👅 Tip of My Tongue
The host gives three clues about a movie, song or famous character, starting vague and getting clearer. Guess early and you score big. It is a great family game that builds real suspense.
What you need
Equipment: Nothing (a list of clues). Choose a theme: movies, songs or characters. The host prepares three clues for each answer, or uses the printable cards.
How to play Tip of My Tongue
- The host picks a movie, song or character.
- Give the first clue: the hardest and most general one.
- Anyone who guesses after the first clue scores 3 points.
- No one? Give the second, more specific clue. A correct guess now scores 2 points.
- Still nothing? Give the third clue, which almost gives it away. A correct guess scores 1 point.
- No one at all? Reveal the answer. No points this time.
- Move on to the next one.
Scoring and wrapping up
Scoring: Guessed after the first clue: 3 points. After the second: 2 points. After the third: 1 point.
To finish: After 10 to 15 rounds, add up the points. The highest score wins.
By age
- Ages 8-12: Use children's songs, animated films and cartoon characters.
- Ages 13+: Use any theme, including older films and songs the grown-ups know.
Variations
- Emoji: The host shows a string of emoji that stands for the song or movie.
- Terrible description: Describe a movie in the worst way possible. "A dad loses his son and swims across an ocean to find him" is Finding Nemo.
- Humming: One player hums a tune without words and the rest guess.
- Capy twist: Three words only. The host says three words from the title, out of order.
Tips for the adult in charge
- Write clues so the first fits ten answers, the second narrows it to three and the third nearly gives it away.
- Start with two or three easy ones everyone knows, then slip in a real stumper.
- If you play in teams, allow 15 seconds of whispering after each clue.
🖨️ Printable three-clue cards
Read the clues in order, stopping as soon as someone guesses. The answer is last.
- An animated film / Set under the sea / A clownfish dad searches for his son | Finding Nemo
- An animated film / Two sisters / One has icy powers | Frozen
- A film about toys / A cowboy and a space ranger / "To infinity and beyond" | Toy Story
- A story about a boy / He goes to a special school / He has a lightning scar | Harry Potter
- An animated film / A house flies away / Lots of balloons | Up
- A film set in Africa / A young cub / "Hakuna Matata" | The Lion King
- A green character / Lives in a swamp / His best friend is a donkey | Shrek
- A fairy tale / A glass slipper / Midnight | Cinderella
- A girl in a magical land / A yellow brick road / A scarecrow, a tin man, a lion | The Wizard of Oz
- A cartoon character / Lives in a pineapple / Under the sea | SpongeBob SquarePants
- A superhero / Bitten by something / Climbs walls | Spider-Man
- A nursery song / Something up above / It twinkles | Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
- A song about a vehicle / Parts that move / They go round and round | The Wheels on the Bus
- A song about a farm / A man with a farm / E-I-E-I-O | Old MacDonald
- A film about a family / A magic house in Colombia / "We don't talk about..." | Encanto
- An ocean voyage / A girl and a demigod / She is chosen by the sea | Moana
- A boy left behind / Christmas / He sets traps for burglars | Home Alone
- A film about feelings / Inside a girl's head / Joy and Sadness | Inside Out
- A famous mouse / Red shorts / Big round ears | Mickey Mouse
- A boy who never grows up / A fairy friend / Captain Hook | Peter Pan
Questions and answers
How do you write good clues?
Go from broad to narrow. Clue one: "It is an animated film." Clue two: "It is set under the sea." Clue three: "A clownfish is looking for his son."
Can parents and kids play together?
Yes. Mix kids' films with a few older classics so each generation gets a turn to shine.