How to Run ESL Games for Adults Without Any Materials

The printer broke. The Wi-Fi went down. My USB drive decided today was the day to corrupt itself. I had a room full of twelve adult ESL students and absolutely nothing prepared. So I did what every experienced ESL teacher does in that moment: I made up a game on the spot and pretended it was planned.

Here's the thing -- some of the best ESL games for adults activities require zero materials. No printouts, no devices, no projector. Just people and language.

Five Zero-Material Games That Work Every Time

1. Two Truths and a Lie (Speaking + Listening)

Each student shares three statements about themselves -- two true, one false. The class asks follow-up questions to determine which is the lie. This works at every level from A2 to C2. Beginners keep statements simple ("I have two dogs"). Advanced students get elaborate ("I once accidentally boarded a flight to the wrong country").

I played this with a group of B2 professionals in Mexico City. A quiet accountant from the corner of the room revealed he'd been a competitive salsa dancer. Suddenly everyone was talking.

2. Word Association Chain (Vocabulary + Fluency)

Students sit in a circle. The first person says a word. The next person says a word associated with it. No repeats. If you hesitate for more than 3 seconds, you're out. "Beach" → "sand" → "castle" → "king" → "chess." The associations get stranger as the game continues, which is half the fun.

3. 20 Questions (Question Formation + Vocabulary)

One student thinks of a word. The class has 20 yes/no questions to guess it. This forces correct question formation -- "Is it a food?" not "It is food?" -- and builds strategic thinking in the target language. Set the category (things in the classroom, jobs, animals) to control vocabulary scope.

4. Story Building (Past Tense + Narrative Skills)

You start with one sentence: "Yesterday, I walked into a café." The next student adds a sentence. Then the next. Each sentence must be in the past tense and connect logically to what came before. The stories get absurd, which keeps adults engaged. My class in Seoul once created a story about a cat who became the president of a coffee company.

5. Taboo Without Cards (Circumlocution + Vocabulary)

Write a word on a piece of paper (or whisper it to the student). They describe it without using the word itself or any "taboo" words you specify. The class guesses. No printed cards needed -- just say the word and the restrictions. "Describe 'hospital' without saying doctor, sick, nurse, or building."

Using AI to Generate Game Prompts

The games themselves need no materials, but coming up with fresh prompts each time can be exhausting. ChalkLab generates taboo word lists, 20 Questions categories, and story starters tailored to the level and topic of your class. I keep a list of AI-generated prompts on my phone for exactly these emergency situations.

ChatGPT works well too. Prompt it with: "Give me 15 taboo-style word descriptions for B1 adult ESL students, topic: workplace vocabulary. For each word, list 4 words they can't say." You'll get a usable list in 20 seconds.

Why Adults Respond to These Games

Adults don't want to feel like they're in primary school. These games work because they involve genuine communication, strategic thinking, and humor -- without any of the infantilizing elements that plague ESL games designed for kids. Nobody's coloring. Nobody's cutting out shapes. Everyone's talking.

The best ESL games for adults don't look like games at all. They look like conversations with rules.

For digital game options, check out 10 digital tools for ESL activities and using Kahoot for ESL vocabulary.