Emotion words for Alias — feelings, moods, character

Joy, jealousy, stubbornness and nostalgia. For a group that loves talking about people.

A set about what goes on inside: feelings and moods, character traits and the ways we are with each other. The first level is laughter and sadness, the third is melancholy, empathy and self-irony. There is nothing here you can point a finger at, so every word becomes a little scene.

Who this set is for

Abstract words are the most honest test for whoever is explaining: you cannot show envy, you have to act out a situation. Anyone clears the easy level, because fear and joy are familiar from childhood, while the hard one — nostalgia, apathy, schadenfreude — is a real challenge even for seasoned players.

Who this set is for

Close friends who know each other well: the best explanations here sound like “that is you when nobody saved you the last slice of pizza.” It works at a team-building day too, and on a double date, couple against couple. The easy level is fine with children — it even teaches them to name what they feel.

Envy

Works: “your neighbour gets a new car and somehow it stings, even though you wish him no harm.” A situation everyone has lived through. Does not work: “a negative feeling about someone else's success” — the room says anger, jealousy, resentment and gets lost.

Shyness

Works: “you want to go over and say hello, but you go red and stare at the floor.” The body gives the word away better than a definition. Does not work: “lack of confidence with people” — the room drifts into fear, anxiety and hang-ups.

Nostalgia

Works: “you hear the song from your school prom and feel warm and a little sad at once, because it will never come back.” Does not work: “longing for the past” — correct, but longing and sadness hang right next to it and the room gets stuck there. Explain complex feelings through the one moment they hit you.

Where groups go wrong

The first trap is explaining a feeling through another feeling: anger through rage, sadness through sorrow. The room names the synonym and goes no further. Come in through the situation and through what the body does. The second is mixing up an emotion and a trait: you can be grumpy for a minute or for a lifetime, and the word depends on which. Say whether it is for a moment or for good. The third is explaining through people in the room. It is funny, but players who barely know the group lose out, so keep the balance.

Explain a feeling through a situation: "your neighbour gets a new car and it stings" is envy.
Show what the body does: goes red, clenches fists, cannot sit still.
Separate emotion from character: say whether it lasts a minute or a lifetime.

Easy

Familiar words that land on the first clue. For warming up, for kids and for mixed groups.

joy, sadness, laughter, tears, fear, anger, happiness, love, friendship, smile, crying, shout, hug, kiss, quarrel, surprise, mood, dream, hope, trust, jealousy, hate, worry, boredom, tiredness, calm, fright, horror, pain, shame, coward, liar, prankster, show-off, whiner, telltale, bully, sleepyhead, killjoy, gossip, chatterbox, troublemaker, heart, soul, feeling, emotion, character, rival, enemy, secret, truth, promise, apology, joke, giggle, tantrum, panic, shock, nerves, stress, fun, kindness, laziness, bravery, honesty, greed, politeness, stubbornness, cunning, care, thanks, sulk, curiosity, wonder, scream, frown, blush, grin, wink, tease, brat, meanie, know-all, buddy, mischief, excitement, cheer, nightmare, tickle, yawn, sigh, sob, cuddle, scowl, fuss, praise, manners, fairness, sharing, silliness

Medium

Takes a few sentences and some imagination. The default setting for an ordinary evening.

envy, shyness, pride, anxiety, longing, sorrow, grief, disappointment, delight, inspiration, sympathy, pity, gratitude, guilt, regret, tenderness, respect, contempt, disgust, irritation, outrage, rage, despair, confusion, embarrassment, awkwardness, impatience, thrill, enthusiasm, indifference, confidence, doubt, suspicion, optimist, pessimist, dreamer, romantic, sceptic, introvert, extrovert, grouch, hothead, flatterer, persistence, patience, modesty, devotion, loyalty, betrayal, forgiveness, affection, passion, flirt, loneliness, humour, irony, sarcasm, revenge, wisdom, naivety, relief, satisfaction, pleasure, admiration, amazement, grudge, euphoria, sincerity, determination, hesitation, ambition, touchiness, arrogance, warmth, openness, wariness, suffering, workaholic, miser, temptation, homesickness, jitters, butterflies, heartbreak, crush, fury, dread, resentment, gloom, contentment, charm, selfishness, generosity, courage, compassion, remorse, sensitivity, obstinacy, spite, timidity

Hard

Rare or abstract words. More failed rounds, and more laughing at them.

nostalgia, melancholy, empathy, self-irony, apathy, schadenfreude, catharsis, frustration, ambivalence, dissonance, resilience, vulnerability, self-esteem, self-respect, vanity, haughtiness, conceit, hypocrisy, cynicism, sentimentality, pedantry, punctuality, impulsiveness, restraint, composure, temperament, intuition, narcissism, egotism, altruism, conformity, idealism, pragmatism, fatalism, immaturity, maturity, gullibility, hypochondria, paranoia, phobia, claustrophobia, alienation, awe, reverence, ecstasy, serenity, complacency, helplessness, dignity, honour, conscience, ennui, despondency, wit, ingenuity, bluntness, tolerance, stoicism, hedonism, perfectionism, self-criticism, self-sacrifice, humility, meekness, tactfulness, delicacy, prudence, recklessness, bravado, audacity, insolence, fickleness, detachment, materialism, reflection, self-control, willpower, decency, candour, charisma, eccentricity, procrastination, burnout, malice, smugness, petulance, sullenness, wistfulness, angst, introspection, equanimity, trepidation, elation, exasperation, indignation, pettiness, bitterness, defiance, zeal, apprehension