How to play the Newlywed Game

The Newlywed Game is the classic TV game show where couples try to match each other's answers. Somebody asks a question like "Who said I love you first?", both partners write down their answer in secret, and then they reveal them at the same time. Matching answers score a point. Mismatched answers score a laugh, and sometimes a very entertaining debate.

This page turns your phone, tablet or TV into the host's screen. It keeps the questions coming, rotates between couples and tracks the score, so the host can concentrate on reading out loud and keeping the energy up.

What you need

• One host with this page open.
• At least one couple. Up to six can play at once.
• Paper and pens, or small whiteboards, for every player.

Setting up

1. Type in the names of each couple playing. Add more couples with the "Add a couple" button.
2. Choose a question set (see below).
3. Choose how many questions each couple gets: 3 for a quick round, 5 for a normal game, 8 for a long one.
4. Press start. The game shows the rules once, then the first question.

Each turn

1. The host reads the question out loud for the couple whose turn it is.
2. Both partners write their answer without looking at each other.
3. On the count of three, they flip their answers around.
4. If the answers match, the host taps They matched and the couple scores a point. If not, the host taps No match.
5. The next question goes to the next couple. The scoreboard stays on screen the whole time, with the current couple highlighted.

If a question does not suit a couple, for example asking about a first home for people who have only been dating a month, the host can tap Skip question. The same couple gets a fresh question, and the skipped one moves to the back of the pile.

The four question sets

There are 35 questions in each set, 140 in total, and every question is family-friendly, so the game works at a bridal shower with grandparents in the room.

Deciding what counts as a match

This is the part that causes the most arguments, so decide before you start. A sensible rule is that answers match if they mean the same thing, even if the wording is different. "Italian food" and "pasta" is a match. "Paris" and "France" is probably a match. "The beach" and "Hawaii" is a judgment call, and that is exactly the kind of decision the crowd should shout about.

The host has the final word. Being a fair but slightly dramatic host is half the fun.

Ideas for different occasions

Bridal shower or engagement party

Play with just the guests of honor. Before the party, ask the partner who is not there to answer the questions on paper or by text, then read their answers out while the other one guesses. Use the Classic set and add a small prize for every match. Our list of newlywed game questions has 150 more prompts if you want to prepare your own.

Anniversary party

Invite several couples who have been together a long time and use the Not-so-newlywed set. The stories behind the mismatched answers are usually the highlight of the night.

Double date or game night

Two or three couples, the Funny set, five questions each. The losing couple buys dessert next time.

Just the two of you

Play as one couple, choose 8 questions, and see how many you can match. At the end the game tells you your score out of 8, and "Play again, new questions" reshuffles the set so you can try to beat it. For a version where you guess each other's answers on the phone without paper, try our Couples Quiz.

Tips for hosting a great game

• Read slowly and repeat the question. Somebody always asks.
• Build suspense. "On three. One... two..." is a small thing that makes a big difference.
• Ask for the story. When answers do not match, ask each partner why. That is where the laughs are.
• Keep it kind. Some questions invite teasing. Keep it affectionate, especially with couples you do not know well.
• Cast the screen. If you can show this page on a TV, everyone can see the question and the scoreboard.

How long the game runs

The length of the game depends on two things: how many couples are playing and how many questions each couple gets. The game multiplies the two, but it never goes past 35 questions, because that is how many questions are in each set and it will not repeat one within a game.

Couples take turns in the order you typed their names, one question at a time. With six couples and 8 questions each, the game stops at 35, so the last couple gets one fewer question than everyone else. If you want it perfectly fair with six couples, choose 5 each.

As a rough guide, each question takes about a minute once you include writing, the big reveal and the inevitable arguing. A 10-question game with two couples fills a short break in a party. A 30-question game with six couples is closer to the main event of the evening.

If you leave a name box empty, the game fills in "Partner", and if you do not enter any names at all, it plays as "Our couple". Empty rows are simply ignored, so you do not need to delete the extra box before you start.

A host's script, step by step

You do not need to be a natural performer to host this well. A little preparation and a few simple lines go a long way.

Before guests arrive

1. Open the page, type in the couples, pick the set and the number of questions, but do not press start yet.
2. Cut paper into cards, or grab a stack of sticky notes and some thick markers so answers can be read from across the room.
3. Set out chairs in pairs, with a little space between partners so nobody can peek.
4. Decide your match rules and your tie-breaker ahead of time (see below), so you are not making them up while everyone waits.

Opening the game

Welcome everyone, introduce each couple by name, and ask one quick warm-up question out loud, such as how long they have been together. Then explain the rules in a few quick sentences: I read a question, you both write your answer, and you reveal on three. Matching answers get a point. The host's decision is final, but bribery with snacks is welcome.

During the game

• Say the couple's names before every question so they know it is their turn.
• Read the question twice, then give them a moment to write.
• Count down slowly and let the room react before you tap anything.
• If the answers do not match, ask one partner to explain first, then the other. Keep it short; one good story per question is plenty.
• Glance at the scoreboard every few questions and call out the standings. A close race keeps the room paying attention.

There is no undo button, so wait until both answers are revealed and any debate is settled before you tap They matched or No match. If you do tap the wrong one, just remember the correction and adjust the final score out loud at the end.

The finale

When the last question is scored, the game shows a trophy and the winning couple, or announces a tie. Read the result out with as much drama as you can manage, hand over the prize, and ask the winners one last question of your own: what is their secret? It is a sweet way to end, and it gives the guests of honor the final word.

Running it at a wedding reception

A reception crowd is bigger and noisier than a shower, so a few changes help:

• Keep it short. Choose 3 questions each and invite two to four couples, for example the newlyweds, the couple married longest, and a pair from the wedding party.
• Use a microphone. Hand it to each partner when they explain a mismatch, so the back tables can hear the story.
• Write big. Use large cards and thick markers so guests can see the reveal from their seats.
• Pick the set for the room. Classic works for almost any mix of ages. Funny suits a lively crowd late in the evening.
• Give the DJ a heads-up. A few seconds of music between questions keeps the energy up while the next couple gets ready.

Scoring house rules and tie-breakers

The game gives one point for every match, and that is all you need for most parties. If your group likes a little more competition, you can add house rules and keep track of the extras on a piece of paper next to the host:

• Crowd vote on close calls. When the host cannot decide, the room votes with a show of hands.
• Double or nothing finale. Before the last question, each couple can bet their whole score. Match and it doubles; miss and it drops to zero. Add the result to the on-screen score at the end.
• Guest guesses. Before the reveal, guests who are not playing guess whether the couple will match. It keeps the audience busy while the players write.

When the game ends in a tie, it shows "It's a tie!" and lists the couples who share the top score. To settle it, try one of these:

1. Sudden death. Tap New game, type in only the tied couples, choose 3 questions each, and play a quick playoff. Note that Play again, new questions keeps everyone in and resets all scores, so use New game for a playoff.
2. Closest number. Ask a question with a number answer, like how many days since their first date or how many countries they have visited together. Both partners write a number, and the couple whose numbers are closest wins.
3. The crowd decides. Each tied couple tells the room the story of how they met in under a minute. Loudest applause wins.

Prize ideas

Prizes do not need to be fancy. The best ones are silly, sweet or a little bit useful:

• A homemade paper crown or a sash that says "Most in sync".
• A certificate the host signs on the spot, declaring them the best-matched couple of the evening.
• First pick of the dessert table, or the first slice of cake.
• The right to choose the next song, the next game, or the movie for the rest of the night.
• A handwritten coupon from the hosts, such as a night of babysitting or a home-cooked dinner.
• For the lowest score, a booby prize like a "we'll work on it" ribbon, handed over with plenty of affection.

Adapting the game for every kind of couple

Engaged couples

Get to know you is the kindest set for couples who are still learning each other's tastes. Classic works too, but a few questions assume a longer history, so keep the skip button in mind. At an engagement party, a round like this can double as a funny look back at the relationship before the wedding. If the couple want to keep going at home, the Couples Questions Game has deeper questions for just the two of them.

Couples married for many years

Not-so-newlywed is written for you, with questions about first homes, big decisions, family traditions and advice for younger couples. Long-married couples often think they will match on everything, and the misses tend to produce the best stories of the night, so leave plenty of room for them to tell the tale.

A mixed crowd

When the players range from a new couple to grandparents, Classic is the safest choice, because almost every question works whether a couple has been together one year or fifty. Skip anything that clearly does not fit the couple whose turn it is.

Playing over a video call

The host shares their screen so everyone can see the question and scoreboard. Each player writes on paper and holds it up to the camera on the count of three. It is a lovely way to include family who cannot travel for a shower or anniversary.

Frequently asked questions