Hippo
Everyone adds a line to the same story one card at a time. Spot a bad play, call 'Hippo!' and the group votes.
Hippo is a collaborative storytelling party game for 3-12 players. It blends social deduction with creative writing, making it a hit at writing workshops, book clubs, family gatherings, and any group that likes stories with a bluffing twist. Tip: read the rules before your first round — the Hippo-challenge mechanic rewards a little prep.
How it works
Three steps,
Create your room
Hit Play, create a room, and share the invite link — friends join from any browser, no app, no signup.
Call the slip
Play a card to build a shared crazy story. Think someone played a bad one? Shout "Hippo!" — everyone votes, majority decides.
Win by emptying
First player to play all their cards wins.
Why players love it
Made for laughter on the couch.
No downloads
Open a link, share a code. Everyone joins on their phone's browser — iOS, Android, even a smart TV browser.
Big rooms
Scale from a cozy duo to a full house party without changing a thing. The game adapts to the room.
Short rounds
A round lasts minutes, not hours. Easy to squeeze in between pizza and dessert.
No accounts
No emails, no logins, no data collection. Just nicknames and a room code.
FAQ
Good to .
How long is a typical game?
Around 15-30 minutes for a full story, depending on how many cards you start with. Bigger rooms get a smaller hand each, so the game stays about the same length. You can run multiple rounds in one sitting.
Do I need to be a good writer?
No. Short, funny, weird lines beat elaborate ones almost every time.
Can we replay our stories?
Every finished story is archived for the room — scroll back and laugh.
What happens when I call "Hippo!"?
All other players vote. Majority says valid? You take a penalty card. Majority says invalid? The card-player takes it back plus a penalty.
Is there an age minimum?
Reading and writing age and up. Kids as young as 8 do great with the family card pack.
Can I play on a TV?
Yes! Use the TV as the main screen — join the room on the TV and set it as a spectator, then everyone else plays from their phones.
Is Hippo like Once Upon a Time?
It scratches the same storytelling itch, with bluffing on top — you can play a card that does not quite fit and hope nobody calls ‘Hippo!’.
More games to .
Guess the Image
One image, one right answer — how many can you get?
Emoji Unfusion
Two emojis fused into one — can you guess which two?
WordBits
3 letters, a tight timer — find the best word!
Take Side
Would-you-rather, with a twist — score by reading your friends!
Impostor
One of you doesn't know the secret word — bluff, sniff out the fake, and vote!
Drawit
Everyone draws at once — then guess each other's drawings as they replay!
Ready to create stories?
Grab friends, open a browser, and start a room in under a minute. Free.
Play Now →