Hosting Undercover Word

Choose settings, help people join, recover room access and start another round.

Before the first round

Open the homepage, create a room and share its code or QR link. Ask each player to join on their own browser and confirm their name in the lobby. Start with Classic, one Mole, No Word and Easy or Family. Similar Word is a separate option for groups who want to compare related clues.

A practical schedule

For a first session, reserve about 12–15 minutes for joining, explaining, playing and discussing a result. This is an event-planning allowance, not the game’s measured duration. The homepage’s 5–10 minute estimate concerns a casual round. There is no fixed discussion timer; agree when to vote together.

During play

Remind players to tap their word privately, give one spoken word in the displayed order and press Submit Clue after speaking. The host can skip another player’s turn if needed. Wait for discussion before voting. Tally Votes can finish voting early, so use it deliberately if someone cannot respond.

Refresh and reconnect

Use the same browser profile, return to the room URL and keep browser storage intact. Your saved player token identifies your seat. A player who has lost that token cannot reclaim the identity just by entering the same name. Do not promise recovery from a private browsing session after it closes.

When the host disconnects

The room exposes a take-over hosting control after the host is considered offline. A current room member can claim hosting; it is not an automatic host reassignment. A host returning with the same identity can recover host credentials if they still own the room. Backgrounding a phone may delay updates; return to the page and check the current state.

New players and another round

New players wait during reveal, clues and voting. At results they enter as spectators. In Classic, starting again restores connected players and assigns roles afresh. In continuing Deep Cover, only surviving active players continue; after its winner is decided, the next start resets connected players for a new game.

Room lifetime

A room URL is not a permanent reservation. If the room no longer exists, create another. No fixed room-deletion schedule has been verified, so this guide does not promise a particular expiry or retention period.

Optional house rules

Keep a score sheet on paper if you want a tournament. Agree on short phrases, extra spoken clues or breaks outside the app if your group needs them. These are house rules; the built-in mode names are Classic and Deep Cover.

Printable host checklist

  • Everyone has a browser and can hear the clues.
  • Confirm mode, Mole count, word setting and pack.
  • Explain one-word clues and the selected mode’s win condition.
  • Check all names before starting.
  • Discuss clues before voting; explain random ties.
  • Keep the room link and browser storage for reconnecting.

Use your browser’s Print command to print this checklist.