Edition: Alias Original by Tactic with a game board, word cards and a sand timer. Last checked October 25, 2026
Alias Rules: How to Play the Alias Board Game
Alias is the word game where you explain words to your team without saying the word itself. The more words your team guesses before time runs out, the farther you move. If you know Taboo or Catch Phrase, you will feel right at home. Here are the rules and answers to the questions that often start debates.
- Players
- 4 or more, in teams of at least 2
- Age
- 10 and up
- Playing time
- 60 minutes
How to win: Be the first team to reach the finish space on the board.
Who is right?
The classic arguments at the table when you play Alias.
Who gets the point for the last word when time runs out?
The team that guesses it first.
When the sand runs out, every team may guess the word being explained. The first team to say it correctly moves one space forward.
Some families let only the explaining team guess the last word to avoid shouting matches.
Does it count if you say a different form of the word?
No.
The word has to be guessed exactly as it appears on the card. If the card says jump, jumping is not good enough.
Many families accept plurals and other word forms, especially when playing with kids.
Can you explain in another language?
Only if everyone agrees.
You explain in the language the game is played in. Another language is only allowed if all players said yes before the game started.
Some tables allow a foreign word when the word on the card is itself borrowed from that language.
Can you use part of a compound word once your team has guessed it?
Yes.
With compound words like birthday, the explainer may use a part of the word once the team has said that part.
Some families ban it completely to make the game harder.
Does skipping a word cost anything?
Yes, one space.
Every skipped word moves you one space back, just like a word explained against the rules.
Many families give each team one or two free skips per turn.
What you need
- Game board
- Word cards with 8 numbered words on each
- Sand timer
- One pawn per team
Setup
- 1Split into teams of at least two players each.
- 2Each team puts its pawn on the start space.
- 3Stack the word cards where everyone can reach them.
- 4Decide which team goes first and who on each team explains first.
How to play
- 1The space your team's pawn stands on has a number. That number tells you which word on each card to explain.
- 2When the timer is flipped, the explainer draws a card and describes the word with the right number.
- 3Once the team guesses the word, or the explainer skips it, draw the next card.
- 4Put guessed words in one pile and skipped words in another so they are easy to count.
- 5When time runs out, all teams may guess the word the explainer was on. The first team to say it correctly moves one space forward.
- 6Your team moves one space forward for each correct word and one space back for each word that was skipped or explained against the rules.
- 7Play passes to the next team, and your team switches explainers next time.
- 8The first team to reach the finish wins.
What you can't do when explaining
- Say the word or part of the word.
- Use words with the same root, like runner for run.
- Explain in another language unless everyone agrees.
- Opposites are allowed, like not hot for cold.
Special spaces
The dark spaces on the board trigger a special round when a team lands on or passes one. In that round there is no timer, and all teams may guess. The team that guesses first moves one space forward for each word. Check your rulebook to see how these spaces look in your edition.
House rules
Pick the rules you want to play with tonight. Everyone at the table has to agree.
Our Alias rules for tonight
Everything else follows the official rules.
Frequently asked questions
How many people do you need to play Alias?
At least four, split into two teams of two. More teams make the game even more fun.
What does the number on the space mean in Alias?
It tells you which of the 8 numbered words on each card your team has to explain.
Source: The publisher's rulebook for Alias Original and common family tradition. The rules are written in our own words. Ask the referee if you are unsure.