Core Idea 1
Rhythm Game Perfect Bar
Category: Rhythm + Performance
Everyone plays the same song or track once. Highest percent, combo, or cleanest score wins.
The final round must use a song chosen by the previous leader.
STUDboards
Karaoke + Music Board
Karaoke rounds, name-that-tune games, playlist drafts, rhythm challenges, and performance prompts for music-first group nights.
STUD is the poker chip for IRL challenges. STUD use is optional. Groups should agree on rules and any STUD amount before play.
Open the interactive Karaoke + Music Board
26 Core Ideas / 11 STUD Sides
Karaoke rooms, living rooms, parties, and music-loving groups
Scene: Music Night. Group size: 3-20. Time: 10-45 min.
Categories
- Karaoke
- Name That Tune
- Playlist + DJ
- Rhythm + Performance
Core Ideas
Core Ideas are the main ways to play this board.
Core Idea 2
Karaoke Scorecard
Category: Karaoke
Each performer does one song. Crowd votes 1-10.
Finalists swap songs picked by opponents.
Core Idea 3
One-Song Scorecard
Category: Karaoke
Each performer does one song and the group scores stage presence, effort, and crowd reaction.
The top 2 performers swap song styles for a final encore round.
Core Idea 4
Duet Draft Night
Category: Karaoke
Players draft duet partners and perform short song cuts. Highest crowd score wins.
Finalists must trade partners for the last round.
Core Idea 5
Chorus Only Battle
Category: Karaoke
Perform only the chorus of each song. Best chorus delivery after 3 rounds wins.
Round 3 must be a song picked by someone else.
Core Idea 6
Genre Swap Karaoke
Category: Karaoke
Perform a familiar song as if it belonged to a different genre chosen by the group.
The performer earns a bonus if the group can still identify the original song.
Core Idea 7
Karaoke Ladder
Category: Karaoke
Two performers face off each round with short song cuts. Winner stays for up to 3 defenses.
The defending performer cannot repeat an artist.
Core Idea 8
Crowd Choice Encore
Category: Karaoke
Everyone performs one short song cut. The crowd votes 3 finalists into an encore round.
Encore songs are picked by the eliminated performers.
Core Idea 9
Five-Second Intro
Category: Name That Tune
Play the first 5 seconds of a song. First correct title or artist earns the point.
A wrong answer locks that player or team out of the next intro.
Core Idea 10
Hummed Hook Guess
Category: Name That Tune
One player hums or taps a hook without lyrics while teammates guess the song.
The hummer may use only 10 seconds in the final round.
Core Idea 11
Finish the Lyric
Category: Name That Tune
The host reads or plays a lyric lead-in. Players finish the next line.
Exact lyric gets 2 points; close meaning gets 1 point if the group agrees.
Core Idea 12
Decade Tune Sprint
Category: Name That Tune
Play short song clips from one decade. Teams name title, artist, or year range.
A team earns a bonus for correctly naming the decade before the title.
Core Idea 13
Cover Version Call
Category: Name That Tune
Play cover versions or alternate arrangements. Players guess the original song.
Bonus point if the player also names the original artist.
Core Idea 14
One-Word Song Clue
Category: Name That Tune
A clue-giver gives one word at a time until teammates guess the song or artist.
Every extra clue word lowers the possible score by 1.
Core Idea 15
Playlist Draft
Category: Playlist + DJ
Players draft songs for a shared theme such as road trip, gym, cookout, or late night.
The group votes for best fit, best surprise, and best closer.
Core Idea 16
Theme Song Table
Category: Playlist + DJ
Each player assigns a theme song to another player and explains the pick.
The table votes on the funniest fit and the most accurate fit.
Core Idea 17
DJ Save the Room
Category: Playlist + DJ
Each player gets one song choice to reset the room's energy. Best crowd response wins.
The previous winner chooses the next energy level: chill, hype, throwback, or singalong.
Core Idea 18
Walk-Up Song Draft
Category: Playlist + DJ
Players draft walk-up songs for themselves or each other. Best fit wins the round.
Final round is for a fictional job, sport, or entrance picked by the group.
Core Idea 19
Road Trip Playlist
Category: Playlist + DJ
Build a 5-song road trip playlist with opener, highway song, singalong, reset, and closer.
No artist can be used twice across the full table.
Core Idea 20
Two-Song Story
Category: Playlist + DJ
Each player picks 2 songs that tell a short story. The group votes on clearest story arc.
The second song must change the mood from the first.
Core Idea 21
Beat Clap Relay
Category: Rhythm + Performance
Teams copy a clap rhythm and pass it down the line. Cleanest final rhythm wins.
Final round adds one stomp or table tap.
Core Idea 22
Dance Freeze Round
Category: Rhythm + Performance
Move while music plays and freeze when it stops. Last clean freezer wins.
Final 3 must freeze in a pose named by the host.
Core Idea 23
Step Sequence Copy
Category: Rhythm + Performance
One player creates a short step sequence and the next player copies it before adding one move.
Missed sequence details count as one strike. Three strikes ends the run.
Core Idea 24
Air Band Countdown
Category: Rhythm + Performance
Teams perform 30-second air band sets with singer, drummer, and lead instrument roles.
The group assigns a surprise genre right before each set.
Core Idea 25
Music Video Charades
Category: Rhythm + Performance
Players act out a song, artist, or music video idea without singing the title.
Final round is silent except for rhythm claps.
Core Idea 26
Hook Writing Sprint
Category: Rhythm + Performance
Write a short hook for a silly theme in 3 minutes. The group votes for catchiest hook.
The final hook must include one word drawn from a bowl.
STUD Sides
STUD Sides are optional side-point challenges. Earned side points count for you, side points against you count against you, and any STUD amount should be agreed before play.
STUD Side 1
Standing Ovation
Category: Rhythm + Performance
Win the loudest agreed crowd reaction to earn 1 side point.
After each performance, the group gives one clear crowd-reaction vote. The performer with the loudest or highest agreed reaction in the round earns 1 side point.
STUD Side 2
Lyric Slip
Category: Karaoke
Lose the lyrics during a called chorus to add 1 side point against yourself.
Before a chorus-only or lyric round, a performer may call clean chorus. If they lose the lyrics or stop before the chorus ends, add 1 side point against them. Finish cleanly to earn 1 side point.
STUD Side 3
Duet Rescue
Category: Karaoke
Jump in cleanly to help a duet partner recover and earn 1 side point for the pair.
In a duet round, if one partner misses a cue and the other partner picks up the next line cleanly, the pair earns 1 side point. If both miss the recovery cue, add 1 side point against the pair.
STUD Side 4
Intro Snipe
Category: Name That Tune
Name the song from the intro before the first lyric to earn 1 side point.
During a name-that-tune round, a player or team that names the title before the first lyric earns 1 side point. A wrong early guess adds 1 side point against them.
STUD Side 5
Playlist Save
Category: Karaoke
Pick the song that best matches the room's requested energy to earn 1 side point.
Before the round, the group names an energy such as chill, hype, throwback, or singalong. The player whose song best matches the requested energy earns 1 side point by group vote.
STUD Side 6
Beat Drop Call
Category: Karaoke
Call the beat drop or chorus entrance and hit it to earn 1 side point.
Before a song clip starts, a player calls the beat drop, chorus entrance, or key moment. If they hit it cleanly within the agreed beat window, they earn 1 side point. Miss the moment and add 1 side point against them.
STUD Side 7
Cover Callout
Category: Name That Tune
Identify a cover version and original artist to earn 1 side point.
In a cover-version round, a player or team that correctly names both the song and original artist earns 1 side point. Naming only one part stays flat unless the group agrees on half credit.
STUD Side 8
Freeze Miss
Category: Rhythm + Performance
Move after the music stops in a freeze round and add 1 side point against yourself.
In a dance-freeze or music-stop round, any player who clearly moves after the stop adds 1 side point against themselves. A clean final freeze later erases 1 side point against them.
STUD Side 9
Air Band MVP
Category: Rhythm + Performance
Win the group's air-band MVP vote to earn 1 side point.
After each air-band set, the group votes for one MVP based on commitment, timing, and crowd reaction. The MVP earns 1 side point.
STUD Side 10
Hook Earworm
Category: Rhythm + Performance
Write the catchiest hook in a hook-writing round to earn 1 side point.
In a hook-writing sprint, each player or team performs its short hook once. The group votes for the catchiest hook, and the winner earns 1 side point.
STUD Side 11
Chorus Carry
Category: Karaoke
Get the room to join the chorus and finish the song to earn 1 side point.
Earned side points count for you. Side points against you count against you. Net side points at the end and settle only in the way your group agreed before play.