Blind Man's Bluff: Rules, Safety and Fair Turns
Blind man’s bluff is the old party game where one blindfolded player tries to catch and identify the others. It needs no equipment beyond a scarf, works for children and adults, and has been played for hundreds of years. Here are the rules, how to keep it safe, and a fair way to choose who is “it” so everyone gets a turn.
Rules
- Clear a space and agree on the boundaries. Pick the first player to be “it” (see below for a fair way).
- Blindfold the player who is it. In many groups the others spin them gently around three times.
- The other players move around inside the boundaries, staying close enough to be caught. They may call out or clap to tease, but may not leave the area.
- When it touches a player, everyone freezes. It then tries to guess who they caught, usually by gently feeling their face, hair or clothes.
- If the guess is right, the caught player becomes it. If it is wrong, the player is let go and the game continues.
Safety First
- Play on a soft, flat floor or lawn with no stairs, furniture corners, glass or water nearby.
- Use a soft scarf or sleep mask, never anything tied around the neck.
- Everyone walks; no running in a game where one player cannot see.
- Agree on a stop word, such as “freeze”, that halts the game at once. Any player can call it.
- Keep a sighted spotter near the blindfolded player to guide them away from hazards.
- Touch gently: no pushing, tripping or grabbing. Faces can be guessed by voice instead if anyone prefers not to be touched.
Choosing Who Is It Fairly
Many groups pick the first it with a counting-out rhyme such as Hide and Seek Rules: Counting, Variations and Safety, but the counter can work out who the rhyme will land on, so it is not truly random. Picking at random each round is better, but even fair random picks leave some people out. If each round picks one player at random, here is the chance a given player never gets to be it in as many rounds as there are players, and how many players on average miss out:
| Players | Never it | Left out |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 33.5% | 2.0 |
| 8 | 34.4% | 2.7 |
| 10 | 34.9% | 3.5 |
| 12 | 35.2% | 4.2 |
So in a game of 8 players and 8 rounds, about one player in three never gets a turn. If everyone should have a go, shuffle the order once instead: put all the names in the Random Name Picker, pick one, and remove each name after it is picked. Every player is it exactly once, in a random order nobody can steer.
Variations
- Statues: other players must stand still once the game starts and may only bend or duck to avoid being touched.
- Voice only: it guesses who they caught from the player saying one word in a disguised voice, with no touching.
- Marco Polo: the swimming-pool version, where it calls “Marco” and everyone else must answer “Polo”.
- Squeak, piggy, squeak: players sit in a circle, it sits on someone’s lap with a cushion and asks them to squeak, then guesses who it is.
A Bit of History
The game is very old, and paintings and books from past centuries show people playing it. Its older name is blind man’s buff, usually explained as coming from an old word for a push or light blow, since in early versions players would tap or nudge the blindfolded player. “Bluff” is a later spelling that became common, and both are still used.
Blind man’s bluff is also the name of a poker variant where each player holds a card to their own forehead; that is a different game.
For more classic party games, see hide and seek, Simon Says and Duck Duck Goose.
FAQ
How do you play blind man's bluff?
One player is blindfolded and tries to catch the others inside a marked area. When they catch someone, they guess who it is. A correct guess makes that player the next one blindfolded.
Is it blind man's bluff or blind man's buff?
Both names are used. Buff is the older form, usually explained as an old word for a light push or blow; bluff became common later.
How do you keep blind man's bluff safe?
Play in a clear, soft area with no stairs or furniture, have everyone walk instead of run, use a soft blindfold, keep a sighted spotter and agree on a stop word.
How do you choose who is it fairly?
Put all the names in a random picker and remove each name after it is chosen. Everyone is it once, in a random order. Picking at random every round leaves about one player in three without a turn.
What age is blind man's bluff for?
It suits children from about five years old with an adult spotter, and works just as well as a party game for teenagers and adults.