FAQ
Everything you need to know about Guess When Music.
The basics
What is Guess When Music?
A multiplayer party game where everyone listens to the same song and tries to guess the year it was released. The player who’s furthest off loses a life. Last one standing wins.
Do I need to download anything?
No. It runs in your phone’s browser. Open the link, enter the room code, you’re in.
Does it cost anything?
No. Free, no ads, no account required.
How many players do you need?
Minimum 2, but it’s genuinely more fun with 4 or more. The bigger the spread of guesses on the reveal, the better.
Joining & setup
How do I start a game?
One person creates a room at guesswhen.app. They share the 4-digit code with everyone else. Everyone visits guesswhen.app, enters the code, picks a name, and joins.
Can I join after the game has already started?
Yes. The host can approve late joiners mid-game and assign them starting lives.
What if two people want the same name?
The game won’t let that happen — it’ll tell you the name is taken before you join.
Can I rejoin if I accidentally close my browser?
Yes, within a short window. If you go back to guesswhen.app you’ll be prompted to rejoin your active game.
How the game works
How does scoring work?
Everyone guesses the release year of the song. After the reveal, the player with the biggest difference from the correct year loses a life. Everyone else keeps theirs.
What if two players guess equally badly?
Both lose a life.
What happens when you run out of lives?
You’re eliminated. You can still watch the rest of the game, but you’re out of the running.
What’s a perfect guess?
Guessing the exact release year. If you nail it, you gain a life (up to the maximum). This is rarer than people expect.
What if everyone gets eliminated on the same song?
The player with the smallest difference on that final song wins.
Does the host have to play?
Yes. The host is a regular player — they just also get controls like starting the game, skipping a broken song, and approving late joiners.
Music
Where does the music come from?
By default, Guess When Music plays 30-second previews via Deezer. No Deezer account needed — it just works.
Can I use Spotify instead?
Yes, if you have Spotify Premium. The host can connect their Spotify account in the game settings before starting. This plays the full song (up to 60 seconds) with better audio quality.
What genres and eras are covered?
The library spans the 1950s to the 2020s, covering pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B, and more. It’s deliberately mixed — you’ll get decades you’re confident in and decades that wreck you.
Can I suggest a song?
Yes. Contact us with the artist, title, and release year.
Settings & configuration
What settings can the host change?
Before starting, the host can set the number of starting lives (1, 2, or 3) and the length of the guessing countdown (15, 30, 45, or 60 seconds). They can also switch between Deezer previews and Spotify.
Can settings be changed mid-game?
No. Settings are locked when the game starts.
How many songs does a game have?
It scales with the number of players, so shorter groups get a tighter game. A typical game runs around 10–15 songs.
Technical
What browsers does it work on?
Any modern mobile browser — Chrome, Safari, Firefox. It works on desktop too, but it’s designed for phones.
Why does the music sometimes not play?
Mobile browsers block audio until the user has interacted with the page. Make sure you’ve tapped something before the song starts. If a song fails to load entirely, the host can skip it.
Is there a player limit?
The game supports up to 20 players in a room.
Who built this?
One person, as a hobby project, in Gothenburg, Sweden. More on the contact page.