# Fishbowl Game

> The party game also called salad bowl or celebrity: everyone adds words to the bowl, then the teams guess the same words three times, with fewer clues each round. One phone is the bowl, the timer and the scoreboard. No sign-up, no app, no paper.

- Page: https://linguaholic.com/games/fishbowl-game/
- Type: free browser game, no sign-up, runs in the browser
- Publisher: Linguaholic (https://linguaholic.com/), made by Marcel Iseli
- Last updated: October 19, 2026
- Open it pre-filled: https://linguaholic.com/games/fishbowl-game/?teams=2&time=60
  - `teams`: number of teams, 2 to 4 (for example `3`)
  - `time`: seconds per turn: 30, 45, 60 or 90 (for example `45`)
  - `rounds`: 4 adds a fourth round (sounds only) to the usual three (for example `4`)

## What is the fishbowl game?

**Fishbowl** is a party game for teams. Everyone writes a few words or names on slips of paper, the slips go into a bowl, and the teams take turns getting their teammates to guess as many slips as they can before the time runs out. The trick: the same slips come back three times, and every round you may say less. It is also called **salad bowl**, **the hat game** or, when the slips are famous people, the **celebrity game**.

On this page the phone is the bowl, the timer and the scoreboard. **No sign-up, no app and no paper:** pass one phone around and play.

## The three rounds

| Round | What the clue-giver may do |
| --- | --- |
| 1. Describe it | Say anything you like to get your team to the word, but not the word itself, no part of it, no “sounds like” and no spelling. |
| 2. One word | Give one single word as a clue. You may repeat it and point, but say nothing else. |
| 3. Act it out | No talking at all: act it out, like charades. Sounds are not allowed either. |
| Extra: Sounds only | Make sounds and noises, but no real words and no acting with your hands. |

The rounds get harder, but by round three everyone has heard every word twice. That is what makes the game funny: a single clue word or a silly gesture from round one can carry a word all the way to the end.

## Frequently asked questions

**How do you play fishbowl?**

Split into two or more teams and fill a bowl with words or names. In round 1 a player describes as many words as possible before the time runs out while their team guesses. Then the next team plays with the words that are left. When the bowl is empty, round 2 starts with the same words, but only one word may be said as a clue; in round 3 the words are acted out. The team with the most points after the last round wins.

**Is fishbowl the same as salad bowl or the celebrity game?**

Yes. Fishbowl, salad bowl, the hat game and the celebrity game are names for the same game. In the celebrity game the slips are names of famous people; in fishbowl they can be anything.

**What words should we put in the bowl?**

A mix of things everyone knows: people, characters, places, animals, foods and objects. Three to five slips per player is enough; 30 to 50 slips make a good game. If you are short of ideas, add words from our list of more than 2,000 family-friendly words.

**How many players do you need?**

At least four, in two teams of two. It works best with 6 to 12 players. The game supports up to four teams.

**How long does a game take?**

About 30 to 45 minutes with 40 slips, 60 seconds a turn and three rounds. Fewer slips or shorter turns make it quicker.

**Can we skip a word?**

Yes. Skip puts the word back into the bowl and shows the next one. The last word of a round cannot be skipped.

**Do we need paper and a bowl?**

No. The phone holds the slips, draws them at random, runs the timer and keeps the score, so you only need one phone and your friends.

**Do I need to sign up or download an app?**

No. There is no account and nothing to install. Open the page on any phone and play. The words you type stay on that phone.

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