A Game Called Fishbowl

This was a fun, large-group game we played at the engagement party. We had an even number of males and females, so we played  the always popular Boys Against Girls.   The game of Fishbowl can be played in pairs or smaller groups within the group, but we liked having two teams of six.

You'll need:

3 small slips of paper per player
a pen for each player to write with
a big, lightweight bowl (like a mixing bowl) that's easy to pass
stopwatch
a scorekeeper


Each player writes one noun on each of his three slips of paper.  It can't be a proper noun (ie the specific name of something or someone)  and can't be a compound word (doghouse, snowman, eyeball).  Fold each one in half (not more than half or it's hard to open quickly) and drop them all into the bowl.

A coin toss determines who starts.  Pick a player to start the first round as Cluegiver.

There will be three rounds, each 30 seconds long.

Round 1 is Chat.  It's like Taboo. The  Cluegiver tries to get his team to guess the word by giving several different word clues to describe the word.  For example, if the word is "winter," he might say, "Cold," "Season," "Snowy"  or "Brrrr!"  Try to get through as many words as possible in 30 seconds.  Toss words aside quickly to count for your team total. Don't put them back in the bowl.

Team members shout out their answers. When the right one is guessed, the Cluegiver should say it out loud before moving on, for the benefit of everyone.

Teams take turns until all words have been used.   After totaling each team's points (1 point per correct word), Round 2 begins.

Round 2 is Charades.   Gestures only, no words!  When all words have been used, count up the points, and put the words back in the bowl.

Round 3 is called One Word.  The Cluegiver pulls a word out of the bowl and gives one word--and only one word-- to his teammates to help them guess the word.  By this time the words have become pretty familiar to the team.  It can be a little tricky if some of the words are similar. For example, in our game, we had "slipper," as well as "shoe" and "boot," so the Cluegiver has to be clear in order to help rack up points for the team.

This was particularly adaptable to our group that included a child. It can get pretty funny,  especially when someone mistakes the word "foot" for "boat" before started to do her charades. Or when someone isn't supposed to use his hands when giving  the ONE WORD clue, but for the word "fog" he used both hand to sort of "fingerpaint" clouds in the sky and says, "Air?"  I still go into fits of wheezing watching this grown man do that. I made the sound of a cuckoo when he did that.  The whole gang was already in stitches over the swirling fog "AIR?" thing,