Jokers
A Joker can turn up on any turn. It might protect you, hand your fate to someone else, or let one person see a question that stays secret.
Risk the truth. Ruin the night.
One player reads a secret question, says one name out loud — and everyone else has to live with not knowing why.
- 2–20 players
- Same table or miles apart
- Hundreds of free questions
- ONE PHONE / OWN PHONES
On a laptop? Scan to download
A secret passes through the room.
Every turn goes the same way, and every turn ends differently. There are no rules to learn: the app runs the game.
Read the full rules and variations-
01
The next reader is chosen
Paranoia picks who reads next. Pass them the phone and let the room wonder what is coming.
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02
Only they see the question
They read it in silence. Nobody else gets to see it.
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03
They say one name out loud
Then they lock it in. The person they named has no idea why, and the app decides whether the room finds out.
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04
The reveal decides
Green keeps the question secret for good. Red shows it to everyone. Either way, someone has to explain themselves.
No two turns play the same.
The question is only the start. Between turns, the game keeps finding new ways to make people nervous.
Forfeits
Won’t answer? Take a forfeit instead: two cards are dealt face down and you turn one over. Turn that down too, and your next question gets harder to keep secret.
The night debrief
When you stop, Paranoia shows how the night went: who got named most, who kept picking each other, and which reveals hit hardest.
Just the two of you? Inner Circle turns every question towards the people you both know. Say the name out loud; the question stays with you.
How far will you go?
Real questions from the free pack. Pick a level, picture the room, then reveal whether the secret survives.
Nice · Read it in secret
“Who would pick up the phone at 3 a.m.?”
Insane is for Pro players. Adults only, and everyone in the room has to agree before it starts.
Get ParanoiaSame tension. No shared phone.
Tap OWN PHONES on the menu, host a private room and invite friends with a room code or QR code. Everyone plays on their own device, round the same table or miles apart. Each secret stays on its reader’s screen.
- Invite with a QR codeFriends scan and they are in.
- Everyone sees the rules firstBefore the first secret, each player checks the level and decks for the night and says they are ready.
- Private turnsThe reader sees the question on their own phone.
- Together or apartTell the game whether you are in one room or on a call, and the cards fit how you are playing.
- Late? Jump inArrive mid-game, watch the round in play, then join from the next one.
- Step away, come backAnswer a message without losing your seat. Lost connection? Rejoin where the room left off.
- Shared upgradesOne player’s decks and Pro work for the whole room.
More ways to lose your nerve.
The base game is free with hundreds of questions. Add a deck for your crowd — hen and stag dos, couples, the office, the family — or unlock everything once.
Tension & romance
Sexy Pack
Questions that raise the temperature and test attraction.
How to play itNo mercy
Savage Pack
Brutal honesty and precision-engineered roasting.
No filters
Ultra Exposed
High-intensity questions for fearless groups.
Pre-wedding chaos
Hen & Stag
Pre-wedding stories, dares and chaotic predictions.
How to play itRelationship tests
Couples Therapy
Relationship dynamics, compatibility and hidden verdicts.
How to play itAfter hours
Office Politics
Workplace alliances, rivalries and hidden opinions.
How to play itHoliday edition
Family Drama
Family habits, history and long-running rivalries.
How to play itLoans & lectures
Uni Life
Flatmates, lectures, nights out and questionable decisions.
How to play itClout & algorithms
Terminally Online
Group chats, screen habits and digital personalities.
How to play itEthics & arguments
Impossible Choices
Values, dilemmas and impossible decisions.
Paranoia Pro
- Insane — the questions you’d never ask sober, including the Insane side of every deck you own
- Write your own — unlimited questions and forfeits about your own people
- Pay to reveal — do a forfeit to open a question that stayed secret
- Joker frequency — set how often a Joker turns up, up to 30%
- Tune the odds — how often secrets escape, and how long a reveal stays up
- Go gold — a gold app icon, a gold vault when you read, and a gold crown everyone in your room sees
One purchase, yours for good. In OWN PHONES, it works for everyone in your room.
Ultimate
Pro and all ten decks in one purchase, for less than buying them separately. No subscriptions, ever.
Get Paranoia free
Bold by design. Safe by default.
Paranoia is bold, but nobody is ever forced. The whole group agrees to the settings before play starts, and the game can be ended at any moment.
- The group agrees firstEveryone accepts the session settings before play begins.
- Stop any timeThe game can always be ended, whatever cards are in play.
- Drinking is optionalOnly on if the group agrees, with a non-drinking option every time.
- Report, block, appealReport or block anyone in an OWN PHONES room. If your account is ever restricted, you can appeal.
- Adults onlyMade exclusively for ages 18 and over.
- Your notificationsGame alerts, reminders and news are each yours to switch on or off.
Paranoia FAQ.
What is Paranoia?
Paranoia is a party game for iPhone and iPad. One player reads a question in secret, says one name out loud, and a reveal decides whether everyone else finds out why.
How do you play Paranoia?
The app picks the next reader and passes them a private question. They answer by naming someone in the room, lock it in, and the reveal decides the rest: green keeps the question secret, red reads it out to everyone.
Is Paranoia free?
Yes. Paranoia is free to download and comes with hundreds of questions. Themed decks and Paranoia Pro are optional one-off purchases, with no subscriptions.
Can you play Paranoia online?
Tap OWN PHONES on the menu, host a private room and invite friends with a room code or QR code. Everyone plays on their own device, round the same table or miles apart. Each secret stays on its reader’s screen.
How many people can play?
Paranoia works for 2 to 20 players. With just two of you, Inner Circle has you name people you both know instead of each other. Some questions and twists only appear once the group is big enough.
What are Jokers?
Cards that turn up between questions and change what happens next. A Joker might lower your odds, hand the next turn to someone else, or let one player see a question that stays secret. Pro lets you set how often they appear.
What if someone won’t answer?
They can take a forfeit instead. Turn the forfeit down too, and the game makes their next question harder to keep secret.
Do we need one phone or one each?
Choose ONE PHONE to pass one iPhone or iPad round the group. OWN PHONES is the best way to play: everyone joins on their own device, round the same table or miles apart, and each question stays on its reader’s screen.
Does anyone have to drink?
No. Drinking is never required. Drinking Mode only comes on if the whole group agrees, and every drinking prompt has a non-drinking option.
Is Paranoia for adults only?
Yes. Paranoia is designed for adults aged 18 and over. The Insane level is only available with Pro, and everyone in the room has to agree before it starts.
Can we write our own questions?
Yes. Write your own and three of them go into your games for free. Paranoia Pro makes it unlimited and adds your own forfeits. In OWN PHONES rooms, the host approves them before they appear.
Is Paranoia on Android?
Paranoia is currently available on iPhone and iPad.
Who would you name first?
Free on iPhone and iPad. Tonight’s group chat will never be the same.
Download free on the App StoreOr scan with your iPhone camera