How to Play Pictionary

Pictionary is a classic drawing and guessing game that's perfect for game nights, parties, and classrooms. Here's everything you need to know.

What You Need

Split players into two or more equal teams. Each team should have at least 2 players.

Each round, one player from the drawing team becomes the "drawer" (also called the Picturist).

The drawer picks a word from the card deck or uses a Pictionary word generator. They have 5 seconds to look at the word before drawing.

The drawer has 60 seconds to sketch the word. No letters, numbers, words, or gestures allowed! Only drawing.

Teammates shout out guesses while the drawer sketches. Unlimited guesses are allowed.

If the team guesses correctly, they score a point and get another turn. If time runs out, play passes to the next team.

Start simple. Draw the most obvious element first to give your team a head start.
Use size cues. Draw big for important elements and small for details.
Break it down. For compound words, draw each part separately.
Use arrows and underlines. Point to the key element of your drawing.
Practice quick sketching. Speed matters more than artistic skill.
Know your team. Draw references your teammates will understand.

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