How to Host a Party Game with Bad Words

Who this is for: Party game hosts who want the bad word mechanic to be the centerpiece of game night.

Aisha has already created her "Party Words" custom bad words list. Now she wants to host a 4-player game where someone must play a party word for anyone to win.

Steps

1. Create your custom bad words list first if you haven't yet. See Create a Custom Word List. Tag it as "Bad Words."
2. Tap "New Game" on the Play tab.
3. Add 3 more players. Tap "+ Add Player" three times and enter names and colors for all 4 players.
4. Select your bad words list. In the word list section, find "Bad Words" and select your custom list (e.g., "Party Words").
5. Enable "Bad Word Requirement" in the Advanced Rules section. With this on, at least one player must play a word from the bad words list for anyone to win.
6. Set bonus squares to "Random" for variety — different bonus positions each game keep it fresh.
7. Tap "Start Game." 4-player pass-and-play begins.
8. Play through turns passing the device between players. When someone plays a word from the party list, a special visual indicator appears on the board.
9. Track the Bad Word Requirement. If no one has played a party word, the game cannot end — keep playing until someone does.
10. Game ends with rankings for all 4 players.

Expected Outcome

The bad word requirement mechanic enforces that someone must play a party list word before the game can conclude. Random bonus squares mean each game has a different board layout.

Tips

• The party word visual indicator makes it obvious and shareable when someone plays one — it's a social moment.
• You can play with a mix of human players and AI opponents to fill gaps if you have fewer than 4 people.
• The "Bad Word Requirement" is only active when a bad words list is selected — it has no effect on normal dictionary-only games.