Top 5s brings the whole family together — grandparents, kids, and everyone in between — whether you're in the same room or spread across different cities.
Why It Works for Families
Most games are implicitly designed for one generation. Trivia nights favor older players who have more stored knowledge. Video games exclude anyone who didn't grow up playing them. Trendy party games are full of references that only land for people under 30.
Top 5s levels the playing field because it's about personal lists, not general knowledge. Grandma doesn't need to know who won the Super Bowl — she needs to know what movies she loves most. A teenager doesn't have an advantage because they've memorized more pop culture — they just need to know their family.
Families who know each other well are actually at a huge advantage here. The player who's attended every holiday dinner for 25 years has deep insight into what their family members would put on a list. Experience and memory matter more than quick reflexes or cultural fluency.
Family Category Ideas
"Top 5 things at every family holiday dinner" · "Top 5 family traditions we actually love" · "Top 5 family vacation memories" · "Top 5 foods that mean home"
"Top 5 things [grandma] always says" · "Top 5 things [dad] is obsessed with" · "Top 5 stories we always hear when [relative] visits"
"Top 5 things we did every summer growing up" · "Top 5 foods from childhood that were peak comfort" · "Top 5 TV shows the whole family used to watch"
"Top 5 best family meals of all time" · "Top 5 family road trip songs" · "Top 5 things we always argue about at Thanksgiving" — these always spark lively post-game discussion
Remote Family Setup
Use whatever the family already uses — FaceTime, Zoom, Google Meet, or even a standard phone call works if video isn't feasible. Get everyone connected first.
Texting the room code or link works great. Walk them through it: "Go to topfives.io, type your name, and put in the room code." The interface is straightforward enough that most people figure it out in under a minute.
Start with topics everyone can relate to — family food, holidays, childhood memories. Save more adult-oriented topics for later rounds once everyone's comfortable.
Don't rush through the reveal. When something surprising comes up — and it will — pause and let the conversation happen. Those moments of "wait, that's your #1?!" are what people remember.
FAQ
Top 5s is one of the best options — it's free, works on any device, requires no download, and the personal list format means all ages can compete fairly.
Yes. If they can open a browser and type, they can play. The interface is intentionally simple. Grandparents often do surprisingly well because they know the family best.
That's a perfect use case. Everyone joins from their own device via video call, and they all share the same Top 5s room. Location doesn't matter.
Family-specific topics work best: shared memories, traditions, and questions about family members everyone knows. These naturally include all generations.
Yes by default. Adult mode is off and must be manually enabled by the host. For family game night, just leave the settings alone and everything stays appropriate.
Completely free. No accounts needed to join, no app to install. Just share the room code.
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The how-to-play guide covers rules, scoring, and how to set up custom categories — good to read before explaining the game to family members who haven't played before.
How to Play →Free, easy to set up, and fun for everyone from 10 to 90. Create a room and get the family playing tonight.
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