How to host a ThoughtMatch game night

Everything you need to run a smooth evening of ThoughtMatch, from sending the invite to choosing settings, keeping rounds moving and wrapping up with a winner.

By Ansh R. Suryavanshi, creator of ThoughtMatch

What you need

Very little. ThoughtMatch is free and runs in the browser, so each player needs a phone or computer with an internet connection. There are no accounts and nothing to install. Players just type a nickname when they join.

You need at least 3 people, and a room holds up to 12. One person is the Dener each round, choosing the secret word, and everyone else works together to uncover it.

Sending invites

Open the game and create a room. You become the host. The room has a 6-character room code and a link. Share the link in your group chat so people can tap it and land straight in the room, or read the code out loud if everyone is sitting together.

Latecomers aren't a problem. Players can join between rounds, and even in the middle of a round as a player (never as the Dener). If you, the host, have to leave, the host role passes to whoever has been in the room longest, so the game carries on.

Group size and what it changes

ThoughtMatch works anywhere from 3 to 12 players, but the game feels different at each end.

• 3 or 4 players: with only 2 or 3 people giving clues, each contact is between a couple of players who need to be on the same wavelength. The Dener has fewer clues to watch and can try to break every one of them. Rounds are tense and personal. "Everyone once" gives a short game of 3 or 4 rounds.
• 5 to 8 players: plenty of clues appear at once, so the Dener can't break them all, and there are enough people to make contacts likely. "Everyone once" gives a full evening without dragging.
• 9 to 12 players: clues pour in and the room gets lively. Remember that a contact only holds if every contacter writes the same word, so when five people pile onto one clue, one stray answer sinks it. Encourage players to press Contact! only when they're fairly sure. With this many people, "everyone once" means 9 to 12 rounds, so a fixed 5 or 8 rounds is often better.

Playing in person or over a call

In the same room

Everyone uses their own device, but you share the laughs. The one thing to watch is talking. The Dener can hear you, and if someone says "it's got to be PARROT!" out loud, the Dener can type PARROT to break that clue. Groan, cheer and react as much as you like, but keep private words private.

Over a video call or Discord

ThoughtMatch has no voice chat built in, so remote groups usually open a video call or a Discord voice channel alongside the browser game. Everyone joins the call first, then opens the room link. You don't need to share your screen, since everyone sees the game on their own device.

If game sounds come out of your speakers, your microphone can pick them up and echo them to everyone else. Headphones fix this, or you can mute the game's sound with the sound button.

Choosing settings for your group

As host you control three settings: the round timer (off, 3, 5 or 8 minutes), the number of rounds (3, 5, 8 or everyone once) and how the next Dener is chosen (take turns, cracker goes next, or host picks). Some starting points:

• First-timers: timer off, 3 rounds, take turns. Nobody feels rushed while learning.
• A regular group of 5 to 8: 5-minute timer, everyone once, take turns.
• A big group of 9 to 12: 5-minute timer, 5 or 8 rounds, host picks, so you can make sure different people get a turn as Dener.
• A competitive crowd: 5-minute timer, 8 rounds, cracker goes next. Whoever finishes a round becomes the next Dener, and a Dener who wins stays on.

For more ways to mix things up, see house rules and variants.

Keeping rounds snappy

A game night loses energy when one round drags. A few habits help:

• Have a word ready. The Dener has 45 seconds to choose a secret word before the turn passes to the next Dener in rotation. Tell people to think of a word while they wait.
• Turn on a timer. Even 8 minutes stops a round from going on forever.
• Use the guesses. The players share 3 guesses at the secret word. Once a few letters are showing, someone usually has a good idea. Don't sit on it.
• Vote to give up. If a word is truly impossible, players can vote to give up. When more than half vote yes, the Dener wins the round and you move on.
• Keep clues short. A clue can be up to 100 characters, but quick clues get quick contacts.

A sample 45-minute evening

Here's a plan for a group of five or six that leaves time for chatting.

1. 0 to 5 minutes: share the link, let everyone join and choose a nickname.
2. 5 to 10 minutes: explain the basics in a minute (see below), then play a practice round with an experienced player as Dener and the timer off.
3. 10 to 35 minutes: the main game. Set a 5-minute timer, 5 rounds and take turns. Five rounds of at most 5 minutes each fits in 25 minutes, and most rounds end sooner.
4. 35 to 43 minutes: a lightning game with a 3-minute timer and 3 rounds, with "cracker goes next" for a bit of drama.
5. 43 to 45 minutes: look at the final leaderboard and the tally of Dener wins against player wins. Crown your winner.

Mixed experience levels

New players only need three ideas to start: give a clue for a word that starts with the letters shown, press Contact! if you think you know someone's word, and the group has 3 guesses at the secret word. Everything else they'll pick up by playing.

• Let newcomers play before they're Dener. "Host picks" lets you hand the Dener role to experienced players for the first round or two.
• Remind them failure is free. A failed contact has no penalty, so trying is always worth it.
• Ask veterans to pick everyday words. An obscure word is no fun for anyone. Our guide to being the Dener has more on choosing words.

Accessibility basics

ThoughtMatch uses large, readable text and works on phones as well as computers, so players can use whatever device suits them. The sound effects can be muted with the sound button if someone finds them distracting. Players do need to read clues and type words, so check that everyone is comfortable with that. For anything else, the FAQ covers common questions.