Charades for Teens: Memes, Slang and Trending Ideas
Charades for teens works when the cards come from their world: memes like This Is Fine and Distracted Boyfriend, Gen Z slang like Rizz, No Cap and Glow Up, internet stars like MrBeast and Dude Perfect, and video games like Super Mario and Roblox. Play fast rounds, let teens choose the categories, and you’ve got a game that holds its own at any sleepover or youth group night.
What makes charades for teens fun?
Teenagers will happily play charades, as long as it doesn’t feel like a kids’ party game. A few things help:
- Current cards. Memes, slang and creators they actually know.
- Speed. 60-second rounds with as many cards as possible.
- Competition. Teams, scores and a bit of trash talk.
- Their choice. Let them pick categories and set house rules.
- No forced performing. Let shy teens act in pairs, or start with the phone-on-the-forehead version, where everyone acts at once and one person guesses.
Meme charades ideas
Memes are perfect for charades because most of them started as a pose or reaction. These are from the Memes deck:
| Meme | How to act it |
|---|---|
| Facepalm | Slow, dramatic hand to forehead |
| Side Eye | Head still, eyes slide sideways, slight frown |
| Slow Clap | Clap very slowly with a deadpan face |
| Distracted Boyfriend | Three people: one walking by, one looking back, one outraged |
| This Is Fine | Sit calmly with a coffee while waving away imaginary flames |
| Success Kid | Clenched fist, determined face |
| Two Buttons | Sweat while your hand hovers between two buttons |
| Ice Bucket Challenge | Brace yourself, tip a bucket over your head, gasp |
| Mannequin Challenge | Freeze mid-action, everyone else stays frozen too |
| The Dab | Elbow up, head down into it |
| Left Shark | Dance completely out of time with everyone around you |
| Rickroll | Send a link, then dance |
Gen Z slang charades ideas
Slang cards are clever because you have to act the meaning. From the Gen Z Slang deck:
- Easy: Rizz, Ghosting, Bet, Salty, Basic, Tea, Drip, GOAT, Yeet, Red Flag, Glow Up, YOLO
- Medium: No Cap, Main Character, Clap Back, Snatched, Side Eye, Rage Quit, Gatekeep
- Hard: Understood the Assignment, Beige Flag, Ratio
Acting tips:
- Ghosting: chat happily on a phone, then slowly disappear behind a sofa.
- GOAT: show goat horns with your fingers, then lift a trophy.
- Yeet: throw something as hard as possible with total commitment.
- Main Character: walk in slow motion with wind in your hair.
- Rage Quit: gaming furiously, then throw the controller down and storm off.
- Understood the Assignment: show up and strike a flawless pose while everyone applauds.
- Salty: lose a game, cross your arms, refuse to look at the winner.
- Red Flag: wave a flag frantically, then point at someone suspicious.
- Situationship: hold hands with someone, then both shrug at each other, confused.
Slang is also a fun way to mix generations. Put a few slang cards in a family game and watch the grown-ups try to act “No Cap” with no idea what it means. The teens on their team will be crying with laughter.
Internet star charades ideas
From the Internet Stars deck. Act their signature content, not their face.
| Creator | Acting idea |
|---|---|
| MrBeast | Hand out piles of imaginary cash with a huge grin |
| Dude Perfect | Trick shot into a bin from across the room, then celebrate |
| Mark Rober | Build a gadget, then watch it explode with delight |
| Emma Chamberlain | Film yourself in a messy room, holding a coffee |
| Kai Cenat | Livestream, reacting with huge over-the-top faces |
| DanTDM | Play a block-building game, grinning and gesturing at the camera |
Fun extras for internet history fans: Grumpy Cat, Nyan Cat, Keyboard Cat and Doge.
Video game charades ideas
From the Video Games deck, a category where teens are the experts in the room:
- Easy: Super Mario, Pokemon, Roblox, Halo Infinite, God of War, Portal 2
- Medium: Elden Ring, Stardew Valley, League of Legends, Monster Hunter World
- Hard: Chrono Trigger, Metroid Prime, Suikoden
Tip: for Super Mario, jump and punch a block above your head. For Stardew Valley, plant seeds, water them and pet a chicken.
Where do teens play charades?
- Sleepovers, late at night when everyone’s hyper.
- Birthday parties, as a break between food and films.
- Youth groups and school clubs, with big teams and a scoreboard.
- Holiday family gatherings, where teens can show the adults what Rizz means.
- Video calls with friends who live far away; see our guide to online charades.
How do you run a teen charades night?
- Pick three categories from memes, slang, creators and games.
- Make two teams and give them names.
- Play 60-second speed rounds: as many cards as possible per turn.
- Add a final round where every card is worth double.
- Let the winners pick next time’s categories.
Want the classic version too? Our guide on how to play charades covers the basics.
