Confessions

How to play Confessions

Confessions is an anonymous writing game for 3-12 players. Everyone submits a confession, the confessions are shuffled and shown one at a time, and the group guesses who wrote each. Points come from guessing right and from fooling everyone else. It works because people write more honestly when their name is not attached.

1. 1

   Everyone writes a confession privately

   The device passes round and each player writes one confession behind a privacy screen, so nobody sees what anyone else submits. Something you have done, a secret, an embarrassing story — the range is up to your group.

2. 2

   Confessions are shuffled and shown anonymously

   Submissions are randomised before display, so position gives nothing away. Each confession is read out to the whole group in turn.

3. 3

   Everyone guesses the author

   For each confession, every other player picks who they think wrote it. Guesses are locked in before the reveal, so nobody can follow the room.

4. 4

   Reveal, score, repeat

   The real author is revealed along with who guessed correctly. You score for identifying authors and for writing a confession nobody pinned on you.

Tips and strategy

• Write in a voice that is not quite yours. Most people are caught by phrasing, not content.
• A confession that is too outrageous narrows the field — the group will assume it is whoever is boldest.
• If you want to score on being unguessable, pick something plausible for several people in the room.
• When guessing, look at who reacts least. People often go quiet at their own confession.
• Agree on boundaries before starting. The game only works when everyone is comfortable being honest.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play Confessions?

Each player writes an anonymous confession. They are shuffled and shown one at a time while everyone guesses the author. Points go to correct guesses and to writers who were not identified.

Is it actually anonymous?

Yes. Confessions are submitted behind a privacy screen and shuffled before being displayed, so neither the writing nor the order identifies anyone.

How many players do you need?

Three at minimum. It gets better with more, because a larger group makes each confession genuinely hard to attribute.

Is it suitable for a work or family group?

It can be, if the group agrees the tone in advance. Framing it as "funniest thing that has happened to you" rather than "deepest secret" keeps it comfortable for everyone.