Fantasy words for Alias — dragons, magic, castles

Dragons, castles, a magic wand and a curse at midnight. For everyone who grew up on fairy tales.

A set about the enchanted world: dragons and knights, witches and fairies, castles, treasure, spells and the creatures of folk tales from everywhere. From a pumpkin that becomes a carriage to a bestiary. No character names — they belong to one book, while the words work for everyone.

Who this set is for

A child who was read bedtime stories clears the first level. Then come elixir, prophecy and griffin: familiar to anyone who has read fantasy or played a board game. The hard level — familiar, homunculus, leviathan — is for those who never skip a saga.

Who this set is for

A group of children and adults who still love fairy tales. Kids take unicorn and broomstick, adults take minstrel and warlock. Perfect for a birthday party, the evening after a dragon film, or a table where people roll dice in a tabletop role-playing game.

Witch

Works: “flies on a broomstick, brews potions in a cauldron, a black cat at her side.” Three details and the word is there. Does not work: “a woman who can do magic” — the room says sorceress, fairy and fortune-teller, and you spend the round explaining the difference.

Curse

Works: “the reason the princess sleeps for a hundred years and the prince turns into a frog.” Through a result everyone remembers from fairy tales. Does not work: “a bad spell” — the room says hex, jinx and magic and circles around the word.

Familiar

Works: “the cat, owl or raven that lives with a witch and helps her with her magic.” Through an example animal. Does not work: “a magical helper” — the room goes to apprentice, genie and elf and never reaches the animal.

Where groups go wrong

The first trap is character names. “Like in that film about the boy with glasses” turns the round into a quiz, and half the room has not seen it. Explain through the fairy tale itself, not a particular book. The second is look-alike creatures: mermaid, siren, nymph and naiad all live somewhere near water, so give one difference — a tail, a song, a forest, a spring. The third is explaining magic with magic: spell through charm, charm through magic, and the room walks in a circle. Show an action instead: what changed after the wizard waved his wand.

Explain creatures through one feature: "a horse with a horn on its forehead" is a unicorn.
Skip names from books and films and use the plot: "the pumpkin turns into a carriage" is known to everyone.
Show magic through its result: "one wave of the wand and the prince is a frog".

Easy

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

dragon, castle, knight, princess, prince, king, queen, wizard, witch, fairy, elf, dwarf, giant, troll, mermaid, unicorn, ghost, monster, crown, throne, sword, shield, bow, arrow, helmet, cloak, wand, broomstick, cauldron, potion, magic, spell, treasure, gold, cave, tower, bridge, forest, mountain, island, map, adventure, journey, hero, villain, battle, victory, horse, owl, cat, frog, wolf, fox, snake, spider, bat, storybook, dream, night, moon, star, fire, ice, storm, lightning, mirror, apple, key, chest, door, carriage, pumpkin, slipper, spindle, ring, lamp, genie, carpet, pirate, goblin, ogre, vampire, skeleton, kingdom, palace, maze, trap, riddle, wing, tail, claw, egg, feather, beanstalk, brave, wish, midnight, gingerbread, stepmother, beast

Medium

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

curse, prophecy, dungeon, labyrinth, armour, chainmail, mace, axe, spear, crossbow, catapult, fortress, rampart, moat, drawbridge, gate, prisoner, tournament, squire, jester, bard, alchemist, elixir, amulet, talisman, charm, rune, scroll, tome, parchment, crystal, staff, pendant, artefact, portal, invisibility, shapeshifter, sorcery, fortune-teller, oracle, seer, werewolf, demon, phoenix, griffin, centaur, siren, harpy, chimera, basilisk, hydra, kraken, orc, pixie, gnome, leprechaun, storyteller, saga, ballad, myth, quest, oath, betrayal, sceptre, robe, crest, seal, ruby, emerald, firebird, breadcrumb, enchantment, sorcerer, warlock, druid, shaman, herbalist, mandrake, mistletoe, fern, destiny, realm, peasant, blacksmith, tavern, innkeeper, archer, lair, hoard, fang, venom, hag, godmother, poison, raven, hourglass, outlaw, banquet, cottage, spellbook

Hard

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

grimoire, minstrel, troubadour, familiar, epic, necromancer, soothsayer, augury, enchanter, illusionist, astrologer, alchemy, transmutation, metamorphosis, levitation, telekinesis, clairvoyance, providence, doom, reincarnation, immortality, panacea, belladonna, heraldry, vassal, liege, fiefdom, knighthood, accolade, relic, grail, citadel, bastion, barbican, catacomb, crypt, tomb, necropolis, phantom, poltergeist, banshee, golem, homunculus, salamander, sylph, naiad, dryad, nymph, satyr, faun, cyclops, titan, minotaur, leviathan, wyvern, manticore, antagonist, protagonist, allegory, moral, archetype, parable, fable, folklore, mythology, bestiary, chronicle, scribe, pentagram, ritual, altar, rite, initiation, prophet, temptation, incantation, hex, jinx, summoning, conjurer, changeling, doppelganger, lycanthrope, wraith, spectre, underworld, otherworld, usurper, regent, exile, hermit, pilgrim, chalice, talon, gauntlet, scabbard, heir, banishment, sigil, scrying