Headlines
The word's on your forehead. Guess it.
- Players
- 2–10
- Play on
- Single device
- Rounds
- Until the game ends
- First package
- Free
How to play
Invite your friends or add the players, pick Solo or Teams, then set the game length and the turn time.
When it's your turn, check how many words you have left and tap I'm ready. Hold the phone sideways on your forehead, screen facing out.
Guess while your friends explain. Tilt the phone down for a correct answer and up to pass, or tap the right or left half of the screen.
When the turn ends, you see its words. Tap a word to fix a missed tilt or a broken rule.
Once every word is played, see the ranking, the highlights and the turn history.
Put the phone on your forehead: everyone can see the word except you. Your friends describe it, act it out or make its sounds, but they can't say the word, part of it or a translation. Tilt the phone down when you get it and up to pass.
The package's words are split evenly between players or teams. When the words run out, whoever has the most correct answers wins; on a tie, the shorter total time comes out ahead.
How to win
When every word has been played, the player or team with the most correct answers wins. On a tie, the one with less total turn time wins; if that is also equal, the game ends in a tie.
Single device
Playing on one phone? Invite your friends: the game runs on your phone, and XP, titles and stats go on everyone's own profile. How to invite
Headlines rules
Every rule of the game, from scoring to how a game is won.
Overview and setup
- Headlines is played by 2–10 people on one phone, which goes to whoever's turn it is.
- Each game uses one package of 100 words. The words are shuffled and split evenly between the players or teams, so everyone plays the same number of words.
- In Solo, everyone guesses for themselves, and everyone except the guesser explains.
- In Teams, there are two teams, Red and Blue. Teams need at least 4 players and at least 2 per team.
- The app splits the teams evenly; with an odd number of players, Red gets the extra player. Tap a name to move that player to the other team, or tap Shuffle to split the teams again.
- With fewer than 4 players, choosing Teams has no effect and everyone plays solo.
- In Teams, the player with the phone on their forehead changes each time the team plays, so everyone gets a turn to guess. Only the guesser's teammates explain; the other team doesn't.
How a turn works
- The player whose turn it is sees their name and how many words they have left, taps I'm ready and holds the phone sideways on their forehead, screen facing out.
- After a 3-2-1 countdown, the first word appears. The explainers describe it, act it out or make its sounds.
- Saying the word, part of it or its translation in another language is not allowed.
- Got it? Tilt the phone down (screen toward the floor) or tap the right half of the screen. To pass, tilt the phone up (screen toward the ceiling) or tap the left half. A new word appears after every answer.
- If the phone can't detect tilting, you play by tapping only, and a hint on the screen tells you so.
- A turn ends when the chosen time (60 or 90 seconds) runs out, or earlier if that player's or team's words run out. In the last 5 seconds, you hear a tick every second.
- After the turn, its words are listed in order. Tap a word that was misread or explained against the rules to switch it between correct and pass.
- Then the next player or team takes the phone. In Solo, play follows the lobby order; in Teams, Red and Blue take turns. A player or team with no words left is skipped.
Scoring
- Each correct word is worth 1 point. A passed word scores nothing and costs nothing.
- Points are counted after any fixes made on the turn result screen.
- There are no other points: no time bonus and no extra points.
Winning
- The game ends when every player's or team's share of words has been played.
- The player or team with the most correct answers wins.
- If the correct answers are tied, the one with less total turn time wins. Only playing time counts: paused time is left out, and a turn that ends early counts only the time actually played.
- If both the correct answers and the total time are equal, there is no winner and the game ends in a tie.
Special cases
- A passed word does not come back.
- The word on screen when time runs out does not count; it stays for that player's or team's next turn.
- Everyone plays the same number of words, but the number of turns can differ: fast players finish their words in fewer turns.
- The game pauses with the pause button, the back button or when the app goes to the background. A tilt made right before pausing (within 1 second) is undone and the word comes back, because taking the phone off your forehead reads as a tilt.
- When you resume, a 3-2-1 countdown runs and the clock picks up where it stopped.
- If you quit in the middle of a game, its result is not saved.
Game settings
- Game type: Solo (default) or Teams. Teams need at least 4 players.
- Turn time: 60 seconds (default) or 90 seconds.
- Game length: 15, 25 or 40 words per player or team, or the whole package. The options depend on the number of players, and each one shows an estimated playing time.
- The default length is 25 words per player or team when that option is offered, otherwise the whole package. In Solo with 6 or more players, the whole package is played and this setting is hidden.
- New Game (Same Players) starts a new game with the same players, teams and settings.
Headlines titles
These titles come from Headlines games you play with friends as real players; the result goes on everyone's profile. The title you pick shows on your card, under your name.
AlexHeadlines LegendLVL 27Headlines Legend Finish 1st in 35 Headlines matches in a row played with real players (in team games, be on the winning team).
On top of these, there are 21 general titles you can earn in every game. Levels and titles
This game has 20 titles. Tap one to see it on your card.
Questions about Headlines
How many players do you need for Headlines?
2 to 10 players. Team play needs at least 4 players, so at least 2 per team.
Does everyone need their own phone?
No. Headlines is played on one phone only; it goes on the forehead of whoever's turn it is.
How long does a game take?
Depending on the length you choose and the number of players, a game has 30 to 100 words. That usually takes 4 to 12 minutes.
Does a word I pass come back later?
No, a passed word is gone for good. Only the word still on screen when time runs out comes back in that player's or team's next turn.
