Guide to Playing Pictionary Online and Offline

Guide to Playing Pictionary Online and Offline

When you have a lot of people over, one of the best games to play is Pictionary. From three to 16 people can compete in two teams, and the game is fun for people of all ages. Players take turns sketching one of many predetermined words or phrases while their teammates attempt to guess what it is. The team that guesses correctly receives a point. The victorious team is the one that finishes with the most points. Practice your sketching talents, so you may be one of the players that adds humor to the game with their drawings.

What You Need to Play Pictionary

To play Pictionary physically with friends and loved ones, here are the things that you need to fully enjoy playing the game:ย 

  • 120 Adult Cards
  • 80 Junior Cards
  • 4 Category Cards
  • Card Boxes
  • Pencils
  • Drawing Pad
  • Game Board
  • Die
  • Movers
  • Timer

Place the Adult Cards’ category cards in a card box. The Junior Card Deck must then be stored in a separate Card Box. Position the Card Boxes and the Timer such that they may be easily accessed by everyone taking part in the game.

Gameplay of Pictionary

  1. First, split everyone into two teams (or a maximum of four). Games with smaller teams and more players are typically more exciting and time-efficient.
  2. A pencil, a colored marker, and a category card should be given to each group.
  3. Third, have each group select one “Picturist.” The job of drawing the first word will be given to him.
  4. Every group then uses a coin toss to choose who will go first. The game will begin with the team that rolls higher.
  5. Have the Picturist select a card randomly from the deck. If he wants to continue playing, he needs to draw a card that matches the color of the tile his team is on. He then has 5 seconds to read and decide what to draw.
  6. Time the Picturist for one minute, and as his team tries to guess the word or phrase, he will begin drawing hints.
  7. If his group guesses the proper word or phrase, they can move forward by the number shown on the dice.
  8. If the team cannot guess the correct answer, they will continue playing until they can. That will allow the other team to participate and start making wild guesses based on your sketches.
  9. The winner is the team that arrives at Finish Square first.

The Word Categories in Pictionary

One of Pictionary’s most appealing features is the game’s variety of category-specific challenges. Each of the game board’s colors stands for a different group:

  • The color blue indicates a word that is a person, animal, or place.
  • The color yellow indicates an object that can be touched or seen.
  • The color orange means that the word is a verb or action word.
  • The color green depicts that the word is relatively more challenging.
  • The color red means that the word is anything under the sun.

Do’s and Don’ts When Playing Pictionary

There are likely to be friendly cheats in this game, as in every competition. Bear in mind that you must stick to sketches or drawings. All communication, including but not limited to numerics, words, noises, and body language, is strictly forbidden. Below are some guidelines on what you can do and what you should not do.

What you can do:

  • Break words up into syllables.
  • Create visual cues based on rhyming words, such as a “shake” and “sphere” for Shakespeare.

What you shouldn’t do:

  • Use of underscores to indicate the word’s letter count.
  • Use of alphabetic and numeric notation.
  • Employing Sign Language
  • Communicate with your group.
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Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Pictionary

You can still have a great time playing Pictionary even if you don’t have the board game. In any case, you and your loved ones may play a round of Homemade Pictionary. All you need is a whiteboard, a blank sheet of paper, some drawing tools, and a separate scorebook is available.

How to Play DIY Pictionary

The rules of Homemade Pictionary are identical to those of the original game, down to how points are awarded for correct guesses. Nonetheless, a non-participating individual should serve as a Judge if the board game is unavailable.

The role of the Judge is to prepare several words on separate strips of colored paper or cards. Sort the colors into several groups. If you like, you may use the same grouping of categories as the classic board game. And if you want to spice up the game more, feel free to create your own list! If you’re ready to play once the words are established, shuffle them.

  1. Create even-sized teams by splitting up the participants.
  2. Provide sheets of blank paper, or acquire a chalkboard or whiteboard, where the Picturist may sketch his hints.
  3. Pick a starting squad and a designated Picturist.
  4. Have the Picturist select a paper or card and set the timer to one minute.
  5. The game starts if the Judge has given the signal. The team can already try to guess the word while the Picturist draws the assigned word.
  6. The team will receive a point if the team guesses the word correctly within the time limit.
  7. Then, the opposing group will have their turn, repeating Step 4.
  8. Set a target number of points that must be achieved (like 5 or 10) before one team may claim victory. The first team to do so will be declared the victor.

Playing Online Pictionary

Following the exact mechanism as the Homemade DIY version, Pictionary may also be played across long distances with friends and family.

Various video conferencing tools allow you to organize a weekend gaming night. On the other hand, Zoom is an excellent option because it features a whiteboard-sharing capability, making it ideal for a game of Pictionary.

To utilize it, you must first download and install the Zoom software on each participant’s smartphone. Create a timetable that works for everyone. The next step is to organize a meeting and invite them to join via video by providing them with a meeting ID.

When it’s a participant’s turn to be the Picturist, have them use the meeting toolbar’s share screen button. Whiteboard sharing may be accessed by selecting the share menu and clicking “Whiteboard.”

To illustrate your hints, please use the mouse. Then, switch the shared screen with who the Picturist is each time it comes around. Appoint someone who can maintain time and take the lead in determining who will be the next person to draw so that everything goes well.

Several online word generators allow you to play Pictionary without a physical board or paper strips. Each participant may immediately obtain a phrase to doodle with simply a click.

An educational game, Pictionary, has participants draw images to demonstrate a word or concept to their teammates. A word’s meaning can be better grasped when players are asked to illustrate it in their own way. Players can better remember and apply new vocabulary words and concepts thanks to the game’s design. In addition, it encourages constructive group dynamics and assists players in visualizing subjects.ย