Good to know
Who Link Up works best for
Teams that like word association and discussion. Four active players lets each team have a Guide and Guesser; larger teams add more debate around every clue.
All games
How to play
Link Up
Two teams race across the same word board. Guides know which words belong to their team; Guessers have to connect them from one careful clue.
4+ playersParty gameDrinking gameUnlock
Play Link Up
Host checklist
Help the round run smoothly
- Balance the teams before assigning Guides, and make sure each Guide can privately view the key.
- A clue should connect meaning rather than spelling, position, gestures, or information outside the board.
- Let Guessers own the final decision; Guides should not react in a way that confirms or rejects a guess.
Example
What a round can look like
A Guide who needs the words “snow” and “glacier” might give the clue “ice, two”. Their Guessers discuss which two cards fit. Revealing a neutral or opposing word changes the turn, while a wildcard can alter ownership or end the board according to the rule shown by the game.
Game flow
Here’s how a round works
- 1
Make two teams
Assign players and choose one Guide for each team.
- 2
Orient the board
The Host or first Guide rotates and locks the hidden key before clues begin.
- 3
Give a clue
The active Guide says one clue and a number for how many words it links.
- 4
Reveal words
Guessers discuss the clue, reveal cards, and may end their turn early.
- 5
Clear your colour
Clear every word currently assigned to your team to win the round.
The roles
Who does what?
Host
Assigns teams and roles, then starts the board.
Guide
Privately checks the key, gives the clue and guess count, and makes any wildcard choices assigned to them.
Guessers
Discuss clues, reveal cards, and may end the turn.
Link Up wildcards
The cards that change the board
One is hidden on each board. Some resolve instantly; for the others, the game tells the right Guide what to do.
Blackout
The current team loses the round immediately.
50/50
It becomes the current team’s word. Their Guide makes one unrevealed team word neutral. If none remain, they win with a Victory Lap.
Swap
Your Guide secretly exchanges one unrevealed word with one from the other team.
Steal
The other Guide steals one of your unrevealed words and gives one of theirs back. The turn then ends.
Randomize
Every unrevealed team and neutral word is secretly reassigned automatically. The remaining counts stay the same.
Drinking version
Same game, a little extra
The same board rules apply. Blackout, 50/50, Swap, and Steal add drink results; Randomize has no extra drinking penalty.
For players of legal drinking age. Non-alcoholic drinks work too.Common questions
Before your group starts
Why does Link Up require at least four players?
Each of the two teams needs someone to see the hidden key and someone else to make guesses without seeing it.
What counts as one rewarded round?
For the ad-supported allowance, one unit is one complete board. The 2 complete boards are the initial board plus one Play Again board.
Can a team stop guessing early?
Yes. Guessers can end their turn when another reveal feels too risky, then the other team receives the next clue.
Keep playing
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How to playReady to play?
Get the group into one room.
The game will take it from there.