A good forfeit makes everyone laugh, including the person doing it. A bad one humiliates someone, puts them at risk or ruins something. The line is easy to cross when you invent dares in the heat of the moment, which is why a list prepared calmly in advance helps.
The dares on this wheel involve no food, no unwanted physical contact and no photos shared online. The mild variant suits children, family meals and colleagues; the wild variant asks for a bit more nerve and drama but stays family-friendly. Each dare says how long it lasts and what counts as success.
How to use it
- Choose the variant to match the mood and the players’ ages.
- When a player loses a round, in a card game or a quiz for instance, they spin the wheel.
- They do the dare straight away; if they really cannot face it, they may spin once more but must accept the new one.
- Applaud at the end of every dare: it is what makes the next players happy to join in.
All the options
- Compliment spree
- Give every player a sincere, different compliment in under a minute. No repeating the same adjective.
- Alphabet backwards
- Recite the alphabet from Z to A in under 30 seconds. One mistake and you start again, with no extra time.
- Book on your head
- Walk around the room with a paperback balanced on your head. If it falls, go back to the start.
- Wrong-hand drawing
- Write your name and draw a cat with the hand you never use. The group votes: cat or not a cat?
- GPS voice
- Guide a player, eyes open, to the front door in a GPS voice: “In three steps, turn left.”
- Champion’s speech
- Thank everyone for 30 seconds as if you had just won an Olympic gold medal, with tears and a mention of your family.
- Ten words ending -tion
- Name ten words ending in “-tion” in 30 seconds: station, motion… The others count on their fingers.
- Living room forecast
- Present the weather forecast for the room for 30 seconds: “Strong chance of socks on the sofa later this evening.”
- Copy my rhythm
- Make up a rhythm of eight claps or taps on the table. Every player must copy it; if they all succeed, you failed the dare, so try a harder one.
- Names backwards
- Say every player’s name backwards, letter by letter or syllable by syllable: Sam becomes “Mas”.
- Shadow a player
- For one minute, copy every move of a player of your choice, like their shadow. They may try to shake you off by switching moves quickly.
- Paper plane record
- Fold a paper plane in one minute and fly it. The longest flight of the evening becomes the record for later dares to beat.
Frequently asked questions
What are good forfeits for a party that are not mean?
Dares built on acting, voices or a small skill challenge: impressions, singing, reciting, miming. Rule out anything about appearance, food, danger or sharing photos, and always leave a way out.
What dares work for kids?
The mild variant is designed for them: alphabet backwards, book on your head, GPS voice, paper plane record. Avoid long dares or ones that make a child perform alone in front of adults they do not know, and clear some space for the active ones.
How do you stop a dare from becoming humiliating?
Agree three rules before you start: nobody is filmed without agreeing, nobody touches anyone without agreeing, and anyone can swap a dare for another. If a player is blushing more than laughing, move on.
Can you play dares over video call?
Yes: most mild dares and many wild ones (everyday opera, interview an object, intro rap) work in front of a camera. Swap the ones that involve moving around for a seated version of the same challenge.