How to Play Alias Online
5 min read · Free to play on Boardly · 3–16 players
Rules, modes and player counts: Alias game page
Last updated
How do you play Alias online?
The group splits into two teams – or into three teams of one, when exactly three of you play – and on each turn one player describes words on their screen to their own side against the clock without using the word itself, where a guessed word is a point and a skipped one costs a point, and after three turns each the highest score wins.
What You Need
- 3–16 players – two teams from four up, three teams of one at exactly three
- A browser — desktop, tablet, or mobile
- No account required (guest play available)
- Free — no ads, no download
How a Round Works
- 1Teams take turnsTeams alternate. At the start of each turn, one player from the active team becomes the Describer.
- 2The Describer sees a wordOnly the Describer can see the word on screen. The clock starts ticking — usually 30 to 60 seconds depending on your settings.
- 3Describe the word — without saying itUse any words, comparisons, stories, or gestures to help your team guess. What you cannot do is say the word itself, any part of it, or anything that rhymes with it.
- 4Team guesses out loudYour teammates shout their guesses. If someone gets it right, the Describer marks it correct and moves to the next word. Wrong guesses are fine — keep going.
- 5Score and swapWhen the timer runs out, your team scores one point per correct word. Then the other team takes their turn with a new Describer.
- 6Three turns each, then count upThere is no score limit to race to. Every team gets three turns, and when the last one ends the highest total wins – two teams level on points finish tied.
What You Cannot Say
The word itself
Word: Elephant → cannot say "Elephant"
Any part of the word
Word: Football → cannot say "foot" or "ball"
Sound-alike words
Word: Knight → cannot say "night"
Tips for Describers
- Start with easy words
Do not get stuck on the first hard word. Skip it and come back — collecting easy points first builds your score and your team's confidence.
- Use comparisons
"Like a car but you ride it and it has two wheels" works well. Compare the unknown thing to something your team definitely knows.
- Move fast, do not overthink
The timer is your enemy. A rough description said quickly is worth more than a perfect one that takes 10 seconds to build.
- Use gestures for tricky words
Gestures are allowed. If you cannot find the right words, show what you mean — mime it, point at things in the room.
Tips for the Guessing Team
- Shout everything
Wrong guesses do not cost points. Say whatever comes to mind — you might land on the right word by accident.
- Listen for clues in the description
Sometimes the way a word is described tells you its category — animal, place, action. Use that to narrow down your guesses.
- Build on each other
If a teammate guesses "bird" and the Describer reacts positively, try specific birds. Team guessing works best when players build on each other's ideas.
Playing on Boardly
Team setup: Split your group into 2 teams before the game. The game supports 3 to 16 players total, and at exactly three everyone is their own team.
Turn timer: Choose 30, 60, 90, or 120 seconds per turn depending on how fast-paced you want the game.
No account needed: Share a lobby link — everyone joins as a guest. Works on any device.
Player counts, timers and everything else about the game are on the Alias game page.
Alias Questions
How many players does Alias need?
Three to sixteen. Three is the odd one out: there is no team to describe to, so each player is their own team, the describer rotates, and the other two both guess. From four up it is two teams, and six or eight is where it comes alive, because a bigger team means more voices shouting guesses and a describer who has to cut through them.
Do we need a voice call?
It is much better with one. Guessing is done out loud and at speed, and typing guesses into a chat box slows the game to the rhythm of the slowest typist. Any call works – the game itself runs in the browser beside it.
What counts as cheating when describing?
Saying the word, or any part of it, in any language. Rhymes, letter counts and the first letter are also off – if your team could reconstruct the word from the shape of it rather than the meaning, the clue does not count.
Can I skip a word I cannot describe?
You can, but it is not free: a skip takes a point off your team's score for the turn, so it is only worth it when the word would otherwise eat more of the clock than one point is worth.
Are there bots for Alias?
No. The game is one person describing something to another person, which is exactly what a bot cannot do – a canned clue is not a clue. If you are short a player, pick a game that supports bots instead.
How long does a game last?
Three turns for every team, so six turns in a two-team game and about ten minutes at the default 60-second timer, closer to twenty at 120 seconds. The host picks the turn length when creating the lobby, from 30 up to 120 seconds.