Cranium bills itself as the "whole-brain" game. It's a party game that borrows from a host of other popular party games of recent times. Players have to successfully complete activities in each of four sections to win: In
- Creative Cat : A player must clue a word to his or her teammates by drawing it, sculpting it in clay, or drawing it with his or her eyes closed.
- Data Head : A variety of trivia questions.
- Word Worm : Players unscramble words, spell challenging words, guess definitions, identify words with letters left out, or spell words backwords.
- Star Performer : players must whistle a song, impersonate a celebrity, or act out a clue.

Cranium has elements similar to those of Pictionary, Charades, Trivial Pursuit: Genus Edition, Celebrities, Huggermugger, Claymania, etc.