Play Hot Potato Free — Party Game on One Phone

How to Play

1. Sit in a circle in the order shown on the screen. Two to twelve people can play with one phone or tablet.
2. The first player taps Start round. A category card appears, such as "Name a fruit" or "An Indian city".
3. Whoever holds the phone says one answer out loud, taps Passed! and hands the phone to the next person. The next name is shown in big letters.
4. Keep going round the circle. A hidden timer is running, and the ticking gets faster and faster.
5. When time runs out, the potato goes splat. Whoever is holding the phone gets a hot potato point and starts the next round.

Rules

Each round lasts somewhere between 15 and 45 seconds, chosen at random. Nobody can see the timer, not even the person who started it, so every pass is a gamble.

You must say an answer before you tap Passed!. The group decides whether an answer counts. Repeating something already said in that round, or making up a word, should not count, and the player has to try again while the clock keeps ticking.

The first player to collect three hot potatoes is out, and everyone else wins together. A new category appears every round, and categories do not repeat until the whole pack of more than 150 has been used.

If someone opens the rules or the game is paused, the hidden timer stops too and carries on from the same point afterwards, so nobody gets caught unfairly.

Tips & Strategy

• Think while others are talking. You already know the category before the phone reaches you. Pick your answer early so you only need a second when it is your turn.
• Go for the obvious answer. "Mango" for a fruit is perfect. Nobody gives extra points for being clever, and a long pause is exactly how you get caught.
• Listen to the ticks. The ticking speeds up as the deadline gets closer. When it turns into a rapid rattle, the round is nearly over, so pass as quickly as you can.
• Keep a few spare answers ready. Popular answers go fast in a big group. If your first idea is taken, a backup saves precious seconds.
• Hand the phone over gently. The next player's name appears on the screen, so you do not need to throw it. A dropped phone costs more time than a slow answer.

Game Modes

Hot Potato is played in Play with Friend mode on a single device. The phone or tablet is the potato, and it travels round the room from hand to hand. There are no computer players and no online rooms, because the fun comes from being in the same place, laughing and shouting answers together.

The game suits family get-togethers, school breaks, birthday parties and long train journeys. Younger children can play with the easier categories, and the rhyming and starting-letter cards keep older players on their toes.

Play with Friends

Gather everyone in a circle and agree on the direction of play before you start. Seat order on the setup screen is the passing order, so enter names in the same order as people are sitting. Turn the sound up, because the ticking is half the excitement. One quick round is enough to learn the game, and a full match usually takes five to ten minutes.