How do you play Never Have I Ever?

Everyone holds up ten fingers. Players take turns naming something they have never done, and anyone who has done it puts a finger down. The last player with a finger raised wins.

What happens if nobody puts a finger down?

If nobody puts a finger down, the player who made the statement puts one down instead. This stops players naming things nobody could have done.

How many players do you need?

Never Have I Ever needs at least 3 players and works well up to about 12. Split large groups into teams so turns come around faster.

Can you play Never Have I Ever with family?

Yes. Choose statements about travel, food, childhood and mishaps rather than private topics. A family-friendly list of 25 statements is included on this page.

Is there a free Never Have I Ever app?

Yes. Never Have I Ever is free in the WinkRoom app on iPhone, iPad and Android, with statements dealt to the whole room at once.

Never Have I Ever — rules and questions

Never Have I Ever is the fastest way to find out things about people you have known for years. One person names something they have never done, and everyone who has done it loses a point.

It needs nothing — no cards, no app, no table. Ten fingers each and a group willing to admit things.

The rules

Everyone holds up ten fingers — or five, for a shorter game.
The first player says "never have I ever…" followed by something they genuinely have never done.
Everyone who has done it puts one finger down.
If nobody puts a finger down, the player who spoke puts one down instead. This stops people naming absurd things nobody has done.
Play passes around the circle. The last player with a finger up wins.

Scoring variants

Fingers. The standard. Last one with a finger raised wins.
Reverse. Points for every finger you keep — the most sheltered player wins, which is funnier than it sounds.
Story rule. Anyone who puts a finger down has to explain. Slows the game right down, and is the reason most groups keep playing past round three.
Team play. Split into two teams; the team with fingers remaining wins. Good for a large group where turns come around too slowly.

25 statements for friends

Never have I ever pretended to know someone whose name I had forgotten.
Never have I ever left a group chat and rejoined hoping nobody noticed.
Never have I ever eaten something that had fallen on the floor in front of guests.
Never have I ever cancelled plans by inventing an illness.
Never have I ever lied about my age.
Never have I ever fallen asleep in a cinema.
Never have I ever sent a message to the wrong person.
Never have I ever gone a whole day wearing something inside out.
Never have I ever pretended to laugh at a joke I did not understand.
Never have I ever taken a photo of my food before eating it.
Never have I ever forgotten someone's birthday and pretended I had not.
Never have I ever waved at someone who was waving at the person behind me.
Never have I ever binge-watched an entire series in one day.
Never have I ever sung in the shower loudly enough for neighbours to hear.
Never have I ever bought something purely because of an advert.
Never have I ever pretended to be on the phone to avoid someone.
Never have I ever missed a flight or a train.
Never have I ever kept a book I borrowed and never returned.
Never have I ever queued for more than an hour for food.
Never have I ever given someone directions I completely made up.
Never have I ever re-gifted a present.
Never have I ever been recognised by a stranger.
Never have I ever gone swimming fully clothed.
Never have I ever tried to cut my own hair.
Never have I ever stayed up all night and gone straight to work or school.

25 family-friendly statements

For a family game night, keep the statements to things a ten-year-old and a grandparent can both answer.

Never have I ever broken a bone.
Never have I ever been on a boat.
Never have I ever met someone famous.
Never have I ever eaten an entire pizza on my own.
Never have I ever been stung by a bee.
Never have I ever fallen off a bicycle.
Never have I ever slept in a tent.
Never have I ever won a competition.
Never have I ever forgotten my own phone number.
Never have I ever cooked a meal for more than ten people.
Never have I ever been on television or the radio.
Never have I ever climbed a mountain.
Never have I ever grown a plant successfully.
Never have I ever been to another continent.
Never have I ever learnt to play an instrument.
Never have I ever been in a school play.
Never have I ever had a pet.
Never have I ever swum in the sea in winter.
Never have I ever built something out of wood.
Never have I ever ridden a horse.
Never have I ever got lost in a city.
Never have I ever spoken another language on holiday.
Never have I ever baked a cake from scratch.
Never have I ever seen snow.
Never have I ever stayed awake to watch a sunrise.

Tips

Aim at the room, not at one person. A statement that only one player can answer stops being a game and starts being an interrogation.
Save the strong ones. Opening with something serious sets a tone the group cannot walk back.
Keep the pass rule. As in Truth or Dare, one pass per player, no explanation.
Play the story rule with people who already know each other. With strangers, plain fingers is faster and more comfortable.

Play it free in WinkRoom

WinkRoom is a free party game app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Start a private room, share the 6-digit code, and everyone joins from their own phone — guests do not need an account.

Impostor, Mafia, Shtet Qytet, Truth or Dare, Never Have I Ever, One Word Unites, Wrong Answers Only and Synonyms are all in the app, and new packs are added over time.

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

Frequently asked questions

How do you play Never Have I Ever?: Everyone holds up ten fingers. Players take turns saying something they have never done, and anyone who has done it puts a finger down. The last player with a finger raised wins.
What happens if nobody puts a finger down?: The player who made the statement puts one down instead. It is the rule that stops people naming things so obscure that no one could possibly have done them.
How many players do you need?: Three at minimum, and it works well up to about twelve. With a very large group, split into teams so turns come around faster.
Can you play Never Have I Ever with family?: Yes, with statements chosen for the room — travel, food, childhood and mishaps rather than anything private. There is a family-friendly list of 25 above.
Is there a free Never Have I Ever app?: Yes. Never Have I Ever is included free in WinkRoom on iPhone, iPad and Android, with statements dealt to everyone in the room at once so nobody has to think of one on the spot.