How to Play the "Celebrity" Party Game

Co-authored by Aly Rusciano

Last Updated: March 31, 2024 Fact Checked

Also known as “Guess the Celebrity” or “Celebrity Name Game,” “Celebrity” is a fun party game you can play with friends or family whenever and wherever. The game works similarly to “Charades” and “Guess Who?” but with, you guessed it, celebrities! With the goal to guess the most celebrities, you’re sure to have a blast and maybe even learn something new. Keep reading because we’ll teach you how to play the "Celebrity" party game and even share a few ways to spice up the game.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Setting Up the “Celebrity” Party Game

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You need at least 4 or more people to play the game. The teams don’t have to be even, but that is ideal.^{[1]
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Ask each player to write down 5 celebrity names on separate pieces of paper. Here comes the fun part, coming up with all the celebrity names! Hand each player sheets of paper and a writing utensil.
- For example, players may write down musicians like Elton John or Taylor Swift, athletes like John Elway or Lebron James, or fictional characters like Draco Malfoy or Alien Galathynius.
- Use pieces of paper that are small, card-sized, and easy to hold in your hand.
- To make things a bit easier, you could use index cards or square notepaper.
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Research source} A plastic tub, bowl, or hat works. Basically, the names should be hidden from the players. If you don’t have something to put them in, mix them up on the table face down.
A digital stopwatch, minute hourglass, phone timer, or watch with a second-hand works.
Play rock-paper-scissors, see which group has the oldest combined age, or toss a coin.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Playing the “Celebrity” Party Game

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This starts round one. Only the clue-giver, the player that picks up the name, can see and know the name.
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Start a timer for 60 seconds and get guessing.^{[4]
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Research source} The clue-giver can say whatever they want about the celebrity except for any part of their name or nicknames.^{[5]
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Research source} Teammates will continue to guess until they guess correctly.
- For example, if the celebrity is Alex Rodriguez, you can say, “He was the shortstop for the Yankees.” But you can’t say, “He’s the baseball player known as A-Rod.”
- If the celebrity is Taylor Swift, you can say, “She’s a country, pop, alternative, and folk artist.” You can’t say, “Her fans are called Swifties.”
- If the clue-giver says any part of the celebrity’s name, they must move on (if there is still time on the clock), and the other team gets the point.
Count up how many celebrities team one guessed correctly and tally up the points. You can keep track of team points on a piece of paper or whiteboard.
Now it’s time for team two to play. Repeat the same process as team one until time runs out: pick a name, start the timer, and have teammates guess until time runs out.
Make more celebrity name cards if you need to.
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Start round two with the clue-giver only able to say one word. Round two is played the same way as round one, except only one word can be used to describe the celebrity. The word can be repeated over and over again.^{[6]
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- For example, if the celebrity is Thomas Jefferson, you may say “Rushmore” or “Declaration.”
- Keep playing round two until players of both teams have been clue-givers.
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Begin round three with all clues being acted out. Round three is similar to the previous rounds, except nothing can be spoken. Think of this as the “Charades” round. Clue-givers must rely on body movements and motions to describe the celebrity.^{[7]
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- If a clue-giver says something, they must move on to the next celebrity (if time allows), and the other team gets the point.
- Continue round three until all players have been clue-givers.
The team with the most points at the end of round three wins. If there’s a tie, go into a sudden-death round where one member of each team acts out the same celebrity. The first team to guess right wins.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Variations of the “Celebrity” Party Game

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Theme the game around a specific movie, show, or event. There are thousands, if not millions, of celebrities out there, so narrow your choices. Try some of these themes when you play:
- Celebrities from the 1980s
- Celebrities from the Harry Potter franchise
- Celebrities that have won Academy Awards
- Celebrities that have been to the Super Bowl
- Celebrities that have starred in Disney movies
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Set a category for each round. Instead of writing out all the celebrities at the beginning, write them out before each round. This way, each round can be themed. Check out some of these categories and themes:
- 1950s
- Musicals
- Tall
- Blond
- Scandal
- Fictional
- Athletes
Set a different time for each round. You could even have a lightning round where each team has to guess as many celebrities in 30 seconds or less—this is a great way to break a tie.
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Eliminate certain words for round one of the game. Now, you already can’t say any part or version of the celebrity’s name, so why not make it even more challenging?^{[8]
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Research source} Cancel out words like “book,” “hero,” “drink,” or anything else you can think of—the sillier, the better!
- For example, if the theme is “Harry Potter,” eliminate words like “wand,” “broom,” “Gryffindor,” or even “Voldemort.”
- If someone says one of the canceled words, their time is up, and a point goes to the other team.
If players get stuck on a name, have them say “Pass!’ to move on to the next name.^{[9]
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Research source} You may have to make more name cards as the other team cannot reuse the same celebrities.
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Play a digital version of the game. If you don’t have the materials to play on hand, no problem! There are apps for the game you can download on your phone. They’ll come up with the celebrity names for you, so all you have to do is make your teams and have fun.
- Celebrity Name Game and Celebrity: Party Game work on Apple devices.
- Celebrity - The Party Game works on Android devices.
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Try the board game version of the game. Want to take your “Celebrity” game to the next level? The Celebrity Name Game Board Game includes everything you could ever need, including detailed celebrity cards.
- This version of the game is based on the 2014 American TV show Celebrity Name Game hosted by Craig Ferguson.^{[10]
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Community Q&A

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Question

Do the losers get to keep the money they earned?

Community Answer

When I play, we let everyone keep their previous earnings. But it all depends on how you and your group like to play.

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If the team can't guess, does the name go back into the bucket or get passed on to the next team member?

Community Answer

It goes to the next person on the other team, and you keep going forwards and backwards until someone gets it correct.

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