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July 30, 2026Short & citedBlog
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How It Works • Games & Tech

Mad Libs

Mad Libs is a word game in which players supply words to fill blanks in a story, usually producing a humorous or nonsensical result when the completed text is read aloud.

Updated July 30, 20261 min readCited sources

Mad Libs is a word game where players fill blanks in a story with specified types of words, creating humorous or nonsensical results when read aloud. Created by Leonard Stern and Roger Price, it was first published in 1958 and has sold over 110 million copies.

What it is

Mad Libs is a phrasal template game. One player asks others for words matching prompts like nouns, verbs, or adjectives, without revealing the story context. After the blanks are filled, the completed story is read aloud, often for comedic effect.

Why it matters

The game has become a cultural staple, especially in family and classroom settings, including in Canada, where it's used as an educational and party activity. Its simple format encourages creativity and language play.

Key details

The first Mad Libs book was published in 1958. The brand has sold more than 110 million copies. It also inspired a children's game show on the Disney Channel from 1998 to 1999.

In short

  • Players fill blanks in a story with words of specified types.
  • Created by Leonard Stern and Roger Price in 1958.
  • Over 110 million copies sold.
  • Common in Canadian classrooms and parties.
Canadian angle

Mad Libs has been widely sold and used in English-language family and classroom settings, including in Canada, where fill-in-the-blank word games are common as educational and party activities.

Quick questions

What is Mad Libs?
Mad Libs is a word game where players fill in blanks in a story with words matching given prompts, creating a funny or nonsensical result.
Who created Mad Libs?
Mad Libs was created by Leonard Stern and Roger Price.
How do you play Mad Libs?
One player asks others for words like nouns or verbs to complete blanks in a story, then reads the finished story aloud.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Libs
    Supports: Creators, gameplay, first publication, copies sold, party-game use, genre
  2. Simple English Wikipedia — https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Libs
    Supports: Basic gameplay description and creation in the 1950s
  3. Mad Libs — https://madlibs.com/history/
    Supports: Brand history and naming background
  4. Wiktionary — https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Mad_Lib
    Supports: Brand-name usage and definition as a humorous template story
  5. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Libs_(game_show)
    Supports: Game show adaptation and broadcast details