That Sound Game Review – A Brilliant Party Game Tripped Up By Its Own Red Tape

Disclaimer: That Sound Game was provided for free by the publisher, although the writing and opinions of this article are my own.

When I saw That Sound Game described as a party game where you can’t use words, only sounds, I knew my group had to try it. My group already turns sessions of Great Western Trail into cowboy radio theatre, and Ahoy! into a chorus of ARRRRs and sea shanties.

So a game that actively rewards that behaviour? Perfect.

Or at least, it should have been.

Because while That Sound Game absolutely produces laugh-out-loud hilarity with the right crowd, it also comes with a few restrictive rules that make it more awkward than it needs to be.

How to Play

That Sound Game is a team-based party game that feels like Taboo cranked to eleven. You are not just avoiding certain words, you are banned from using any words at all. Even obvious onomatopoeia is off limits.

The game kicks off with players splitting into teams. The clue giver from the first team rolls a die to determine the category for their round: Action, Incident, Object, Nature, or “The P’s”, which covers People, Places, and Personas.

Once their category is set, the clue giver draws a card, puts their hands behind their back, and becomes a one-person sound machine. They have one minute to help their team guess the card using nothing but noises. No gestures. No helpful “it sounds like…” hints. Just pure audio chaos.

For each correctly guessed card, the clue giver sets it aside for scoring and moves on to the next. Some prompts are harder than others, which naturally makes them more valuable if your team can crack them. If a card feels impossible and no one is decoding your boomerang noises, you can choose to pass. But that awards the opposing team points.

Beyond the noises, both teams have access to a limited number of special cards to keep things lively.

• Steal Cards allow the opposing team to jump in during your turn and attempt to guess the sound, snatching a point for themselves.
• Uncuff Cards temporarily free the clue giver’s hands, letting them mime clues if the sound effects alone are not cutting it.

After the timer runs out, the team totals their points. Then it’s time for the next team to take on the challenge. The first team to reach 30 wins. If no one gets there, play continues until someone does, or until everyone’s cheeks are too sore from laughing to continue.

That Sound Game Needs a Social Warning Label

Introverts, beware. That Sound Game is a party experience that throws you straight into the spotlight, tasking you with making ridiculous noises in the hope that someone, anyone, realises you are attempting to mimic a divorce or, somehow, an air conditioner.

It turns out this is trickier than expected. Unlike casually making goofy sounds with friends, you are working without the usual context that helps people join the dots. Yet that gap between what you think you are communicating and what your team is actually hearing is where the comedy lives.

Watching a friend confidently belt out bizarre noises and expect instant understanding is comedy gold. When you do not get it, and they simply repeat the exact same sound without adjusting a thing, still convinced it will suddenly click, it somehow becomes even funnier.

Thankfully, That Sound Game does not leave you stranded for long. You’re only in the hot seat for a minute before someone else takes centre stage. And when your team finally locks in and starts chaining correct guesses together, the energy spikes quickly.

For silly, high-energy party games that pair well with drinks and overly enthusiastic friends, Monikers has long been my reigning champion. It captures that escalating absurdity perfectly. That Sound Game earns genuine points, though, for introducing Steal Cards. Being able to jump in during another team’s turn adds a competitive edge that keeps everyone alert instead of waiting passively for their go.

That said, as clever as Steal Cards are, they can feel punishing. With only two available per team, a failed attempt can sideline you for the rest of a 30 to 40 minute session. It is a strong idea, but one that could use a little more flexibility to keep everyone actively involved.

An Objectively Perfect Impression of a Xylophone

When That Sound Game hits, it hits hard. It is fast, chaotic, and free-flowing, with teams tearing through clues by either nailing the answer or passing decisively.

Unfortunately, not all of the rules support that ideal pace.

Passing, for instance, comes with a penalty. The other team scores a point for it.That puts you in an awkward position where you are tempted to cling to your objectively perfect impression of a xylophone, even when it is painfully clear your team is not going to get there.

In theory, the penalty encourages commitment. In practice, it creates hesitation. Instead of cutting your losses and keeping the energy high, you stall. And when you are already standing in front of your friends making unhinged mechanical noises, that extra pressure does not feel playful. It feels exposing.

Then there is the hands-behind-your-back rule. On paper, it reinforces the core idea. In reality, it is fiddly. You need your hands to flip cards, move the deck along, and keep the round flowing. So you end up in this awkward rhythm of hands back, hands forward, hands back again, all while the clock is ticking.

Those few seconds might not sound like much, but in a one-minute round they matter. More importantly, they interrupt the momentum. And momentum is everything in a party game like this.

In the end, That Sound Game feels like lightning in a bottle with the lid not quite screwed on. The prompts are clever. The sound-making is often hilarious. Trying to decode a drawn-out “HUONNNNK” can be genuinely brilliant.

But that strong foundation is held back by a couple of structural choices that do not quite align with the breezy, chaotic energy the game is aiming for. They slow things down just enough to stop it from reaching the effortless brilliance of a true party game classic.