A music game for libraries and community centres
Programmes for a mixed neighbourhood have to work for ten-year-olds and eighty-year-olds. A music game on the big screen does: everyone knows some songs and not others.
Free to try. Whoever starts the game logs in with an email code, no password. Players who join a party room need no account and no app.
A library or community centre needs activities that are free, low-threshold and need no staff expertise. A guess-the-year game ticks all three: public decks cost nothing, joining takes a name and a code, and the volunteer running it only has to press next. It suits a social evening, a neighbourhood party or a rainy-day event for families.
It also works across generations, which is hard to arrange. Teams made of a grandparent and a grandchild know different parts of the same timeline, and the game gives them a reason to ask each other. The pace is that of a conversation, and a session can run for as long as the room is enjoying it.
Best way to play it Party room: Timeline. Party room: Timeline lets a mixed group take turns, with time to talk about each song on the big screen.
How a game works
- 1
Pick a deck
Choose a popular public deck, or turn your own playlist into a deck.
- 2
Choose how to play
Pass one phone around the table, or open a party room where everyone plays on their own phone.
- 3
Listen and guess
A 30 second preview plays and nobody sees the year. Place the song on a timeline or lock in a year.
- 4
Reveal and score
Title, artist and year come out, the timeline grows or the points go up, and the next song starts.
The timeline in one look
A timeline is a row of songs in release order. You hear a new song, never its year, and decide where it fits between the songs already on the row. Get it right and the row grows.
How to run it
Use the room screen or projector
Open hitify.app/host on a laptop connected to the room's screen and speakers.
Welcome people with and without phones
Visitors can join with their phone, or share a phone with a neighbour as a team. A whole table can also play on one phone.
Choose a theme
Pick a decade, or turn a playlist suggested by the visitors into a deck.
Tips for a better game
Mix ages in each team
A team with a young and an old member knows more of the timeline.
Announce it as an evening, not a quiz
A music evening feels lighter than a competition and brings in people who do not like quizzes.
Prepare a fallback
If the screen fails, a single phone on a table works in Pass the phone for up to 8 players.
Why it works at a party
No cards needed
Everything happens on screen, so there is nothing to print, shuffle or lose under the sofa.
Works in the browser
No app to install, not even for a party room. Open the page and play.
Three ways to play
One phone for a small group, or a party room with a big screen for a bigger crowd.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free for a non-profit?
Popular public decks are free to play. If you turn your own playlist into a deck, the first 100 cards are free.
Do visitors have to register?
No. Visitors who join a party room only choose a name. Only the host logs in with an email code.
What does it cost to play?
Popular public decks are free to play. If you turn your own playlist into a deck, the first 100 cards of that deck are free.
Do players need an account or an app?
No app is needed. Whoever starts the game logs in with an email code, no password. Players who join a party room scan a QR code or type the 4 letter room code, then pick a name.
Ready for the first song?
Pick a deck, choose how you want to play and have the first round running within a minute.
Hitify is not affiliated with Hitster or Jumbo. Hitster is a registered trademark of Koninklijke Jumbo B.V.