8 no-prep review games for middle and high school
No prep should mean you don’t print, cut, laminate, or build anything. These eight games run on the questions you already have, whether that’s a worksheet, an old quiz, or the end of a textbook chapter.
Updated October 2026
What counts as no prep
Each game below needs at most a marker, a few sticky notes, or a sheet of scrap paper. The questions come from a worksheet, quiz, or study guide you already have.
Eight games to try
Four Corners
Label the four corners of the room A, B, C, and D with sticky notes. Read a multiple-choice question and have students walk to the corner they think is right. Students in the wrong corner sit down, and the last ones standing score.
Mini-whiteboard show-me
Students write their answer on a mini whiteboard or scrap paper and hold it up on the count of three. Give a point to each team for every correct answer. Nobody can sit out, and you can see at a glance who needs help.
Whiteboard relay
One student per team runs to the board, writes the answer to the question you read, and passes the marker to the next teammate. The first correct answer scores.
Paper toss
Teams answer questions in turn. A correct answer earns a toss of crumpled paper into a bin for bonus points. Agree on a throwing line and a calm reset signal first.
Around the World
One student stands behind another student’s desk. Read a question, and the first to answer correctly moves on to the next desk. See how far each traveler gets.
Question auction
Each team starts with the same pool of points. Before each question, teams secretly bid how many points they are willing to risk. A correct answer wins the bid, and a wrong answer loses it. It rewards knowing what you know.
Beat the teacher
The whole class works together. If the class answers a question correctly, the class scores. If not, the teacher scores. It turns the class into one team and keeps shy students involved.
Review ANYTHING board game
Read questions from your worksheet while teams race across a spinner-based board on your projector or classroom screen. Warp portals and chance tiles keep the board changing. There’s nothing to type in, and no student devices or accounts. It runs on an iPad or Mac and costs $4.99 once. It’s my app, so weigh my opinion accordingly. See how it works.
Tips for middle school
- Keep rounds short and switch games before interest drops.
- Post the rules where everyone can see them, and keep teams to three or four students.
- Rotate roles each round so every student has a job.
- Games with movement, like Four Corners and Around the World, burn off energy.
Tips for high school
- Use exam-style questions so the game doubles as practice for the real thing.
- Add stakes with games like the question auction, where students decide how confident they are.
- Ask the winning team to explain how they got the answer before awarding points.
- Let students suggest the topics they want to review.
Playing in a school with restricted phones or limited devices? See review games without student devices.
Frequently asked questions
What is a no-prep review game?
A game that runs on questions you already have, with nothing to print, cut, or build ahead of time.
How long should a review game last?
Ten to twenty minutes works for most classes. Stop while students still want to keep going.
How do I keep teams from getting rowdy?
Set the rules before you start, give each team member a job such as speaker, recorder, or checker, and use a quick reset signal like a raised hand or a countdown.
Try Review ANYTHING
Turn the worksheet you already have into a whole-class board game. No prep, no accounts, no internet. $4.99 on the App Store for iPad and Mac (Apple silicon). Android version coming soon.