Fishbowl online
One bowl of words, three rounds, each harder than the last.
- Players
- 4–12 players
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Length
- 30–45 min
- Type
- Teams · Word game
Fishbowl is three party games wearing a coat. Everyone writes a few words on slips at the start — a name, a film, an object, whatever — and they all go into one bowl. Then the bowl is emptied three times.
Round one you can say anything except the word. Round two you get exactly one word. Round three you cannot speak at all and have to act it out.
The whole joke is the repetition. By round three, holding up three fingers and pointing at the ceiling is a complete and sufficient clue for something that took ninety seconds to explain in round one — and it is only funny because everybody was there for the ninety seconds.
The bowl, the teams, the clock and the score are all handled here. The slips of paper were always the worst part: somebody has to find them, somebody has to cut them up, and somebody always writes so badly that nobody can read it.
How to play Fishbowl
- 1Create a room and share the 6-letter code. Four or more players, split into two teams automatically.
- 2Everyone writes a few words into the bowl. Nobody sees what anyone else wrote.
- 3Round one — Describe it: say anything except the word itself.
- 4Round two — One word: exactly one word, no gestures.
- 5Round three — Act it out: no talking at all.
- 6On your turn you see the word, your team shouts guesses, and you tap Got it to score and draw the next one.
- 7You can pass, and a passed word goes to the back of the bowl rather than disappearing.
- 8When the bowl empties the round ends and the same words go back in for the next round. Most words after three rounds wins.
Fishbowl FAQ
Is this the same as Monikers or Celebrity?+
It is the same family. Celebrity is usually the three-round version with names only; Monikers is the published card game built on the idea. Here you write your own words, so the bowl is always about your group.
How many people do you need?+
Four at a minimum, because it needs two teams of two. Six to ten is where it is best — enough that the clues get genuinely desperate.
What should we write?+
A mix works best: a couple of famous names, something from the room, an in-joke. The in-jokes are what make round three worth staying for.
Can I see what other people wrote?+
Not until it comes up on your turn. The word is only ever sent to the person giving clues.
What happens if I cannot get a word?+
Pass it. It goes to the back of the bowl and comes round again, so nothing is lost and your turn keeps moving.
Ready to play Fishbowl?
Create a room, share the code, and start in seconds — free.
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