How to play the floor is lava: rules, variations and an online version
By EggVerse · · 4 min read
To play the floor is lava, one person shouts “The floor is lava!” and starts a short countdown, often from five. Everyone has to get off the floor before the count ends, onto a couch, a chair, a cushion or anything else that is not floor. Anyone still touching the floor at zero is out, or simply loses that round. There is no official rulebook, so every group plays its own version.
What you need
- A room with sturdy things to stand or sit on: couches, low stools, floor cushions, rugs you agree count as safe.
- A caller, who shouts the alarm and counts down. Swap the job every round so everyone gets to play.
- Space. Move anything breakable, and agree before you start what is off limits.
The basic rules
- Everyone walks around the room normally until the caller shouts “The floor is lava!”
- The caller counts down out loud. Five seconds is common; shorter counts make it harder.
- At zero, any player touching the floor with any part of their body is out for that round.
- Once everyone is safe, the caller says the lava has cooled and everyone climbs down. The next round starts whenever the caller likes, which is half the fun.
- Keep going until one player is left, or play without eliminations and just keep score of who got caught.
One house rule worth settling early: can two people share a safe spot? Most groups say yes, as long as nobody pushes. Another: does a toe dangling over the edge count? Decide before the first round, not in the middle of an argument.
Variations to try
| Variation | How it works |
|---|---|
| Shrinking islands | Lay out cushions or towels as safe spots and remove one each round, like musical chairs. |
| Lava crossing | Get from one side of the room to the other without touching the floor, using only the safe spots. |
| Lava monster | One player can walk on the lava and tries to tag anyone who steps down. Whoever is tagged becomes the monster. |
| Rising lava | After each round, the lowest safe spots stop counting, so players have to find higher, fewer places. |
| Surprise lava | The alarm can come at any time during another activity, and the count is only three. |
The game is popular enough that Netflix turned it into a competition series, Floor Is Lava, in 2020, with teams crossing rooms built over glowing red liquid. Your living room version needs considerably less equipment.
Keep it safe
- Only use furniture built to hold a person. Shelves, tables with glass tops and anything on wheels are lava for safety reasons.
- Socks on a hard floor are slippery. Bare feet or grippy shoes are better.
- No pushing anyone off a safe spot.
- Short jumps only. The point is speed, not distance.
Playing the floor is lava online
You cannot climb a couch over a video call, but the idea, a floor that turns dangerous and a race to stay on something safe, works well as a game. On EggVerse it is called Crackle Floor, and it is free in the browser.
In Crackle Floor, three eggshell floors hang over a boiling pot. Every tile cracks when you step on it and drops a moment later, so you can never stand still. Fall through a hole and you land on the floor below; fall off the bottom floor and you are cooked. After 40 seconds the pot starts crumbling the edges too. Last egg standing wins, and if more than one egg survives the 75 second limit, they share first place.
Two tools keep you alive. Hop jumps a single gap, and it recharges in under a second. Golden tiles repair the tile you touch and the eight around it, which can rebuild a safe island just when you need one. Move with WASD or the arrow keys and press Space to hop; on a phone, slide the joystick and tap Hop.
Play solo against seven bots, or create a friends room for two to eight players and share the link. Everyone races across the same falling tiles in one round, and players who are out can watch a survivor finish. It suits a video call or a group chat game night, with each person on their own phone or computer.
Common questions
How long should the countdown be in the floor is lava?
Five seconds is a common start. Shorten it to three once everyone knows where the safe spots are.
Can you play the floor is lava outside?
Yes. Use benches, low walls, logs or play equipment as safe spots, and agree on boundaries first.
How do you win the floor is lava?
In the elimination version, the last player who never got caught on the floor wins. Many groups skip eliminations and just play for laughs.
Is there a floor is lava game online with friends?
Crackle Floor plays like it: tiles crack and drop under you over a boiling pot, and the last egg standing wins. Two to eight players can join from a link.
For more quick group games, see the party games, including musical chairs and Simon Says style games.