Phones down! The Reader reads every identity out loud, one at a time, twice, in the same order. The Reader can't go back, so listen closely. After the second reading the list is gone for good. Remembering it is the game.

4Who starts

The group decides who goes first: oldest, youngest, most recent birthday, best dad joke… The host picks that player, or lets the app choose at random.

5Make a guess

At the start, everyone is a Head of Household, a Family of one. Only a Head of Household can guess.

On your turn, tap Make guess, choose another Head of Household, and say out loud who you think they are: “Grandma, are you Elvis Presley?”

Their phone asks them to answer:

• Correct: they're adopted into your Family, along with everyone already in theirs. Your phone flashes green and you guess again.
• Incorrect: your phone flashes red and it's now their turn to guess.

Answer honestly! The app does the rest: it moves the Families and keeps track of whose turn it is.

6Families

Once you're adopted, sit with your new Family. You no longer guess, but you can (quietly) help your Head of Household remember the identities. Pool your memories! Your phone shows your Family tree.

A Head of Household's identity stays secret, even from their own Family, until the end of the game.

7The turn timer

Each turn is 30 seconds (or 60 or 90 if the host sets it that way).

• Manual timer: anyone can open the Timer on their phone and be the timekeeper.
• Automatic timer: the clock starts by itself on every screen as soon as a guess is answered. After a correct guess there's a short gather time so the adopted players can join their new Family before the next turn's clock starts. If the clock runs out before a guess, the turn passes to another Head of Household, picked at random, and their clock starts.

8Down to two

When only two Heads of Household are left, each gets one 30-second attempt. If neither guesses correctly, it's sudden death: keep taking turns until someone gets it right.

95 minutes, no winner

If the game drags on, the host can start a 5-minute endgame. When time runs out, the biggest Family wins. Tied? The Family with the largest combined age wins. Still tied? The Family with the youngest player wins.

10Winning

When only one Head of Household is left, the app announces the winner and reveals everyone's identity. The host can start a new game with the same group, or you can exit.

One big FAM. Together we win.