How to Play The Laughing Game
The Laughing Game is a simple, equipment-free parlour game in which players compete to keep a straight face while the atmosphere around them becomes progressively more absurd. Each player must solemnly add a single syllable to a growing chain of forced laughter sounds, and the harder everyone tries not to laugh, the funnier it becomes.
It works because the effort of suppression is itself ridiculous. It needs no props, no reading ability, and no setup beyond arranging chairs, which makes it a reliable choice for family gatherings, children's parties, and any situation where you need instant entertainment for a mixed-age group.
A little history
The Laughing Game belongs to a broad family of suppression games that have appeared in parlour game collections since at least the nineteenth century. Its origins are unclear, but games built on the same principle, keeping a straight face under deliberate social pressure, are documented in Victorian parlour game books published in Britain and the United States. The exact form most commonly played today, using the 'ha, ho, hee' sequence in a circle, is traditionally passed on by word of mouth rather than through any single authoritative source.
Setting up
- Gather four or more players in a room with enough space to sit or stand in a circle.
- Arrange seating in a circle so every player can see every other player's face clearly.
- Choose a starting player by any agreed method, such as youngest goes first.
- Confirm the sequence of syllables to be used: 'ha', 'ho', and 'hee' cycling in that order, or agree on a simpler single-syllable version for younger children.
- Agree on what counts as laughing: a smile alone does not eliminate a player, but any audible laugh or giggle does. Settle this before play begins to avoid disputes.
How to play
- The starting player looks at the group, keeps a completely straight face, and says 'ha' in a flat, deadpan voice.
- The next player clockwise immediately says 'ho' in the same deadpan manner.
- The third player says 'hee', again without any expression.
- The fourth player begins the cycle again with 'ha', and play continues clockwise in the pattern ha, ho, hee, ha, ho, hee.
- Players must deliver their syllable promptly. A long hesitation, a smirk, a giggle, or any audible laugh of any kind means that player is eliminated.
- Eliminated players leave the circle. The remaining players close the gap and continue without breaking rhythm.
- No player is permitted to deliberately make faces at, poke, or physically touch another player to provoke a laugh. Verbal sounds and eye contact are fair; physical interference is not.
- Play continues, eliminating players one by one, until only one player remains.
Winning and scoring
The last player remaining who has not laughed wins the game. There is no points system in the standard version. For a scored variant over several rounds, award one point to the winner of each round and play to an agreed total, such as five points.
The fine points
The most common dispute is whether a smile counts as a laugh. The standard ruling is that a silent smile, however broad, does not eliminate a player. Only an audible sound, a giggle, a snort, a chuckle, or a full laugh, results in elimination. This should be agreed before the first round starts and applied consistently, because calling a smile as a laugh will cause arguments in every single game. A designated referee, ideally a non-playing adult, resolves borderline calls immediately and without appeal.
Hesitation is a separate issue. If a player freezes, loses track of which syllable they owe, or takes more than roughly two seconds, the group should agree in advance whether that counts as an elimination or merely a warning. The more common ruling is that significant hesitation is an elimination, because the pause itself usually causes others to laugh and should carry a penalty. For younger children, a gentler approach of offering one free hesitation per round is reasonable.
How to win more often
- Fix your gaze on a neutral point just above another player's head rather than directly into their eyes. Direct eye contact is the fastest route to losing your composure.
- Breathe slowly and steadily through your nose before your turn arrives. Controlled breathing is the single most effective tool for suppressing a rising laugh.
- Say your syllable as flatly and quietly as the rules allow. Robotic monotony is harder to find funny than any attempt at deadpan comedy.
- Avoid looking at the player who is most likely to make you laugh, particularly in the early rounds when the circle is large and you have time to look elsewhere.
- In the final stages with only two or three players left, maintain your rhythm even if the other player stumbles. A calm, metronomic delivery puts pressure on opponents without requiring any expression at all.
Variations
Ha Only
All players use only the syllable 'ha', building a chain of ha-ha-ha around the circle. This version is traditionally used with younger children and tends to escalate faster because the repetition itself becomes funnier more quickly than a rotating sequence.
Count Version
Instead of syllables, players count upward: one, two, three, and so on around the circle. The player who laughs on any number is eliminated and the count resets to one. This version adds a mild memory element and is useful for groups who find the syllable version too easy in the early rounds.
Straight Face
One nominated player must stand in the centre of the circle and maintain a straight face for a set time, typically sixty seconds, while all other players are permitted to make sounds, pull faces, and do whatever they like short of touching them. If the central player survives without laughing they win that round; if they break, the player who caused the laugh takes the centre next.
Team Laughing Game
Players divide into two equal teams seated in alternating positions around the circle, so each player is flanked by opponents. When a player is eliminated, their team loses a point. The team with most players still in the circle when only one team has surviving members wins. This version adds a cooperative dimension and works well with larger groups of eight or more.
The Laughing Game: frequently asked questions
Does smiling count as laughing and get you eliminated?
No. The standard rule is that only an audible sound eliminates a player. A smile, however obvious, does not count. Agree this clearly before you start to avoid arguments mid-game.
What is the minimum number of players needed?
Four players is the accepted minimum. With fewer than four the circle is too small to generate the social pressure that makes the game work. It plays best with six to ten players.
Can you play with very young children?
Yes, using the Ha Only variation and accepting that children under about five will not last long without laughing and that this is fine. The game works well as a mixed-age activity because younger children enjoy watching older players struggle even after they themselves have been eliminated.
How long does a typical game last?
With six to eight players a round usually resolves in under ten minutes. Most groups play three to five rounds in a sitting, which brings total playing time to roughly fifteen to thirty minutes.
Is a snort or giggle treated the same as a full laugh?
Yes. Any audible involuntary sound, whether a snort, giggle, chuckle, or laugh, counts as laughing and eliminates that player. Trying to suppress a laugh and failing audibly is still failing.
Can eliminated players try to make remaining players laugh?
This depends on what you agree before playing. Many groups allow eliminated players to pull faces or make sounds from outside the circle, which extends their involvement and speeds up the remaining rounds. Physical interference with players still in the circle is not permitted in any version.
What happens if two players laugh at exactly the same moment?
Both are eliminated. There is no rule that gives precedence to one over the other, and attempting to argue about which laugh came first is itself usually funny enough to eliminate a third player.
Do you need a referee, or can players police themselves?
For casual family play, self-policing works for obvious cases. For competitive rounds or older players, a non-playing referee saves a great deal of argument, particularly on borderline hesitation calls. If everyone is playing, the majority vote of non-involved players in the circle is the simplest fallback.