If you've played Speak Out, you know the appeal: stick a plastic piece in your mouth, try to read a phrase, watch the whole room cry-laughing. You also know why a lot of households retire it after a few plays. The mouth piece gets uncomfortable. It doesn't fit around braces. Sharing one across a family feels questionable after about the second round. And anyone with sensitive teeth, jaw issues, or a strong gag reflex is out before the first card.
This guide is for people who want the same room-full-of-laughter that Speak Out delivers, without the mouth piece. Below are seven party games — across price ranges, age groups, and styles — that hit the same "you laugh, you lose" core, plus a quick comparison table at the end to help you pick.
Why people look for a Speak Out alternative
The most common reasons that come up in reviews and family discussions:
- Hygiene. The mouth piece touches saliva. Sharing one across a family game night, classroom, or party feels off — especially post-2020.
- Doesn't fit braces, retainers, or recent dental work. Anyone with orthodontics is locked out of the game.
- Jaw fatigue. The mouth piece holds the jaw open at an awkward angle. After 15 minutes, your face hurts more than your stomach.
- Drooling. Yes, it's part of the comedy. No, not everyone wants to deal with it on the carpet.
- Glasses-wearers. The retractor frame knocks against eyeglasses or pulls at face shape in weird ways.
The good news: most of what makes Speak Out funny isn't the mouth piece itself — it's the combination of "I look ridiculous" and "I can't communicate normally." Plenty of other games hit those notes without the dental issues.
What makes a good "you laugh you lose" replacement
Three things, in our experience:
- The performer looks slightly silly — usually because they're wearing or doing something absurd.
- The audience is part of the game — not just spectators. Their reaction is the scoring mechanism.
- Rules learn fast. If you have to read instructions for 10 minutes, half the room has already lost interest.
Below, we rank seven alternatives by how well they cover those three points and how well they avoid the actual Speak Out pain points.
The 7 best Speak Out alternatives
1. Snort Funny — closest replacement, zero mouth piece
Snort Funny is the most direct fix for the mouth-piece problem. Instead of putting something inside your mouth, you wear a squeaker pig snout over your nose. Same absurd-looking-performer mechanic, same "you laugh, you lose" core, but the snout doesn't go anywhere near saliva, teeth, or jaw position. It works with braces, eyeglasses, beards, and any age 8 and up. Players take turns drawing a Challenge Card and performing it while wearing the snout; whoever breaks character first forfeits a mud chip.
Best for: Families with mixed ages, classrooms, kids with braces, anyone who tried Speak Out once and put it away.
Players: 4–8. Age: 8+. Price: $19.99 at bgbanana.
2. Watch Ya' Mouth (Family Edition)
Watch Ya' Mouth is the closest thing to Speak Out by design — same mouthpiece mechanic, just a different brand. It exists in Family, Adult, and Kid editions, with newer phrase cards than the original Speak Out deck. The catch is that it has all the same problems Speak Out does, because it uses the same kind of cheek retractor. Pick this if your issue with Speak Out was only that the cards went stale, not the mouth piece itself.
Best for: Speak Out fans who like the mechanic and want fresh prompts.
Watch out for: Same hygiene and braces issues as the original.
3. Telestrations
A "telephone game" played with drawings instead of whispers. One person writes a phrase; the next person tries to draw it; the next person guesses based on the drawing; and so on around the table. The laughs come from how badly the original idea gets mangled by round six. No props go in your mouth. Works with 4 to 8 players, ages 8 and up.
Best for: Families with one or two artistically-confident players plus a few who definitely can't draw. The contrast is the engine.
Watch out for: Less physical comedy — laughs are quieter, more "oh my god what is that" than "I can't breathe."
4. Throw Throw Burrito
From the Exploding Kittens team. A card game where, mid-play, the action escalates into players throwing soft foam burritos at each other. Catch one, dodge one, or get hit and lose points. The chaos itself is the comedy — there's no performance pressure on individual players, which makes it easier for shy people to enjoy.
Best for: Mixed-age family game nights where someone is too shy to be the center of attention but still wants in.
Watch out for: Physical game — needs floor space and a "no breakables nearby" rule.
5. The Don't Laugh Challenge
A simpler, prop-light alternative. Players take turns reading silly prompts and jokes aloud while everyone else tries not to laugh — laugh first, lose a point. Several brand variations exist (kids editions, family editions, adult versions). Most are inexpensive and ship as a card deck plus rule sheet.
Best for: Quick pickup-and-play, budget-conscious gifting, kids' birthday parties.
Watch out for: Comedy quality depends heavily on the deck — some editions have stronger prompts than others.
6. What Do You Meme? — Family Edition
Players match caption cards to meme image cards; a rotating judge picks the funniest pairing each round. It's a meme-driven version of Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity. The Family Edition is kid-safe and rated for ages 8+, while the original adult edition is decidedly not.
Best for: Older kids, teens, and meme-fluent adults who'd rather match jokes than perform them.
Watch out for: Make sure you grab the Family Edition — the original is adults-only.
7. The Voting Game
Adult party game. Players read a "who in this group is most likely to..." question, then everyone votes anonymously on a person. The reveals get loud — and occasionally awkward. Laughs come from group dynamics, not physical comedy.
Best for: Adult friend groups, bachelorette parties, late nights with people who know each other well.
Watch out for: 17+ only — not safe with kids in earshot.
Quick comparison table
If you only have 30 seconds to pick, here's the cheat sheet:
| Game | Players | Age | Mouth piece? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snort Funny | 4–8 | 8+ | No (snout, worn outside) | Families, classrooms, braces-friendly |
| Watch Ya' Mouth | 4–10 | 8+ (Family) | Yes | Speak Out fans wanting new cards |
| Telestrations | 4–8 | 8+ | No | Drawing-shy + drawing-confident mixed groups |
| Throw Throw Burrito | 2–6 | 7+ | No | Physical, low-pressure, kids welcome |
| Don't Laugh Challenge | 2–6 | 6+ | No | Budget pick, kids' parties |
| What Do You Meme? (Family) | 3–8 | 8+ | No | Meme-fluent teens and adults |
| The Voting Game | 5–10 | 17+ | No | Adult friend groups, bachelorette nights |
How to pick the right one for your group
A decision tree, briefly:
- You want the closest Speak Out experience without the mouth piece → Snort Funny.
- You love the original mouth piece mechanic, just want new cards → Watch Ya' Mouth (Family or Adult edition).
- Your group includes a shy player who doesn't want to perform alone → Throw Throw Burrito or Telestrations.
- Mixed-age family with younger kids (6–9) → Don't Laugh Challenge or Snort Funny.
- Teens and meme-fluent adults → What Do You Meme? Family Edition.
- Adults only, late night, no kids around → The Voting Game.
Frequently asked questions
Is Speak Out actually unsanitary?
The mouth piece itself isn't inherently unsanitary — it's intended to be wiped clean between users. In practice, families and groups often skip the wiping step, which is where concerns start. Newer editions ship with single-use mouth pieces in some markets, but most retail copies still come with one or two that get shared. Most alternatives in this list avoid the issue entirely by not having a mouth piece.
Can people with braces play Speak Out?
Generally not comfortably. Cheek retractors press against orthodontic hardware and can cause discomfort or in rare cases damage. If anyone in your household has braces, retainers, or recent dental work, pick an alternative without a mouth piece.
What's the closest party game to Speak Out without the mouth piece?
Snort Funny. It uses a wearable pig snout instead — same "look-ridiculous-and-try-to-keep-a-straight-face" core, no contact with the mouth, fits over braces, glasses, beards, and most face shapes.
Are there family-friendly versions of these games?
Most of the games in this list have family-rated versions. The exceptions are The Voting Game (17+ only) and the original What Do You Meme? (adult only — the Family Edition is the kid-safe pick).
Which of these is best for a kids' birthday party?
For ages 6–10, either Don't Laugh Challenge (cheapest, no props) or Snort Funny (more interactive, includes wearable snouts kids tend to fight over). For ages 10+, Telestrations and What Do You Meme? Family Edition both work well.
Do any of these need batteries or apps?
No. All seven games are physical-only, no batteries or smartphone apps required. (Snort Funny's snouts are mechanical squeakers — they make noise from squeezing, not from batteries.)
Bottom line
If you're shopping specifically because the mouth piece ruined your last Speak Out night, the most direct fix is Snort Funny — it preserves the "you laugh, you lose" core of Speak Out and the absurd-looking-performer mechanic, just with a snout worn outside the face instead of a retractor jammed inside it.
If your reason for looking is something else — wanting a fresh card deck, wanting a less performance-heavy game, or needing something adults-only — work down the decision tree above and you'll land in the right spot.