Unplugged experience: How to host a kahoot without participant devices

Want to know how to host a Kahoot! session when participants don't have their own phones, tablets, or laptops? The Unplugged experience allows your audience to participate in a kahoot using only a shared screen.

This is perfect for classrooms, meeting rooms, and training sessions where devices are restricted, shared, or unavailable, allowing you to preserve the core Kahoot! energy, participation, and shared learning experience. You can choose between two variations: the Classic experience, where the whole room plays together for a shared score, or the Team tiles experience, which introduces collaborative, turn-based gameplay for up to 6 teams.

• How to host an Unplugged experience
• How to play a Classic: Unplugged experience
• How to play a Team tiles experience
• Key features and benefits
• FAQ

How to host an Unplugged experience

You can easily select the Unplugged experience right before you start your live game. Note that this experience requires a host to run the game on a shared screen.

1. Log in to your Kahoot! account and select the specific kahoot you want to play.
2. Click Host a live to open the game experience selection screen.
3. Scroll to the Unplugged section.
4. Select either Classic Unplugged or Team Tiles experience.
   
5. Start the game.

Participants will now be able to follow the game and participate together by looking at the shared screen.

How to play an Classic: Unplugged experience

Because participants don't use their own devices, the gameplay is highly interactive and driven by the room's energy:

• Participants call out the answers: The audience reads the question and options on the shared screen. For each question, the host can choose a specific participant to answer aloud or let the room shout out the consensus.
  
• The host rocks the screen: The host acts as the game master, listening to the answer and clicking it on the main screen to reveal the correct result.
• Shared score: Instead of individual points, a single shared score keeps track of the total number of correct answers for the whole group.
  

How to play Team tiles experience

The Team tiles Unplugged experience introduces a collaborative, turn-based approach to the device-free game. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to play:

1. Choose the number of teams (minimum 2 teams, up to 6 teams) and customize them as needed (see Customizing teams below for more info)
   
2. Choose the total amount of questions for the game. A suggested number of rounds will be shown based on the kahoot. When everything is ready, click Start. The main screen will display a board of up to 24 numbered tiles.
   
3. Teams take turns picking a numbered tile from the board to reveal a question. You will always know whose turn it is because the active team's avatar is highlighted at the top of the screen.
   
4. The team discusses the question quietly amongst themselves. On the host's cue, they reveal their answer using a shared signal like cards, hand signs, or whiteboards.
5. The host listens to the team's answer and clicks the corresponding option on the main screen to validate whether it is correct or incorrect. If a team answers correctly, their avatar will claim that tile on the board. The host can also manually adjust team scores using the + and - buttons next to each team's score - this is great for correcting mistakes or awarding bonus points for exceptional teamwork!
   
6. Teams earn points for each correct answer. To keep the game exciting, the points awarded per question increase as the rounds progress. To build suspense, the team scores will be hidden (blurred out with diagonal lines) right before the final round. Once all tiles are cleared, the game ends with a podium reveal to celebrate the winning team!
   

Customizing teams

Just click the pencil icon on any team's card to personalize them before starting! You can easily:

• Adjust the team names: Replace the default names (like "Team Woodchuck" or "Team Moose") with something unique and fun that represents each group of players.
  
• Change the visible character avatars: Pick a different animated character for each team to make the experience more engaging and help participants easily spot their turn on the screen.
  

Key features and benefits

The Classic Unplugged experience is designed for content review and assessment without the pressure of competition.

• Focus on participation: It offers a similar flow to the Learn self-study mode, emphasizing content review over speed. There is no timer for answers, allowing the group to discuss and decide at their own pace.
• Collaborative effort: At the end of the game, there is no podium for individuals. Instead, the final screen celebrates the whole group's effort, showing the total score out of the total questions (e.g., 3/10).
• Greater flexibility: It gives teachers and trainers the freedom to choose how their audience participates, removing device availability as a barrier to engagement.
• Institution-wide adoption: It supports a broader range of teaching and training practices, making Kahoot! accessible in device-restricted schools and corporate training environments.

FAQ

1. Who can use the Unplugged experience? The Unplugged experience is available on all Kahoot! plans. You can host it from both the web platform and Kahoot! mobile apps.
    
2. Do participants need the Kahoot! app or website to join? No. In an Unplugged experience, participants do not need an individual device to enter a PIN or submit answers. The entire experience is guided by the host on a shared screen.
    
3. Do players earn points in Classic Unplugged? No, there are no points awarded, and there is no podium. This experience is designed purely for review and assessment.
    
4. How many teams can play Team tiles Unplugged? You can divide your room into up to 6 teams. The main screen will display a board of up to 24 numbered tiles for the teams to choose from.