Bad movie plots — guess the film from a terrible description
Bad Movie Plots is a pass-and-play guessing game for 2 to 20 players in which a famous film is described as badly and as literally as possible, in the style of a one-star review, and players race to name it.
- Players
- 2–20 players
- Length
- ~15 minutes
- Type
- Brain game
- Type
- High energy
Runs in your browser · no download · no account
“Rich man buys a boat, boat sinks, girl keeps the door.” You knew that in about four words, and the fact that you knew it is the whole joke. A bad plot summary is funny because it is accurate. Nothing has been invented; the film has simply been stripped of everything that made it work.
There are over 500 films in here, each one written up as a one-star review by someone who plainly did not enjoy their evening. Easy ones are blockbusters your whole family has seen. Hard ones are the film your friend will not stop recommending. Each is worth its difficulty, so knowing the obscure ones is finally worth something.
The steal rule is the part that makes it a game rather than a quiz. If the first shout is wrong, the phone-holder taps “Wrong — steal open” and the floor reopens to everybody, with the point value dropped by one. It punishes the person who blurts, rewards the person who waits, and turns a lot of rounds into a genuinely tense five seconds.
Bad Movie Plots is part of
What you need
- One phone and someone willing to read in a withering voice
- 2 to 20 players
- Fifteen minutes
- A group that has collectively seen some films
How to play Bad Movie Plots
Pick your players, then choose free-for-all — everyone shouts — or hot seat, where each player gets their own film and their own clock.
A one-star review appears. It describes a real, usually famous film as literally and unkindly as possible. "Rich man buys a boat, boat sinks, girl keeps the door."
Name the film. It is worth its difficulty: 1 point for a blockbuster, 2 for a medium, 3 for the one your friend keeps recommending.
The steal rule is on by default. If the first shout is wrong, the phone-holder taps "Wrong — steal open" and the floor reopens, with the next correct answer worth one point less.
The hint is a year or a cast member and costs one point off that film. Skipping is free and does not use up one of your films.
Tap "Reveal the film", then tap whoever named it — or "Nobody named it" and move on. Undo takes back the last call with one tap.
"Scores & fixes" lets you re-award any film, take back a hint penalty or undo a steal. Most points wins; a tie goes to sudden death.
Scoring and winning
- Each film is worth its difficulty: easy 1 point, medium 2, hard 3.
- The steal rule is on by default. After a wrong first shout the phone-holder opens the steal, and the next correct answer is worth one point less.
- The hint is a year or a cast member and costs one point off that film. Hint plus steal on an easy film is worth nothing, which is exactly the intended humiliation.
- Skipping is free and does not use up one of your films.
- Undo takes back the last call with one tap, and "Scores & fixes" lets you re-award any film, take back a hint penalty, or undo a steal.
- Most points wins. A tie goes to sudden death: one more film settles it.
Bad Movie Plots strategy and tips
- Listen for the object the review keeps returning to. A bad summary has to name the thing the plot revolves around, and that noun is nearly always the giveaway.
- Do not shout first if you are only 70% sure and the steal rule is on. Letting somebody else be wrong is worth more than being fast and wrong yourself.
- When the plot sounds like three unrelated films at once, it is usually a sequel or a franchise entry. Say the franchise name out loud and let the room narrow it down.
- Take the hint on hard films early. A year alone eliminates most of the guesswork and still leaves you two points.
- Read the review badly on purpose. The game is much better when the phone-holder commits to sounding personally let down by the film.
- Play hot seat if one person in your group has seen everything. Giving them their own clock and their own film stops them winning every round in free-for-all.
Variants and house rules
Steal rule
On by default and toggleable in setup. A wrong first shout opens the floor to everyone at one point less. Turn it off for a gentler, quizzier game.
Hot seat
Each player faces their own film on their own clock while the rest of the room stays silent. Much harder without four other people thinking out loud.
Write your own
Between rounds, each player writes a one-line bad summary of a film on a scrap of paper and the room guesses. Score them at whatever value the group agrees.
Decades night
House rule: only accept answers with the correct decade attached. Right film, wrong decade, no point. It changes the game entirely and the arguments are excellent.
Two teams
Alternate films between two teams with the steal rule on. A wrong answer from one team opens the steal to the other, which is where the shouting comes from.
Bad Movie Plots FAQ
How do you play Bad Movie Plots?
The phone shows a famous film described as literally and unkindly as possible, in the style of a one-star review. Players shout the title. The first correct answer scores, with the point value set by how obscure the film is.
What is the steal rule?
If the first shout is wrong, the phone-holder taps "Wrong — steal open" and the floor reopens to everyone. The next correct answer is worth one point less than the film’s face value. It is on by default and can be switched off in setup.
How many films are in the game?
Over 500, split across easy, medium and hard, each with a hint that gives you a year or a cast member. The app remembers what your group has seen so films do not repeat between sessions.
What is an example of a bad movie plot?
"A man forgets things and gets a lot of tattoos about it" is Memento. "Family adopts a dog, dog is a nuisance, everybody cries" is Marley and Me. The trick is that nothing in the description is untrue.
Do you need to be a film buff?
No. Set the difficulty to Easy and every film is one that has been on television at Christmas. The Any setting mixes blockbusters with deep cuts so that the film people and the rest of the room both get their moments.
Can you play it with two people?
Yes. With two players, hot seat mode is the better fit: you alternate films on a clock and score against each other. Free-for-all works too but the steal rule needs three or more to be interesting.