Top Emoji Games That Prove Pictures Speak Louder Than Words
Once upon a time, we sent text messages that were just… words. Boring, black-and-white, emotionless words. Then along came the emoji – a tiny, colourful revolution that turned our dull digital chats into mini works of art (or confusion, depending on your group chat).
Fast-forward a couple of decades, and emojis have become a language in their own right. They say what words can’t – whether it’s a flirty wink, a sarcastic side-eye, or a peach that definitely isn’t about fruit.
And while emojis have completely changed how we communicate, especially in the world of dating, they’ve also changed how we play.
How emojis went from cute symbols to communication superstars
First introduced in Japan in the late 1990s, emojis began as a way to add tone and feeling to plain text. (Because “okay.” and “okay 😊” are not the same thing.) Fast-forward to today, and they’re basically the emotional glue holding the internet together.
They’ve evolved from simple smiley faces to a full-on visual lexicon – with over 3,600 icons that let you express everything from “I love you” to “I’m dead inside but pretending to cope.”
And nowhere has this digital shorthand made a bigger splash than in dating. Whether you’re crafting the perfect flirty combo 🍷😉💋 or nervously decoding what “👀” means from your crush, emojis have become a whole new language of love – and lust.
In fact, we’ve already covered some of those risky little icons in our previous article, Rude Emojis Not to Send Your Mum – a must-read for anyone who’s ever accidentally sent a 🍆 to the family group chat.
When lockdown turned us all into emoji codebreakers
Cast your mind back to the Great Quarantine of 2020, when banana bread, TikTok dances, and Zoom quizzes ruled the world. Among the endless attempts to stay entertained, one unlikely hero emerged: the emoji game.
These were the brilliantly simple, weirdly addictive picture quizzes shared on WhatsApp. You’d get a row of emojis that represented something – a movie, a song, a football team – and you’d have to guess what it was.
🎥🐯👑? Easy. Tiger King.
🙋🏻💋👧🏻? I Kissed A Girl.
⚽👑🇫🇷? Thierry Henry, obviously.
They started as a fun way to stay connected with mates, but quickly spiralled into viral trends. Some were cryptic enough to make you question your sanity (“Is that a toilet and a moon or…?”), while others made you feel like a genius. For a few shining months, emoji games were the pub quiz replacement we never knew we needed.
And while most people think they started in lockdown, the truth is – we were there first.
Bubblegum Stuff’s emoji games: before it was cool
Long before emojis became lockdown entertainment, we at Bubblegum Stuff were already using them to start living-room showdowns. Yep, our Name the Emoticon range has been turning emojis into party games for years. (You could say we were the OG emoji-influencers. Go on, say it.)
Each themed deck, from Sports to Travel, Xmas, and Halloween, gives you a set of emoji combos that describe something specific. All you have to do is guess what they represent before your mates do.
Sounds easy, right? Until you’re staring at “🧙♂️💍🔥” and can’t remember the name Lord of the Rings. Suddenly, that smug emoji confidence goes right out the window.
👉 Browse the full Name the Emoticon range here
Each pack is:
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Instantly playable – No phones, no screens, just cards and chaos.
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Ridiculously competitive – You’ll be amazed how fast friendships crumble over an emoji shaped like a baguette.
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Perfectly portable – Take them anywhere. They’re as pocket-sized as your phone, but way more sociable.
Whether you’re hosting a game night, travelling with mates, or killing time before the turkey’s ready at Christmas, Name the Emoticon turns your favourite tiny pictures into big laughs.
A few favourite rounds from Name the Emoticon
To give you a taste (and flex our emoji fluency), here are some examples from our decks. See if you can crack them before scrolling.
1. 🎶🔔🔔
2. 🧙🧙🧙🐈🕯️
3. 👶🚿
4. 👀🐅
Answers:
- Jingle Bells
- Hocus Pocus
- Baby Shower
- Eye of the Tiger
If you got them all, congrats, you’re an emoji savant. If you didn’t, you probably need to pick up a pack and start training.
Why emoji games hit differently
What makes emoji games so addictive is that they’re equal parts puzzle, pop culture, and pure chaos. They test your knowledge and your ability to think in symbols. It’s like charades for the digital generation – with less awkward acting and more smug satisfaction.
They’re also brilliantly universal. You don’t need to speak the same language to laugh at “🍆💦😂”. (Though, if you do, maybe you’ve been on the same group chats we have.)
And because they’re so simple, emoji games are the perfect party ice-breaker. You can play them at family gatherings, office parties, or hen dos – though maybe don’t bring the R-rated emojis to the kids’ table.
From DMs to DIY quizzes: the evolution of emoji fun
It’s kind of wild when you think about it: a few cartoon faces that started as Japanese text add-ons are now the foundation for international inside jokes, relationship drama, and entire game nights.
They’ve blurred the line between communication and creativity. Today, we use emojis to flirt, tease, shade, celebrate, and play. They’ve become the modern hieroglyphs of our digital lives – just with more aubergines.
And whether you’re cracking codes on WhatsApp, guessing cryptic combos in Name the Emoticon, or accidentally sending something rude to your mum, emoji games prove that fun doesn’t need words.
Final thoughts: play with your emotions (literally)
So, next time your thumbs are flying across your phone screen, remember, emojis aren’t just filler. They’re little bursts of personality, packed into pixels.
They can make you laugh, flirt, blush, or bicker. And when you turn them into a game, they make for hours of unexpectedly hilarious entertainment.
If you’re ready to turn your WhatsApp quiz obsession into something you can actually hold in your hands, check out our Name the Emoticon range.
Sports, travel, holidays, Halloween – whatever your vibe, there’s a deck for it. It’s all the fun of an emoji group chat, minus the awkward autocorrects and passive-aggressive replies.
Because at Bubblegum Stuff, we don’t just play with words – we play with emotions.