The history of Alias — from Finland to the browser

Games where you explain words without naming them have a long history — from parlour pastimes to modern online versions. Here's a short journey through the genre and a few fun facts about Alias.

Where it all began

Long before boxed board games, people played charades — acting out and describing ideas while everyone else guessed. From that simple idea — getting a meaning across without the word itself — grew the whole genre of team word games that Alias belongs to.

The genre through the years

18th–19th c.

Charades

A parlour pastime across Europe: a word is acted out or described while guests try to guess it. This is where the whole genre begins.

1961

Password

An American TV show where one-word clues lead a partner to the target word. Audiences loved the format so much it stayed on air for decades.

1985

Pictionary

A close cousin: here you draw the word instead of describing it while your team guesses.

1989

Taboo

The game adds a clever twist: explain the word while avoiding a list of the most obvious 'forbidden' clues.

1990s

Alias

The Finnish company Tactic releases Alias — explain the word any way except saying it. The game spreads to dozens of languages and countries.

Today

Online

Digital versions like this one let you play together from any device — even far apart.

Alias in particular

• Alias was born in Finland, released by the company Tactic. The name says it all: the Latin word 'alias' means 'otherwise called', and the game is all about naming a thing with other words.
• The idea worked so well that dozens of editions appeared for different audiences — junior, family, party, and travel sets. Today Alias is one of the best-known word games in Europe, and online versions carry the tradition forward.

Why the game is good for you

Alias quietly trains your vocabulary, quick thinking, and teamwork. It's also a great language-learning tool: describing a word with other words helps you remember it better and learn to express an idea in more than one way.

Did you know?

• Alias was invented in Finland and released by the company Tactic.
• The game has been translated into dozens of languages and released under local names in different countries.
• The TV show Password (1961) was so popular it stayed on air for decades and invited celebrity guests.
• Taboo (1989) gave the genre its 'forbidden words' hook — clues you may not say while explaining.
• The ancestor, charades, started as an 18th-century French word riddle, and the Victorians turned it into an acting game.
• Teachers use these games in class to expand vocabulary and practise foreign languages in a fun way.
• Pictionary (1985) is the 'draw it instead of describe it' cousin from the same family of games.
• Describing a word without naming it is called circumlocution — something every language learner uses daily.

Time to make your own history

Gather a team and find out who explains best.

Start a game

Home · About Alias · Alias game rules · How to explain words in Alias · The history of Alias · Frequently asked questions about Alias | Alias · Privacy policy | Alias · Words for Alias · Simple words for kids · Hard words for Alias · Funny words for Alias · Film words for Alias · Food words for Alias · Professions for Alias