Guess the Artist
Play a short clip. The player names the artist.
How to play
A v1 game-master guide for running PlayDeck as a fast, one-device music party game: scan a card, play the challenge, score the moment, pass the phone. Trivia packs are separate in-app games that the GM can choose from setup.
Best with 3-6 players
Playable with 2-8 individual players
Use teams for 9-20 people
Target 5 short, 7 standard, 10 long
Goal
Own the party
Players score by guessing artists, guessing release years, continuing songs, dancing, or winning group-voted performances. The highest scorer wins after the target score is reached and every player has had equal turns.
Turn loop
Run it like this
- The app shows whose turn it is.
- The player scans or picks a card.
- The GM reads the category, mechanic, or prompt out loud.
- The GM taps Play for a short listen when music is needed.
- The player answers, sings, dances, performs, or the group votes.
- The GM reveals the answer and awards the score.
- The phone passes to the next player.
Modes
Four music ways to score
Guess the Year
Play the song. The player guesses the release year.
Finish the Lyrics
Pause the song. The player continues aloud. No lyrics are shown.
Dance Challenge
The player or group performs. The room votes the winner.
Mechanics
Plot twists
Double Points
The next scored challenge is worth double.
Steal
Hold this. Next time a player misses, another player can steal.
Reverse
Turn order flips immediately.
Skip
The next player is skipped this round.
Group Challenge
Everyone plays the next challenge and the group votes.
GM opening script
Read this first
Welcome to PlayDeck. One card, one song, one chance. No Shazam, no Googling, vibes only. I will play the clip, you answer or perform. Correct gets points, bonus gets bragging rights, and if you miss, the room might steal.
GM anchoring
Keep the room moving
- Keep the first explanation under 60 seconds.
- Read the prompt before playback.
- Use 5-15 second clips.
- Keep debates under 20 seconds.
- Award bonus for speed, confidence, performance, or commitment.
- Use teams for large groups.
- If playback fails, open a fallback or skip the card.
- When someone reaches target, announce final turns.
Ending
Equal turns, then a winner
If someone reaches the target, finish the current round so every player has the same number of turns. If the top score is tied, only tied players enter a tiebreaker: one challenge each until someone leads.