Human Knot

Play Human Knot with friends — 6+ players, 10 minutes. Play online party games with friends. Free in Pocket Party with 150+ IRL social games.

6+ players, about 10 minutes, ages 8+.

Play online party games with friends.

Setup

Have everybody form a circle facing inside. Tell them to put their right hand up in the air and then take the hand of somebody across the circle from them. Then repeat with the left hand, ensuring they take a different person's hand. It is important that nobody is holding hands with the person next to them.

How to Play

1, Everybody must now try to untangle themselves without ever breaking the chain of hands. If the chain is broken at any point, everybody loses and must start over. Note, sometimes it will be unsolvable. Tip: A variation to this is to all hold hands to form a circle and then tangle yourselves up as much as you can without breaking your hands. Then try to untangle yourselves. Yet another variation of this is to tangle yourselves and then assign one person who is not part of it to act as the director, telling people what to do in order to untangle themselves.

Frequently asked questions

How many people do you need to play Human Knot?

Human Knot is designed for 6+ players. It works best when everyone can hear each other and take turns quickly.

How long does Human Knot take?

A round of Human Knot usually takes about 10 minutes, depending on group size and how much discussion your players add.

Can you play Human Knot without extra props?

Human Knot is built to be lightweight. Check the on-page rules for any simple materials your group might need before you start.

Is Human Knot good for groups?

Yes. Human Knot is meant for social play, so it works well when the group wants conversation, quick reactions, or shared laughs.

Can kids play Human Knot?

Human Knot is recommended for ages 8+. For younger groups, read the rules first and choose categories or prompts that fit the room.