How to play Name That Movie
Name That Movie is a quick quiz about famous family films. Each round has ten questions picked at random from more than 180 movies, all rated G or PG. You can play two ways: read a short plot summary, or decode a movie told only in emojis. Press Play to start straight away with plot summaries and the full mix of films. Open Options under the Play button to switch to emoji clues or to pick which films you want.
Plot summary clues
You get a two or three sentence description of the plot, written without any character names or words from the title. Below it are four answer cards. Each card shows a title, the year it came out and a colored band for its genre, such as animation, musical, comedy, fantasy or sci-fi. The wrong answers come from a similar time and style, so the year and genre alone will not always give it away.
Emoji clues
The whole story is squeezed into three to six emojis. A lion, a crown and a sunrise might point to one film, while a balloon, a house and an old man point to another. Read the emojis left to right like a tiny comic strip, then choose from four titles.
Scoring and hints
- Correct answer: 10 points. A perfect round is 100.
- Timer bonus: switch it on under the Play button and a 30 second ring counts down on every question. Answer fast for up to 10 extra points, so a perfect timed round can reach 200. If the ring runs out, the question counts as missed. The game remembers your choice on this device.
- Hint: shows the director and when the film came out, for half points. With plot summaries the hint gives the decade, since the cards already show each year. With emoji clues it gives the exact year.
- Wrong answer: 0 points, and the right ticket gets a green check so you can learn it.
After every question a lightbulb box shows a fun fact about the film, with its year, director and rating. At the end of the round you see your score, your best score for that mode (timed and untimed rounds are kept apart), and a list of every question with your answer.
Filters
Use All for the full mix, Animated for cartoons and stop-motion, Live action for films with real actors, or Classics for movies made before 1980, such as The Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins. The game keeps a list of films you saw recently and avoids repeating them.
Keyboard shortcuts
Press 1, 2, 3 or 4 to choose an answer, H for a hint and Enter to start a round or go to the next question. On a phone, just tap.
Questions
Are all the movies family-friendly?
Yes. Every film in the quiz is rated G or PG in the United States, and the list sticks to well-known family films, from Disney, Pixar and Studio Ghibli animation to live-action favorites and old classics. Nothing rated PG-13 or R is included.
How many movies are in the quiz?
More than 180, so you can play many rounds before films start to repeat. The game remembers the films you saw recently in this browser and tries to show you new ones first.
Does using a hint cost points?
A hint halves the points for that question, so a correct answer is worth 5 points instead of 10. A wrong answer scores nothing either way.
Why are there no movie posters?
The clues are all words and emojis written for this quiz, so you have to know the story, not just recognize a picture. The answer cards use colors and symbols for each genre instead of artwork.
Is my best score saved?
Yes, your best score for each mode is saved in this browser on this device. Nothing is uploaded and there is no account. Clearing your browser data resets it.
Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Project it for a quick brain break and let the class vote on each answer, or have small teams race through a round. The plot summaries also make good practice for summarizing a story in a few sentences.