Egyptian charades (Bedon Kalam): how to play
Bedon Kalam (بدون كلام, "without words") is how Egyptians play charades: one player mimes the title of an Egyptian film, TV series or play without speaking, and their team has to guess it before time runs out.
Rules, step by step
- Split into two teams and name them.
- The other team picks a title for the actor, or use Randomise on the home page.
- The actor reads the title alone, then starts the timer (60, 90 or 120 seconds).
- The actor shows the type sign, then the number of words on their fingers.
- For each word: show its number, tap the syllables on the forearm, then act it out.
- No talking, sounds, lip-syncing or pointing at written words.
- A correct guess before time is up scores a point; then the other team plays.
- Most points after the agreed number of rounds wins.
Common signs
- Film: crank an old movie camera beside your ear.
- Series: draw a TV screen in the air.
- Play: pull a stage curtain open.
- The article "al-": a small C with your fingers.
- "Sounds like": tug your ear.
- Close / far: bring fingers together / apart.
Easy titles to start with
Browse by type
FAQ
How many players do you need?
At least four (two teams of two); six to ten is best. You can also play without teams: whoever guesses first acts next.
How long should each turn be?
One minute for easy titles, 90 seconds or two minutes for hard ones. The timer on the home page offers all three and rings when time is up.
Do I need to know Arabic?
The titles are Egyptian, so it helps. Each title page shows the English title or transliteration and the Arabic word count used for the finger signs.
Does it work offline?
Yes. After your first visit the title list is saved on your phone, and the picker, timer and scores work offline.
What do easy, medium and hard mean?
Difficulty reflects how famous the work is and how long its title is: short, very famous titles are easy; old classics and long titles are hard.