Name That Tune

Set up

Before the party, build a playlist of about twenty songs that your guests are likely to know, spread across decades and styles. One person is the host. They control the music and keep the screen hidden. Split everyone else into two or more teams, or let people play for themselves in a small group.

Agree on how to buzz in: a hand on the table, a team noise, or standing up.

How to play

1. The host plays the opening of a song for about five seconds, then pauses it.
2. The first player or team to buzz in names the song.
3. A correct title scores one point. Naming the artist too scores a bonus point.
4. A wrong answer locks that team out, and the host plays another five seconds for the others.
5. If nobody gets it after three clips, the host reveals it and moves on.
6. After the last song, the team with the most points wins.

Choosing the songs

Pick songs with recognizable openings. A long instrumental introduction gives nothing away in five seconds. For a mixed-age group, alternate eras so that no team sits out three songs in a row. At Christmas or New Year’s Eve, a themed playlist is easy to build and everybody knows more of it than they expect.

Ways to change it

• Bid for it: teams bid how few seconds they need: “I can name it in three.” The lowest bidder gets one try at that length.
• Hum it: no speaker needed. A player draws a song title and hums the tune for their team, no words allowed.
• Finish the line: the host stops the song mid-line and teams must sing or say the next line.
• Middle of the song: start each clip a minute in, not at the beginning. Much harder.
• On a video call: the host shares audio, and players type answers in the chat.

Who it suits, and who it doesn’t

Name That Tune lifts a room without asking anyone to perform, which makes it a good bridge between a meal and livelier games. It suits groups from three people to thirty. It depends on the playlist: one built around a single person’s taste leaves everyone else out. It needs a speaker loud enough for the whole room.