For parties, sleepovers and family game night
A meme party game for game night
Everyone in the room on their own phone, a meme each, and a vote at the end of every round. No cards to buy, no app to install and nothing to tidy away afterwards.
By SidewaysDuck, maker of Punchline. Last updated 26 October 2026.
How it works at a party
- Whoever’s hosting opens punchline.party and presses start.
- Everyone else points their phone camera at the QR code in the lobby, types a name and picks a character. No typing in links.
- Each round, everyone gets a random meme and writes a caption before the candle burns down.
- The memes are revealed one at a time without names. This is where the room falls apart: people read captions out, deny writing them and vote thumbs up, meh or thumbs down.
- Everyone hands out one Meme King crown a round. After the last round, the round winners face off in the Ultimate Punchline, and the winner gets a front page of their own.
Want it on the big screen?
You don’t need a TV, because every phone shows the reveal. But if there’s a laptop handy, plug it into the TV and join the game from it as the audience with Just watch and vote. The whole room then sees each meme land at the same time.
Is it family friendly?
By default, yes. Pornographic templates never get into the game at all, and the darker Unhinged memes are off unless the host turns them on. For a younger crowd or a mixed family table, the host can also tick Safe memes only in the lobby to keep to a gentler set of templates. The captions are written by your guests, so it’s as tame or as chaotic as your family makes it.
Why write your own captions?
Every caption in Punchline is written on the spot by someone in the room, so every joke is one nobody has heard before, and the in-jokes are your group’s own. There’s nothing to run out of, either. The library has over a thousand templates, with new and trending ones added every week.
Settings for a party
- Quick warm-up: 3 rounds and a 60-second timer.
- Main event: 5 rounds with the default timer, about 15 minutes.
- Long night: up to 10 rounds, mixing in GIFs and TV and film memes for variety.
- Big group: 2 to 16 players per room. Late arrivals can join the audience and vote.
- Rerolls: everyone can swap a meme they don’t fancy, up to 20 times a round. Set it to 0 and see who copes.
At the end, press Save all memes and the best ones go straight into the group chat, where they’ll be quoted for weeks.
Questions
Is Punchline a good party game for families?
Yes. Darker memes are off by default, and the host can turn on Safe memes only for a gentler set of templates. Captions are written by the players themselves.
How many people can play at a party?
From 2 to 16 players in one room, and up to 50 more can watch and vote as the audience.
Do we need a TV or console?
No. Everyone plays on their own phone in the browser. A TV is optional if you want the reveal on a big screen.
How long does a game last?
Around 15 minutes with the default five rounds. The host can set 1 to 10 rounds and a caption timer of 1 to 5 minutes.
Is it free?
Yes. Punchline is free with no ads and no sign-up, and nothing to buy.