🤫 Everyone Knows But Me

What you need

Equipment: Nothing. Sit in a circle and choose one player to be the first guesser. No equipment needed.

How to play Everyone Knows But Me

1. The guesser leaves the room, out of earshot.
2. The group chooses a word: an object, an animal, a place or a well-known character.
3. Call the guesser back in to sit in the middle.
4. The guesser asks open questions, like "Where would I find you?" or "What do people do with you?"
5. The group gives true but indirect answers. Nobody may say the word itself or a word that means the same.
6. Players in the circle answer in turn. The same player may not answer twice in a row.
7. The guesser has 10 questions to find the word.
8. Got it? Everyone applauds. Not yet? Reveal the word and choose a new guesser.

Scoring and wrapping up

Scoring: Found it within 3 questions: 5 points. Within 6: 3 points. Within 10: 1 point. The group kept the secret to the end: 2 points for the group.

To finish: Play until everyone has been the guesser once, or for 6-8 rounds. Whoever needed the fewest questions is the Super Detective.

By age

• Ages 8-9: use everyday objects and animals and allow 15 questions.
• Ages 10 and up: add places, characters and ideas, like "homework" or "weekend".

Variations

• Big group: two guessers at once, competing to find the word first.
• Capy twist: the group answers every question in the voice of the secret thing itself, as if it could talk.

Tips for the adult in charge

• Clues should be indirect but fair, never misleading.
• Pick words everyone in the group knows well, especially with younger players.

🖨️ Printable secret word cards

Once the guesser leaves, draw a card and show it to the group in silence.

• Umbrella
• Pizza
• Giraffe
• The beach
• Birthday cake
• Toothbrush
• Snowman
• Library
• Bicycle
• Volcano
• Penguin
• Rainbow
• Pillow
• Airport
• Pirate
• Popcorn
• Dentist
• Fire truck
• Homework
• Robot