Hosting is the teacher side of Gimkit. You’ll need a free Gimkit account to host, your students, on the other hand, join free with a game code and need no accounts at all.

New to kits? Create one first with our guide to making a Gimkit game.

Once you start, your class plays together in real time. See how Gimkit Live works for students joining your game.

Before You Host: A Quick Checklist

A smooth game starts before anyone joins. Run through this checklist once and hosting becomes routine.

• Your Kit is ready. Build your question set in advance, or pick a ready-made Kit from the library, and double-check the questions and answers.
• You are signed in on your host device. Gimkit runs in any modern browser, so open it on your laptop or classroom computer and sign in before class starts.
• Your display is sorted. If you project the game, connect to the projector or smartboard first and keep the lobby view visible so students can see the game code.
• You know how students will join. Students join at gimkit.com/join with your game code, and having the QR code ready speeds things up. Here is what a Gimkit code looks like and where to find yours.

How to Host, Step by Step

1. Create your free account at gimkit.com.
2. Pick or build a Kit, a Kit is a question set on your topic. You can make your own, use a ready-made one, or try KitCollab to build a Kit together with colleagues or students.
3. Choose a game mode, such as Snowbrawl, Blastball, or One Way Out. Modes rotate, and Gimkit Pro unlocks every mode.
4. Click Host and share the game code, or the QR code or link, with your class.
5. Students join the lobby, check the names, then press Start.

Useful Hosting Features

• Nickname Generator, let Gimkit assign fun, classroom-safe nicknames automatically.
• Classes, organize your students into class groups for easier hosting.
• Assignments, set Kits as homework that students complete on their own time (a Pro feature).

Host Settings Explained

Before you press Start, take a minute in the lobby settings. These options shape how your game runs.

Nickname rules

Decide how students name themselves. You can let them type their own names, or switch on the Nickname Generator so Gimkit assigns fun, classroom-safe nicknames automatically. If you need real names for grading, ask students to use their actual names.

Two-step join

Two-step join adds an extra confirmation step before a student enters the lobby. It cuts down on accidental or duplicate joins and gives you a calmer lobby, which helps a lot with large classes.

Team mode

Team mode splits the class into teams that play together instead of everyone for themselves. It works well for review days and keeps every student involved, even in a big class.

Lobby name-check

While students join, scan the lobby list for joke names or duplicates. You can remove a player from the lobby before you start, so take thirty seconds here and save yourself a headache later.

First-Time Host? Pick the Right Game Mode

If this is your first time hosting, start simple. A classic quiz-style mode is easy to explain: students answer questions, earn virtual cash, and climb the leaderboard. Once you are comfortable, try a team mode for collaborative review days, or explore the rotating seasonal modes. Modes rotate regularly, and Gimkit Pro unlocks every mode. Our Gimkit free vs Pro comparison explains the difference.

Hosting Homework: Gimkit Assignments

Not every game has to be live. Assignments let students play a Kit on their own time, which makes Gimkit work for homework, absent students, and sub days.

1. Open the Kit you want to assign and choose the Assign option.
2. Pick a game mode for the assignment and set a due date and time.
3. Share the assignment link with your class through your LMS or classroom page.
4. Track progress as students submit, then review the results after the deadline passes.

Assignments are a Gimkit Pro feature, so you will need Pro to use them.

Running the Game: Tips for Game Day

Hosting goes smoothly when you plan the middle and the end of the game, not just the start.

• Pace the game. Most live games run well in 10 to 20 minutes. Watch the leaderboard and the energy in the room: end early if the outcome is decided, or let a close game run a little longer.
• End the game on purpose. Use the host controls to end the game when time is up instead of letting it fizzle out, then show the final results on the projector for a strong finish.
• Review the results. After the game, open the game report to see per-question and per-student results. It shows exactly which questions the class missed, which makes planning tomorrow’s reteach much easier.
• Have a backup plan for join problems. If a student cannot get in, check their code entry and internet connection first. For trickier cases, see our host-side troubleshooting guide.

Frequently Asked Questions