A TV party game with your phones as controllers
Put Deadline Day on the TV, send one link, and everyone plays on their own phone — no console, no download, no sign-up. Free for up to 4, and up to 8 with a one-time €4.99 Host Pass.
By Martin Nymann (AddonNordic ApS), who made Deadline Day with his son Viktor. Updated 12 October 2026.
On this page: How to set it up · The games · Why it works · What it costs · Questions
How do you set up a TV party game?
Start a game, open the shared screen on your TV, and send one link to your friends. Everyone joins in their phone's browser and uses that phone as the controller. The TV shows the game; each phone handles its own bids, answers and votes.
You need no console, no app, no account and no cards. Open deadlineday.app/tv in the TV's browser, on a laptop connected to the TV, or cast it from Chrome, and share the game link in the room, the group chat, a video call or Discord.
| What you need | What it does |
|---|---|
| A TV or big screen | Shows the auction, the teams, the votes and the results |
| One phone per player | Each person joins and controls their own play |
| One game link | The host sends it to the group; a 4-letter code works too |
| Wi-Fi or mobile data | Keeps the phones and the TV in sync, even across cities |
- Put the TV on the game screen. Open deadlineday.app/tv and keep it on the big screen.
- Start a game and send the link. Pick a game on your phone; the TV shows a QR code too.
- Wait for everyone to join. Names pop up on the TV as phones join.
- Play the first round. A quick game takes 5 to 10 minutes.
Which games can you play on the TV?
All of them, and you switch without a new link. The TV keeps the shared action in view, while the phones keep secrets and controls in each player's hand.
- A live auction. Everyone gets 100M of play money and bids for players, and every bid restarts the clock, so the whole room sees who overpaid. Nine sports: football, basketball, handball, ice hockey, racing, darts, rugby, esports and cricket. Auction game
- Imposter. Everyone gets the same secret word except one bluffer, who has to blend in. Imposter game
- Music and movie games. The TV plays each song or trailer while the phones bid. Music quiz · Movie trailer game
- Car auctions. Bid on classic cars that really sold at auction; the real prices decide. Car auction game
- Quick games. Guess the player and This or That take 5 to 10 minutes. All party games
Where a game uses real data, the real result decides the winner: hidden player ratings, the real Eurovision results or the real YouTube view counts.
Why does this setup work for groups?
Because the TV gives everyone one shared view, and the phones let everyone act at once. Nobody passes a controller around, nobody waits for a turn on a gamepad, and private answers never appear on the big screen.
- Fast setup: one link instead of pairing controllers.
- Private controls: bids, words and votes stay on each phone.
- Shared drama: the TV shows every bid the moment it lands.
- Any room: the sofa, a video call or both at once.
- Nothing to buy: no console, no cards, no app.
It scales beyond the living room, too. A pub can run it with every table as one team (pub mode), and an office party or a festival crowd can play on the big screen (office party · festival).
What does it cost?
Nothing for up to 4 players, in every game, with no ads. For 5 to 8 players, the host buys a Host Pass once for €4.99; it opens every game they host on that device, and nobody else pays. There is no subscription.
Questions
Can everyone play on their own phone?
Yes. Each player joins with the link or the 4-letter room code and bids, answers and votes from their own phone.
Do we need to download an app?
No. Deadline Day runs in the browser on any phone, tablet, laptop or smart TV.
Do we need a console?
No. The TV only shows the game, so a smart TV browser, a laptop on HDMI or a Chromecast is enough. The phones are the controllers.
Do we need accounts?
No. Nobody signs up, not even the host.
How many can play for free?
Up to 4 players, in every game. A one-time Host Pass (€4.99) opens every game the host starts on that device to 8 players. Nobody else pays.
Does the TV show private answers?
No. The TV shows the bids, teams, votes and results. The secret word in Imposter and your own bids stay on your phone.
Can friends in other places join?
Yes. They join from the same link over a video call and play on their own phone, while the room watches the TV.
This text was generated with artificial intelligence (Geoa Content Studio) and edited for Deadline Day. EU AI Act, art. 50.
Deadline Day is made by AddonNordic ApS (CVR 46495985), Denmark · Questions? Contact us at contact@addonnordic.dk
Not affiliated with, endorsed or licensed by any player, club, league or association. Ratings are our own opinion.
For pubs and bars · For office parties · For festivals · Football · Basketball · Handball · Ice hockey · Racing · Darts · Rugby · Esports · Cricket · Imposter: words, Christmas, football, basketball, hockey, racing, esports, handball · Football Draft Game · Guess the Footballer · Guess the Basketball Player · Guess the Hockey Player · Guess the Driver · Guess the Esports Player · Guess the Handball Player · Football This or That · Basketball This or That · Hockey This or That · Racing This or That · Esports This or That · Handball This or That · Football Games with Friends · Party Games · Games to Play with Friends · Family Game Night · Auction Game · Football Auction for Creators · Eurovision Party Game · Which Video Has More Views? · Funny Shorts Game · Music Quiz with Friends · Movie Trailer Game · Metal Music Quiz · Car Auction Game · Car Quiz · Privacy · Terms