Game

Pictionary

Draw and guess game for teams

Tools

Drawing Canvas

About Pictionary

One person draws while the rest of the team guesses the word. It needs no preparation and works as well remotely as in person, which is rare among team games.

Drawing ability is irrelevant and mostly makes it funnier. The genuinely useful skill is choosing what feature of a thing to draw, which is a communication problem rather than an artistic one.

How to run it

  1. 1One person gets a word and draws it without letters or numbers.
  2. 2Everyone else guesses out loud.
  3. 3Set a time limit for each turn.
  4. 4Rotate the drawer.

Running it well

  • Set a short time limit, around a minute. Unlimited turns kill the pace.
  • Ban letters, numbers, and gestures, which are the obvious ways around the constraint.
  • Pick concrete nouns for a new group and move to abstract concepts once people are warmed up.
  • Reassure people that drawing badly is the point. Self-consciousness is the main obstacle.
  • Keep teams small enough that everyone gets a turn to draw.

Frequently asked questions

Does Pictionary work remotely?

Yes, particularly well. A shared whiteboard or screen share is enough, and guessing happens naturally in chat or on voice.

What if people cannot draw?

That is generally the funniest version. The skill is choosing what to depict rather than depicting it well, and bad drawings are part of what makes the game work.

How long should each turn be?

About a minute. Short turns keep the energy up and mean more people get a chance to draw.