How To Play: Faces
Faces is a funny game that tests how well you read your friends and come up with silly face combos. Pick up on body language, stay creative, and time your guesses for a perfect win. How To Play faces is easy, but mastering it means laughing harder each round!

Let’s be honest—Faces is the game that turns your friends into comedians, detectives, and sometimes, even liars. If you want to crush at How To Play faces (and annoy your cousin Maggie just a little), you’re in the right place. This guide gives you a quick outline of the rules and all the best tips for winning, even if you’ve got a face only your mother could love.
Overview
What’s in the box
- 162 Face Cards
- 60 Description Cards
- 1 Score Pad
- 6 Numbered Voting Wheels
- 6 Pencils
- Game Rules
How To Play Faces: Rules Summary
Setup
- First, find a table and gather your friends. If you have no friends, now’s a great time to make some. Faces really brings people together.
- Shuffle the deck of Face Cards. Trust me, random is key. My buddy tried stacking the deck once, and we never let him shuffle again.
- Deal 5 Face Cards to each player. Put the rest in a draw pile in the middle.
- Pick someone to go first. The person with the most eyebrows goes first in my group, but official rules say the youngest player starts.
Gameplay
- On your turn, draw a Scenario Card and read it aloud. Try not to laugh while reading. I fail at this every time.
- All players (except the reader) secretly pick a Face Card from their hand that they think best matches the scenario. For example: “Who just saw a ghost?” Place chosen cards face down.
- Mix up the cards so it’s not obvious whose is whose. The reader then reveals them all and guesses who played each Face Card.
- Players score a point if the reader guesses wrong. The reader scores if they guess correctly. Yes, it’s as fun as it sounds.
- Draw back up to 5 Face Cards. Play passes to the left.
Winning
- The first player to reach the target score wins (usually 10 points, but you can make it higher or lower).
- If there’s a tie, just grab more snacks and keep playing. Tiebreaker rounds are hilarious, trust me.
Special Rules & Conditions
- If you run out of Face Cards, shuffle the discard pile to make a new draw pile. Don’t worry, you’ll see that weird mustache again soon enough.
- If a player forgets to play a card, everyone else points and laughs, then they skip a turn. (Okay, this one is just my group, but it keeps us on our toes.)
- Feel free to add your own rules. The weirder, the better. We’ve played “silent round” where you can’t talk while guessing – it led to wild charades and tears of laughter.
If you want to master this game, keep a poker face, read your friends, and always play your funniest card. That’s how to play faces – it’s that simple and that fun!
Best Faces Strategies
Master the Art of Face Reading in Faces
Spot Subtle Clues
When playing Faces, I always watch for slight smiles and nervous giggles. These small signs tell me if someone is bluffing. Here’s how I catch them:
- Notice their body language—fidgeting means they might be hiding something.
- Listen for changes in their voice. Unsure answers sound different.
Compare Habits
Every player has tells. For example, my friend Pat always looks away when lying. Learn these habits and you’ll guess right more often.
- Study reactions over several rounds.
- Keep mental notes on unusual behavior.
Use the Group’s Energy
The crowd can help. Sometimes, everyone’s laughter means someone made a wild guess. Use their energy. Next time you play, watch for these clues and soon you’ll be a How To Play faces master!
Create Unforgettable Faces and Outsmart Your Friends
Mix and Match Like a Pro
First, get bold. Grab features from all over the place. Don’t shy away from wild nose and eyebrow combos. If it looks like it belongs in a circus, you’re doing it right.
- Choose features that no one expects.
- Try mashing happy eyes with grumpy lips.
- Test weird hats or big glasses for added flair.
Distract Your Group
Next, go for faces that make your friends second-guess. They might overthink a silly moustache combo. This will give you the edge as their brains melt.
- Experiment with unexpected face shapes.
- Add an odd earring or silly chin.
Why This Works
After several rounds with my buddies, creative face combos always led to chaos and laughter. It kept everyone guessing, and gave me a real shot at victory. Remember, the trick is to keep things fresh and unpredictable. That’s how to play Faces for the win!
Timing Your Guesses Like a Faces Champion
Wait for the Right Moment
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Hold back until players start sweating a little. Use those awkward silences to see who cracks first.
Pounce When Doubt Rises
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When you see others hesitating, jump in. Most of my wins come from swooping in while my friends overthink.
Use Past Rounds as Clues
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Remember what worked before. If you spot a pattern, act fast next time you see it. Patterns are your secret weapon.
Keep the Group Guessing
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Sometimes, throw in a fast guess just to mess with everyone’s rhythm. Now they won’t know what you’re up to—you might even win by surprise!
If you master these, you’ll be the Timing King (or Queen) of How To Play faces.
Why Faces Might Just Make You the Life of the Party
So there you have it, my best secrets for dominating Faces! Trust me, once you get the hang of reading people, tossing out those wild face combos, and swooping in with a guess at just the right time—your friends will either beg to be on your team or refuse to play with you ever again. Either way, you win!
Just remember: every game of How To Play faces turns into a parade of odd looks, weird guesses, and endless laughs. The best strategy? Have fun, don’t take it too serious, and keep your poker face somewhere safe. After a few rounds, you’ll never look at your friends’ noses the same way again.
Want to know what we think of Faces? Read our detailed review of Faces here