Who Am I? and Say It Differently: rules, variants and tips

Who Am I? – the classic rules

Every player gets a secret identity: a person, an animal, a character or an object. On paper, someone writes it on a sticky note and puts it on the player's forehead, so everyone except that player can read it.

Players then take turns asking yes-or-no questions about themselves – for example, “Am I a real person?” The others only answer yes or no. Whoever figures out their identity first, or with the fewest questions, wins.

• Choose identities that the whole group knows; an obscure name ruins the round.
• Only answers of yes, no or “doesn't matter” are allowed – no hints.
• A guess counts as a question.
• Agree beforehand whether giving up is allowed and how it is scored.

Good questions for Who Am I?

The fastest strategy is to start broad and narrow down step by step, just like splitting a list in half each time. Questions that work well early on:

• Am I a real person?
• Am I alive today?
• Am I an animal?
• Am I fictional – from a book, film or game?
• Am I known for sports, music or politics?
• Am I bigger than a car?
• Could I be found in a kitchen?

Who Am I? variants

A popular house rule: you may keep asking while the answer is yes, and your turn passes on the first no. This keeps the game moving in larger groups. Another variant uses themes, such as only animals or only historical figures, which makes it easier for younger players.

HowlNight has two modes. In the classic mode, one player looks away while the others see their identity, then asks questions until they guess it; the app ranks players by the fewest questions. The forehead mode is a fast round: you hold the phone to your forehead, the others describe the word, and you tilt forward for correct and back to skip – as many words as possible before the time runs out. You can choose 45 to 120 seconds per turn and up to five rounds.

Say It Differently – the rules

Say It Differently is a word explaining game for teams. Split the group into at least two teams. One player in the active team draws a card with a word and several forbidden words underneath. They explain the word to their own team without using the word itself, any part of it, or any of the forbidden words.

The team calls out guesses; each correct word is a point and the explainer moves straight on to the next card. When the time is up, the next team takes over, and the explaining role rotates within each team. Saying a forbidden word or part of the term costs a point.

• No gestures or pointing at objects in the room.
• No “sounds like” or “rhymes with”.
• No spelling out letters and no translating the word into another language.
• One player from another team watches the card and calls fouls.

Scoring, teams and timing

Turns of about one minute work well for most groups; shorter turns make the game more hectic, longer ones make it easier for beginners. Decide whether skipping a card is free or costs a point – free skipping speeds things up, a penalty rewards trying harder.

In HowlNight you play with two to four teams, depending on the number of players, and choose 30, 60, 90 or 120 seconds per turn. You play to 20, 30 or 50 points; the game ends after a full round once one team has reached the target and leads on its own. A forbidden word always costs a point, and an optional setting makes skipping cost a point too.

Charades and mixed mode

If talking gets too easy, act the word out instead: in charades, the explainer may not speak or make sounds, only use gestures and movement. It's a good change of pace after a few rounds of explaining.

Say It Differently in HowlNight has a pantomime mode for this, plus a mixed mode that switches between explaining and acting at random.

Tips for both games

• Explain the rules once with an example round instead of a long speech.
• Mix teams so that close friends or couples are split up – it keeps the advantage small.
• Choose words and identities that suit the group's age and interests.
• Keep a visible timer so nobody argues about when the turn ended.

Playing with HowlNight

In HowlNight, both games are free with their basic packs, and the cards come in English and German. The app keeps score and rotates the explainer within each team. HowlNight Pro adds premium packs, such as more categories for Who Am I?, and lets you create your own packs.