- Set-up
- About 2 min
- Reading
- Little
The quick verdict
Full verdict ↓Great for Families who already play Name, Place, Animal, Thing and want a board and a timer to go with it
Think twice if Your group hates arguing over whether an answer counts; some categories are open to debate
How we rate it
Learning curve. One rule to learn: name five things before the timer runs out. The special spaces add a little, but anyone can follow them after one round.
Luck & skill. The die and the card you draw decide which category you get, and some categories are much easier than others, but quick recall and a good store of words win most turns.
Interaction. Teams mostly take turns, but everyone votes on doubtful answers, and the All Play and Flip Flop spaces put both teams head to head.
Set-up. Lay out the board, put the pawns on start, split the cards into two piles and keep the timer handy.
Reading. One player reads a short category aloud each turn; answers are spoken.
Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.
Is Name 5 right for you?
Great if
- Families who already play Name, Place, Animal, Thing and want a board and a timer to go with it
- Get-togethers where cousins or friends split into two teams and shout out answers together
- Mixed ages, since most categories are everyday things and children can join a team with adults
- A party game you can teach in five minutes: roll, read the category, name five
Skip it if
- Your group hates arguing over whether an answer counts; some categories are open to debate
- You want planning and strategy: the die and the card you draw decide a lot
- Your players aren't comfortable answering quickly in English
How Name 5 plays
Split into teams (the box has four pawns, and Funskool's sheet is written for two teams), put the pawns on the start space and shuffle the cards into two piles, one beside each team. Each of the 180 cards carries five categories, such as things that could make a person sneeze or fruits beginning with A. In the original rules the youngest player's team goes first.
- Time to teach: about 5 minutes.
- Reading and language: One player reads each category aloud, so only one person per turn needs to read. Answers are spoken, and the cards and rules are in English. Funskool's box pitches the game with Bollywood examples. No Hindi edition was found; some families accept answers in any language, which is a house rule and not in the box.
How to play - Name 5? · FUNSKOOL · Official
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A turn, step by step
- 1Roll
Roll the die, move your pawn and draw a card; read the category for the colour you landed on.
- 2Name
Turn the 30-second timer and name five things that fit before the sand runs out.
- 3Repeat
Get all five and roll again, up to five times; miss and the turn passes.
- 4Win
Land on the last space by exact count and beat the final challenge to win.
The full explanation: how a game of Name 5 goes
On your turn, roll the die and move. Draw a card and read the category that matches the colour of the space you landed on, then turn over the 30-second sand timer. Your team must name five things that fit before the sand runs out. If an answer is doubtful, you can explain it and the other players vote on whether it counts.
Name all five and you roll again, up to five times in a row; miss and the turn passes. Endless Games' rules also have special spaces: All Play, where both teams race on a category; Flip Flop, where teams take turns giving one answer each with 10 seconds per answer until someone fails; Wild, where you pick any category on the card; and Double Down, where you take two categories for a double move.
You must land on the final space by exact count. There you face the final challenge: five things for each of the five categories on a card within 90 seconds (three turns of the timer). If you fail, the target drops on later tries, from four categories in 90 seconds down to one in 30. The first team to complete its final challenge wins.
A tip for All Play rounds: have each team write its answers down, so nobody argues about who said what first. With a big family, keep two teams and let anyone in the team answer.
What's in the box
- 180Name 5 cards
900 challenges, five categories on each card - 1Game board
- 1Die
- 4Pawns
- 1Timer
a sand timer; the original rules give 30 seconds - 1Instructions
in English
From the contents list on Funskool's instruction sheet ('180 Name 5 Cards (900 challenges), 1 Game Board, 1 Dice, 4 Tokens (Pawns), 1 Timer'), which also appears on Funskool's box-back photo; the listing adds the instructions. The US Endless Games box has 144 double-sided cards instead.
Where to buy
How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.
What reviewers and players say
Little has been written about Name 5 and no forum discussion of it could be found, so this rests on one detailed review of the US edition and the makers' own information. Geeky Hobbies found the core idea simple to teach and fun for people who like naming things in categories, and liked the Flip Flop, Wild and Double Down spaces. It also found category difficulty uneven, some answers open to argument, and the die and board added luck and length, especially the early tries at the final challenge. Expect a light, noisy team game for families and friends rather than a game of skill.
What people love
- A simple idea that is quick to teach to new or casual players
- The race against the 30-second timer to list five answers
- The special spaces, especially Flip Flop's back-and-forth and Wild's free choice of category
- Plenty of cards before categories repeat
Common complaints
- Some categories are much harder than others, which adds luck
- Subjective answers can lead to arguments unless players vote fairly
- The die and board add luck, and the early final-challenge attempts can drag the game out
Based on 4 reviews and discussions
- Review Name 5 Board Game Review and Rules (Eric Mortensen, May 2020) · Geeky Hobbies
- Reference Name 5 (Funskool, read October 2026) · Funskool
- Reference Name 5 instruction sheet, front (Funskool, 2014) · Funskool
- Reference Funskool Original Name 5 (store description, read October 2026) · Toycra
Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.
More like Name 5
Which game is the best fit?
Our picks if Name 5 isn't quite right.
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| Compare the games.The details that make a difference. |
YOU’RE VIEWING
Name 5
|
ANOTHER WAY TO PLAY
Flippin Out
|
ANOTHER WAY TO PLAY
Rapid Rumble
|
ANOTHER WAY TO PLAY
Herd Mentality
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Why consider it | This game Name five things before the sand runs out, then roll again | A different fit The other Endless Games name-it game in Funskool's range: one answer each, ten seconds, letters running out | A different fit Another race to call out answers for a category before time runs out | A different fit A loud category party game, but you score by matching everyone else's answer |
| Players | 2–4 | 2–4 | 2–5 | 4–20 |
| Best with | 4 | 3-4 | 3-5 | 6-12 |
| Play time | 30–45 min | 20–40 min | 20–30 min | 20–30 min |
| Age | 8+ | 8+ | 6+ | 10+ |
| Rules | Easy | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| Indian edition | Available | Available | Available | Imported |
| On this page | Explore Flippin Out | Explore Rapid Rumble | Explore Herd Mentality |
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Questions people ask about Name 5
How do you play Name 5?
Roll the die, move, draw a card and read the category for the colour you landed on. Your team then has 30 seconds to name five things that fit. Succeed and you roll again; the first team to land on the last space and beat the final challenge wins.
How many players can play Name 5?
The box has four pawns, so up to four players or teams, and Funskool's sheet is written for two teams. With a big group, split everyone into two teams and let anyone in the team call out answers.
What age is Name 5 suitable for?
Funskool marks its box 8 and up. Younger children manage best on a team with adults, because naming five things in 30 seconds takes a good store of words; the US edition is marked 12+.
Is Name 5 the same as Flippin Out?
No, though both first came from Endless Games and sit in Funskool's Goliath Games range. In Name 5 your team names five things in 30 seconds; in Flippin Out players take turns giving one answer each in ten seconds, and each letter can be used only once.
Who makes Name 5?
Endless Games, a New Jersey party-game company, first published it in 2009, and Goliath bought Endless Games in 2021. In India, Funskool makes and distributes the game, and its instruction sheet carries the Endless Games trademark line.
Game facts
- Publisher
- Goliath (first published in 2009 by Endless Games, which Goliath bought in 2021); Funskool makes and distributes the Indian edition
- In India
- Funskool (India) Ltd, Chennai, which makes and distributes the game in India; Funskool's site lists it under Goliath Games
- First published
- 2009
- Players
- 2–4
- Barcode
- 8901383942036
- Language
- Some English – One player reads each category aloud, so only one person per turn needs to read. Answers are spoken, and the cards and rules are in English. Funskool's box pitches the game with Bollywood examples. No Hindi edition was found; some families accept answers in any language, which is a house rule and not in the box.
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.
Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.