Host: How to start a live game

Have a kahoot you want to host in front of a live audience? Great! Get started by launching it, setting game options, and choosing a game mode. Then you’ll be ready to host.

This article covers...

• Tech requirements
• Launching a live game
• Setting game options
• Choosing a game mode
• Starting a live game

Tech requirements

To host a live game, you should have the following:

• A desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile device - make sure a supported web browser or our mobile app is installed.
• A projector, large screen, or video conference software - display resolution should ideally be at least 1024x768. If text or elements on-screen overlap or are too small, try using your browser’s zoom in/out feature. 
• A stable internet connection - be sure to test your venue’s internet stability at least a few days before any major event.

Want to use Kahoot! on a video conference? You can use your conference tool’s screen share feature. A dedicated device for viewing the video conference may be needed at each remote location.

Accessibility tip for blind or visually-impaired learners: As the host of a live game, you and your learners can use screen readers. Your device will read out the question and answer text (answers prefaced by “answer one..., answer two…”), while learner devices will audibly say “answer one, answer two, …”.

 

Launching a live game

Launching a live game differs depending on if you’re using a web browser or our mobile app.

On the web

To host a live game in a web browser, log in at kahoot.com, locate a kahoot and click its “Play” button. Depending on if the kahoot is on your Kahoots page or the Discover page, this button may look a little different. You may need to click the kahoot’s "options" button [ ⋮ ] to find it.

Want to launch a playlist of 2 or more kahoots? You can launch a playlist from your Kahoots page. Click the checkmark bubbles in the top-left corner of each kahoot you want in your playlist. Click them in the order you want them to play. Then use the special “Play” button that appears at the bottom of your screen.

Want to play a kahoot alone with only one device? You can preview a kahoot, which simulates a secondary device on the right of your screen. Click the title of a kahoot to view its Details page. Then click the kahoot’s "options" button [ ⋮ ] to find the “Preview” option.

“Preview” games are single-player and do not save game data to your Reports page.

 

In our mobile app

To host a live game in our iOS/Android mobile app, sign in to the app, tap on a kahoot and tap the “Play” button. Then tap “Host Live”.

Want to play a kahoot alone with only one device? You can practice a kahoot, which simulates challenge mode gameplay with questions and answers on your device screen. Tap “Practice” instead of “Host Live”. Four AI players will join and compete with you for the top score.

“Practice” games are single-player and do not save game data to your Reports page.

Setting game options

Before you choose a game mode, there is a list of game options. These modify gameplay before, during, and after you host.

Game options:

• Recommended - Player identifier
• Recommended - Personalized learning
• General - Lobby music
• General - Friendly nickname generator
• General - Randomize order of questions
• General - Randomize order of answers
• General - Show minimized intro instructions
• Advanced - 2-Step Join
• Advanced - Automatically move through questions
• Advanced - Rejoin after every game

Recommended - Player identifier

Player identifier is a new feature that allows tracking player performance across multiple games. Once you or your team have hosted multiple games with player identifier on, you’ll be able to combine reports into one. Learn more about it here.

Recommended - Personalized learning

Personalized learning uses proven learning methods such as spacing and testing to help learners retain information and master content. After a live game, our Android or iOS mobile app will encourage players to repeat questions they got wrong. Learn more about it here.

General - Lobby music

Occasionally, we will change the default lobby music to one of our many awesome tracks (like during Halloween or Christmas).

• If you’d prefer, you can always change back to the “Original” track during these times.
• With a Premium subscription, you can change to any track at any time! 

Simply open the lobby music drop down and select your preferred track. Use the play button next to a track to hear a preview of it.

General - Friendly nickname generator

Get in the game fast! Our name generator will choose nicknames for players.

• Players click or tap “Spin!” on their devices to generate a nickname.
• They can spin up to three times.

General - Randomize the order of questions

Toggle this on to randomize when each question is asked.

Can’t enable this option? You can’t randomize question order if your kahoot has slides.

 

General - Randomize the order of answers

Toggle this on to randomize how answers are arranged on the screen.

 

General - Show minimized intro instructions

If your game has a lobby video that you want your audience to watch while they join, you may want to minimize intro instructions so that they cover less of the video. Minimized instruction also lets you see more nicknames on-screen without needing to scroll down.

Advanced - 2-Step Join

Sometimes players might get a little too playful and share your game PIN with others who aren’t actually in the room. Turn this on to ensure that only people who can see your PIN are able to join.

• After entering your PIN, players must also click or tap four buttons in the pattern shown on your screen.
• The pattern changes every seven seconds.

Advanced - Automatically move through questions

Want your game to progress on its own? Turning this option on is ideal for setting up self-operating kiosks or an auto-piloted training activity!

• The game will auto-start if at least one player has joined and 15 seconds elapse without any more players joining.
• Results and leaderboard screens each display for five seconds.
• Once the game is over, it will restart or play the next game in your playlist. Players will not need to re-join unless you toggled on “Rejoin after every game”.

Advanced - Rejoin after every game

Once the game is over, you can play it again or play the next game in your playlist. By default, players will not need to re-join. Toggle this on if you want them to re-enter a PIN and nickname. This is also is ideal for self-operating kiosks or auto-piloted training activities, as you may need a way to ensure that only players who are still playing are part of the next game.

 

Choosing a game mode

Near the top of your screen, you’ll see two game modes to choose from. Choose the one that best matches the gameplay experience you want to provide your audience.

Classic

Use classic mode if you want every player to use their own device.

Team mode

Use team mode if players you want players to form teams and use one device per team.

 

Starting a live game

After you choose a game mode, your kahoot content will begin loading onto your device for quick recall during gameplay. After a brief splash screen telling your class to get their devices out, a game PIN will be assigned to your live game and displayed on your screen.

If you enabled the “Automatically move through questions” game option, then the game will auto-start if at least one player has joined and 15 seconds elapse without any more players joining. Otherwise, wait until all players have joined, then click the “Start” button on the right of your screen to begin hosting.

Minimize or maximize into instructions

While waiting for players, you can adjust the size of intro instructions by clicking the "⌃" or "⌄" on the left side of the screen.

Full screen

To hide your browser interface, you can click the full screen button on the right side of the screen.

Mute, unmute, or adjust the lobby music volume

If there is no lobby video, then you can adjust the lobby music volume by clicking the volume button on the right side of the screen. 

Change lobby music

If there is no lobby video, then you can change the lobby music by clicking the music button on the right side of the screen and selecting your preferred track.

Kick nicknames

We have a profanity filter that checks nicknames. But it doesn’t catch everything. You can click someone’s nickname on your screen to kick them from your game.

Lock game joining

To prevent any more players from joining, you can use the lock button next to the start button.

This can also be toggled anytime during gameplay at the bottom of the screen.