The floor is lava: rules, twists and games

The floor is lava is a kids' game with one rule: when someone shouts "the floor is lava!", everyone has to get off the floor before the count ends. Anyone still touching the ground is out. It also works great as a video game, where the lava actually rises.

How to play the real-life version

1. Pick a caller. One person shouts "the floor is lava!" at a random moment.
2. Count down. The caller counts to five. Everyone climbs onto a couch, a cushion, a chair or a rug.
3. Out if touching. Anyone with a foot on the floor at zero is out, or becomes the next caller.
4. Stay safe. Use soft, low spots. No standing on tables, shelves or anything that can tip.

Where it went from there

The game has been played in living rooms for decades. In 2020 Netflix turned it into a show called Floor Is Lava, where teams cross rooms full of bubbling red goo. On Roblox there are lots of lava-rising games where the map floods and you climb to survive.

Twists that make it better

Rising lava. The lava climbs every few seconds, so you have to keep going up.
Shrinking safe spots. Platforms vanish one by one. Last one standing wins.
Lava tag. One player can walk on the lava and tag others off their perches.
Collect on the way. Coins sit on the risky jumps, so you choose between safe and rich.

Lava-style games on Roam

Climb or Drown is a first-person flood escape: the water is rising and the door is closing. Don't Look Down and KEEP UP! are vertical climbers like Only Up. Clack Obby has you jump key to key across a giant keyboard, where one miss drops you to the floor.

Play it on Roam

Make your own lava level with Roam

Describe the room, how fast the lava rises and who plays. Roam builds it, and you can change it by talking. Roam is rated 13+ on the App Store.

Try: "floor is lava in my living room, lava rises every 10 seconds, 3 lives, my friends race me to the ceiling fan"

Create it with Roam Pre-register on Android See Roam

Roam ("Roam - Make Games" on the App Store) is an iPhone app where you play games and make your own by describing them or from a photo. It is free to download and play, and making games works without a subscription; optional Spark and Reality plans and credit packs add more creation. Android: pre-register on Google Play.

Questions people ask

What are the rules of the floor is lava?

When someone shouts it, you have a few seconds to get off the floor. Anyone still touching it is out.

Is there a Floor Is Lava TV show?

Yes. Netflix released Floor Is Lava in 2020, a competition show built on the game.

What is a lava obby?

An obstacle course game where touching lava resets you, or where lava rises and you climb to survive.