How to play Namedrop — free online charades for phones
Describe the same deck three times — free, then ONE word, then emoji only.
- Players
- 3–4
- Length
- ~10 min
- Type
- Describe
- Price
- Free
Namedrop is charades rebuilt for phones, with the classic three-pass structure. One describer clues a target and the room races to type it.
Then the same deck comes back — twice. The second pass gives you one word per target. The third gives you emoji only. Because everyone has already seen the deck, each pass is half memory game and half contortion act.
The describer holds a secret target. Keep it off the guessers' screens — and don't say it out loud.
Free, no app and no sign-up to join — players hop in with a 4-letter code on their own phone.
How to play Namedrop
The host picks the deck size
Four targets is the default. Three is quick; five makes for a long, escalating game.
Pass one: describe freely
One rotating describer sees a target and clues it in as many words as they like. The room races to type it.
Pass two: one word only
The same deck returns and now you get a single word per target. The room already knows what's in the deck, so a well-chosen word is enough.
Pass three: emoji only
The same deck again, clued in emoji alone. This is where it falls apart, entertainingly.
The room races to type
Guessing is open throughout — first correct answer takes it.
What Namedrop looks like
How scoring works
Both the describer and the successful guesser score, so a describer has every reason to be genuinely helpful rather than obscure.
Faster solves pay more, and because the deck repeats, later passes are usually faster and tighter.
The describer role rotates, so everyone faces each budget.
Tips for winning Namedrop
- In pass one, plant a hook you can reuse. The word you use again in pass two is worth choosing deliberately.
- For the one-word pass, pick the most distinctive noun rather than the most accurate one.
- For emoji, go literal. Abstract emoji sequences are unreadable; a picture of the actual thing works.
- As a guesser, remember the deck. Everything in pass three was already in pass one.
Frequently asked questions
How many players do you need for Namedrop?
Three to four.
Is Namedrop like charades?
It's the same three-pass structure as the classic parlour version — free clues, then one word, then a mime pass — with emoji standing in for miming and everything typed.
Are clues spoken?
No, typed. That keeps the budgets enforceable and means the game works remotely.
Is it free?
Yes, free to play and free to host, with no account needed to join.
Free, no app and no sign-up to join — players hop in with a 4-letter code on their own phone.