Time's Up! Family Edition is a charades-based party game for three or more players (and is best with teams of two). Before the game begins, each player looks at several cards featuring common items from everyday life and chooses some of them. Each player's cards are shuffled to form a deck, and this deck is used for each of the game's three rounds.

In each round, team members take turns trying to get their teammates to guess as many words and phrases on the cards as possible in 30 seconds. In round 1, almost any kind of clue is allowed, and the cluegiver cannot pass on a card. In round 2, no more than one word can be used in each clue (but unlimited sounds and gestures are permitted); the cluegiver can pass on any card they like, and the teammates can give only a single answer. In round 3, the cluegiver can use no words at all and can pass as often as they like; again, teammates are allowed only a single guess. Give good physical clues in round 1, and they'll pay dividends down the road when you need to keep your mouth shut and gesture like a maniac before time's up!