How to Play Family Feud

Family Feud is one of the most beloved and entertaining game shows on television. Known for its lively format, humorous answers, and energetic host, the game centers around two families competing to guess the most popular responses to survey questions. Whether you're preparing for a classroom activity, a corporate team-building event, a party, or a homemade version of the show, here's a complete guide on how to play Family Feud like the pros.

Game Overview

The objective of Family Feud is simple: guess the most popular answers to survey questions based on a sample of 100 people. Each correct answer earns points corresponding to the number of people who gave that answer. The family with the most points at the end of the game wins and advances to the “Fast Money” round for a chance at a larger prize.

The game traditionally pits two families—each with five members—against each other. The host reads a question (e.g., “Name something people do before going to bed”), and the teams take turns guessing what the survey respondents said. The top answers are revealed on a game board.

Game Setup

If you’re playing a live or DIY version of Family Feud, you’ll need:

  • Two teams of 3 to 5 players each
  • A host to read questions and manage the flow
  • A set of survey questions with ranked answers (and how many people said each)
  • A scoreboard (whiteboard, spreadsheet, or game app)
  • A buzzer system (optional but fun for live games)

You can create your own questions and answers by surveying friends, coworkers, or classmates—or use pre-made Family Feud question decks found online.

Gameplay Structure

A standard game consists of three main phases:

  1. The Face-Off
  2. The Main Round
  3. The Fast Money Round

1. Face-Off

Each round begins with a face-off: one player from each team steps up to the podium. The host reads a survey question, and the first player to buzz in gets the first chance to answer. If their answer is the #1 most popular, their team gets the chance to play the full round. If not, the other player gets to answer. Whoever gives the higher-ranked answer earns control for their team.

2. The Main Round

The team in control now tries to guess all the remaining answers on the board. Each family member answers in turn, and correct guesses fill in the board and earn points. A wrong answer earns a “strike.” Three strikes, and control passes to the opposing team, who has one chance to steal by guessing any remaining answer on the board. If they succeed, they steal all the round’s points. If not, the points stay with the original team.

Rounds typically increase in value as the game progresses. The third and fourth rounds are often “Double Points” and “Triple Points,” meaning each correct response is worth 2x or 3x the normal point value.

3. Fast Money Round

The team with the highest total points at the end of the main game goes to the Fast Money round. Two team members take turns answering five rapid-fire questions. The first player gets 20 seconds; the second player gets 25 seconds. If the team scores 200 points or more combined, they win the Fast Money prize (often $20,000 on the televised version).

Each question in Fast Money is scored based on how many people gave that answer. The more popular the answer, the more points it earns. Responses must be quick and intuitive—there’s no time to overthink!

Scoring

Each correct answer in the main game earns the number of points equal to how many people in the survey said that answer. For example:

  • “Name a color in the rainbow.”
  • #1: Red (30 points), #2: Blue (25 points), #3: Green (20 points), etc.

In Double and Triple rounds, the values are multiplied. In the Fast Money round, answers are worth their point value only—there are no multipliers.

Winning the Game

The family with the highest score at the end of the main game proceeds to Fast Money. If they hit 200 points in Fast Money, they win the grand prize. Even if they don’t reach 200, they often earn money based on the number of points scored (e.g., $5 per point). In home or classroom versions, prizes can be adjusted for fun, bragging rights, or snacks!

Tips for Hosting Family Feud

  • Choose a confident, energetic host—they keep the game flowing and add humor.
  • Time answers—especially in Fast Money, enforce strict limits for responses.
  • Use clear survey questions—and double-check answers for duplicates.
  • Keep score visibly so both teams can track progress.
  • Mix easy and hard questions—top rows should be simple, lower rows more obscure.

Variations and Themed Games

You can adapt Family Feud to fit any group or occasion. Ideas include:

  • Holiday Feud: Christmas, Halloween, or Valentine’s Day–themed questions
  • Corporate Feud: Office trivia or company-related topics
  • Classroom Feud: Use curriculum-based survey questions to gamify learning
  • Couples or Siblings Editions: Test how well family members really know each other

Where to Find Questions

If you’re building your own board, you’ll need a source for good survey questions. Options include:

  • Official Family Feud card games available in stores and online
  • Websites like crowdparty.app or JeopardyLabs that offer downloadable question banks
  • Make your own—survey coworkers, students, or friends for fresh responses

Conclusion

Playing Family Feud is easy to learn but endlessly fun to play. Whether you're re-creating it at home, in a classroom, or during a party, the game's charm comes from its simplicity, spontaneity, and hilarious surprises. With a little planning, a great host, and some enthusiastic contestants, you can bring all the excitement of the TV show to your own stage. So gather your team, cue up the questions, and get ready to yell, “Survey says!”