The Fishbowl Game is a fun and easy game for a birthday party, sleepover, or any get-together, and it’s great for all ages. It’s a fast-paced guessing game that encourages teamwork, acting, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Here’s everything you need to know to play the Fishbowl Game.
What is the Fishbowl Game?
The Fishbowl game is a fun party game where players write words or phrases on slips of paper, place them in a bowl, and take turns getting teammates to guess them through clues across multiple rounds with different rules. It is like a mixture of Taboo, Charades, and Password, and it can be the perfect icebreaker to get teens relaxed and laughing. Teens love it because it keeps everyone laughing and is easy to learn. It’s also perfect for breaking the ice at a party and invites friendly competition between teams. This game is sometimes called the Salad Bowl, Celebrity, or The Name Game, but they’re all played the same way.
Materials You Need to Play
You don’t need any special materials to play the Fishbowl Game. You only need a bowl or container, slips of paper, pens or pencils, a timer (a phone timer is okay), and a group of four to 20 people. The more players you have, the more fun it is to play.
Fishbowl Game Setup
To set up the Fishbowl Game, each person writes three to five words or phrases on slips of paper. They can write anything, but it must be a person, place, thing, or even a feeling, or you can choose a theme that they must relate their words to.
The words should be well-known to keep the game fun and easy to play. Uncommon words may be difficult for people to describe or act out, especially if they don’t know what they mean.
If you’re playing with a close group of friends, you can let each player come up with at least one inside joke or shared memory to make it funnier and more personal. Once the players write their words, they fold their slips and toss them into the bowl. Then, you divide everyone into two teams.
How to Play the Fishbowl Game
Players take turns drawing slips, alternating teams with each turn. There are three rounds in the Fishbowl Game, each one with different rules. Each turn is one minute long, and if the player’s teammates guess it correctly, they pull another slip and keep going until the time is up. Each round ends when the bowl is empty or when every player has had a turn at it.
Before starting the next round, put all the slips back in the bowl. Since the same slips are reused, try to remember what they were to help make guessing easier in the next rounds. Each team gets one “skip” per round, where a player can pull a new slip if their teammates don’t seem to be getting it.
Round 1: Describe It (Taboo)
In round one, players take turns describing the word or phrase on their slip of paper. They can describe it however they want, as long as they don’t say the actual word or phrase or do any acting or gestures.
Round 2: One Word Only (Password)
In the second round of the Fishbowl Game, players can only say one word as a clue to what’s on their slip of paper. Players must rely on memory for this one, recalling what the slips of paper said in round one.
Round 3: Act It Out (Charades)
During round three, the player can’t speak at all. Instead, they act out what’s on their paper.
Scoring and Winning
Each correct answer earns one point. After all three rounds, whichever team has the most points wins. You can also extend the game, by playing more rounds and changing up the teams. You can also add bonus rounds with different rules, such as Pictionary, or other variations of charades.
Fishbowl Game Word and Phrase Ideas
To keep the game fun and moving quickly, it helps to have a mix of easy, familiar, and funny prompts. If you’re not sure what to write on your paper slips, here are fun and easy ideas to get everyone laughing.
People (Celebrities and Characters)
- Taylor Swift
- Spider-Man
- Barbie
- Harry Potter
- The Rock
- Wednesday Addams
- Beyoncé
- Mario
- Elsa
- Travis Kelce
- Pikachu
- Shrek
Movies and TV Shows
- Frozen
- Stranger Things
- The Hunger Games
- Mean Girls
- The Office
- High School Musical
- Jurassic Park
- Toy Story
- Finding Nemo
- Avatar
- Home Alone
- Elf
Everyday Objects
- Toothbrush
- Microwave
- Backpack
- Phone charger
- Water bottle
- Remote control
- Blanket
- Alarm clock
- Sneakers
- Sunglasses
- Laptop
- Headphones
Actions
- Riding a bike
- Brushing your teeth
- Texting
- Dancing
- Swimming
- Eating spaghetti
- Playing basketball
- Taking a selfie
- Sleeping
- Running late
- Laughing uncontrollably
- Opening a present
Random and Funny
- An animal (pick your favorite!)
- TikTok dance
- School bus chaos
- Group chat drama
- First day of school
- Late-night snack
- Sleepover
- Getting grounded
- Losing your phone
- Cringe moment
- Awkward silence
- Inside joke
Conclusion
Try the Fishbowl Game at your next get-together to experience all the laughter that comes along with it. It’s a fun game for any scenario, and it’s perfect for all ages. The more people you have playing, the more fun it is, so invite everyone to participate. If you’re looking for more games to play with teens, consider Minute to Win It and other fun family games.