The music party game for your TV

How a TV party works

1. 1

   Open it on the TV

   Go to the site on a smart TV, laptop or tablet you can mirror. It shows a code.

2. 2

   Everyone joins on their phone

   Scan the code. No app, no sign-up for players.

3. 3

   Pick, play, score

   Secret picks for each card, played on the TV, scored by everyone else.

What you need

• A screen everyone can see: a smart TV’s web browser, a laptop plugged into the TV, or a phone or tablet mirrored with AirPlay, Chromecast or an HDMI adapter.
• A phone for each player. Nobody installs anything: players scan the code and pick a nickname.
• Sound. With Preview mode on, the TV plays the previews through its own speakers. Playing from your own music apps? A soundbar, Bluetooth speaker or room speaker works best.
• A big room? The host can connect up to 2 screens, so the people at the back can see too.

A round on the TV, step by step

1. A card is dealt. It flips over on every phone and shows on the TV, so the whole room sees the category at once.
2. Everyone searches for a track that fits and locks it in. The TV shows who’s locked in, but never what they chose.
3. Players take turns in seating order. With Preview mode on, the TV plays each track’s 30-second preview itself. Otherwise the player whose turn it is plays their track from their own music app through the room’s speaker.
4. The title appears on the TV and everyone else scores the track on their phone: 3 hearts, 2 or 1. Scores stay secret, even from the big screen.
5. After the last round, the TV runs the Big Reveal from the bottom up, then shows the night’s playlist with a code to scan.

Tips

• Tap “Tap to enable sound” on the TV once before you start. Browsers stay quiet until someone taps them.
• Keep the game on the TV and the music on a speaker. Casting the music to a Chromecast, or to the Apple TV showing the game, takes over the screen.
• Use the arrows in the lobby to put players in seating order, so turns go round the room properly.
• New group? Start at the Warm-up level, which deals decade cards only, and move up a level next game.
• If the TV loses its connection, leave it be. It keeps its place for up to 3 minutes and reconnects by itself.

Variations to try

• Add the pressure

  Switch on a pick timer: Relaxed (2 minutes), Nervy (1 minute) or Sweaty palms (30 seconds). Anyone without a track when time’s up sits the round out.

• Be nice, or be mean

  Decide what happens to a track that doesn’t fit the card. Be nice and the player picks again; be mean and it scores 0. The host calls it with “Off-category?”.

• Make it harder

  Raise the difficulty. Hard, the default, rules out anything anyone has picked this game. Insane rules out anything anyone here has played today, in any game.

Questions people ask

Do we need Spotify?

No. The TV can play 30-second previews, or players open the song in whatever music app they use.

How many can play?

From 3 players up to 10, or 20 if the host has a lifetime tier.

Is it free?

Yes, to try: a free game is 2 rounds for up to 10 players, and up to 10 if the host watches short ads.

Can we play without a smart TV?

Yes. Open the big screen on a laptop plugged into the TV, or on a phone or tablet mirrored with AirPlay, Chromecast or an HDMI adapter. The sound goes with it.

How long does a game take?

It depends on the players and the rounds, and the lobby shows an estimate before you start. A free game is 2 rounds; the full game goes up to 20.

What happens if there’s a draw?

Tie-break: one more card, the tied players get one minute to pick and everyone else scores. Still level after three tie-break cards? Joint winners.