Board games are great until someone has to read the cards, keep score and explain the rules for the third time. A survey game show on the TV skips all of that. Everyone answers a few questions on their phone, then the family splits into two teams and guesses the most popular answers on a big, bright game board — just like the TV show.
Here’s how to set up Survey Says on your living-room TV for free, with no console and no app downloads.
What you need: a laptop (or desktop) with Chrome, Edge or Safari, a TV you can cast or connect to, and everyone’s phones. The host uses a free WebDesks account.
Step 1 — Make the game before guests arrive
Open Survey Says, sign in and write 3–5 questions. For a family crowd, try:
- Name something you always bring on a family road trip.
- Name a holiday food everyone fights over.
- Name something Grandpa says all the time.
- Name a chore nobody wants to do.
- Name a movie we watch every holiday.
Step 2 — Put the Join screen on the TV
Open your game and click 📺 Join screen. It fills the screen with a giant QR code, the link and a live count of answers. Get it onto the TV one of these ways:
Chromecast or Google TV
In Chrome, open the menu (⋮) → Cast… → choose your TV, then pick Cast tab. Press F11 (or ⌃⌘F on a Mac) to go full screen.
Apple TV or an AirPlay TV
On a Mac, open Control Center → Screen Mirroring and choose your TV. Use it as a separate display and drag the window over.
HDMI cable
Plug the laptop into the TV, set the TV as a second display, and move the Join screen (and later the presenter window) onto it.
Everyone points their phone camera at the QR code and answers — it takes about a minute. Kids can share a phone with a parent.
Step 3 — Close the survey and start the show
When everyone’s in, close the survey and press Start the game. Open the presenter window and put that on the TV instead; your laptop keeps the host controls, so nobody sees the answers early.
Step 4 — Play the board
- Pick two teams — kids vs grown-ups is a classic.
- Teams take turns guessing. Type each guess and matching answers flip over with a ding.
- Three wrong guesses and the other team can steal the points.
- The scoreboard keeps track, and the winner screen crowns the champions.
Game-night tips
- Collect answers early. Send the link in the family group chat a few days ahead — the “who said that?!” moments are even better.
- Host from the couch. With the laptop on your lap, number keys 1–8 reveal tiles and X adds a strike.
- Make it a tradition. Save the game and reuse your favourite questions next year.
Frequently asked questions
How do I play a survey game show on my TV?
Open the Survey Says presenter window on a laptop and cast that tab to a Chromecast or Google TV, mirror it with AirPlay, or connect the laptop with HDMI. Players answer on their phones by scanning the QR code on the Join screen.
Do I need a game console or an app?
No. Survey Says runs in a web browser. Guests only need their phone camera to scan the QR code.
How many people can play?
Everyone with the link can answer, and the board works best with two teams of any size — great for family gatherings and parties.
Is it the official Family Feud game?
No. Survey Says is an independent, free game inspired by classic TV survey game shows.
Survey Says is an independent game by WebDesks, inspired by classic TV survey game shows. Family Feud is a trademark of its owner; WebDesks isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by it.