How to Play Pictionary – The Complete Guide to Pictionary

Pictionary is a classic guessing game to play with a group of friends that can be fast-paced, hilarious, and so much fun. Pick your teams, grab a pencil and pad of paper and get sketching, or load up Pictionary Air to draw using a specialized digital pen! Find out below how to play Pictionary in this complete guide to Pictionary and Pictionary Air.

Complete Guide to Pictionary

The original Pictionary board game is played in teams of 2 or more people, and each team has their own paper and drawing pencils. The Pictionary board comes with the basic items you need to play, but players can always choose to bring their own large pads of paper if they prefer.

Equipment included:

• Pictionary board
• Reference cards
• Pencils
• Paper
• Pawns

How to play:

1. Roll the dice
2. Move to the correct space and take note of the color
3. Pick a card
4. Choose the word on the card that matches your colored space
5. Sketch a picture to help your team guess the word
6. If the word is guessed correctly, that team member rolls the dice next
7. if the word is guessed incorrectly or the time runs out, it is the next team’s turn

The game ends when the first team reaches the finish square on the board. There are only a few rules to follow:

• Players have 1 minute to draw the word and have the team guess it
• No symbols or letters can be used
• Any extra rules or changes to rules should be agreed upon by all players before the game starts. For example: you could all decide to allow shortened versions of words such as “mixer” for “food mixer” or “floss” for “dental floss”.

Complete Guide to Playing Pictionary Air

Pictionary Air is basically the same game as regular Pictionary, but uses a different setup and has a slightly altered objective. Instead of paper and pens, this version uses a digital pen and smart devices.

Related | How to Erase in Pictionary Air

Equipment needed/included:

• Smart device with Google Play or Apple App Store
• Downloaded Pictionary Air app
• Pictionary Air pen
• Reference cards

How to play:

1. Player starting has the digital pen and stands where they cannot see the smart device screen
2. Choose a card and pick a clue to draw
3. Ensure the digital pen is pointed toward the smart device when drawing
4. Draw a large square to show how much space is needed
5. Press the button on the pen when drawing, and draw large images so they show up well on screen
6. If the word is guessed correctly, the team continues with another word
7. If the word is guessed incorrectly the next team has a turn
8. The game ends when all rounds are completed
9. The winning team is the team with the most points

Rules are decided upon before the game begins, and are agreed on by all teams. Rules include:

• Teams must decide how many rounds should be completed to end the game
• No letters or numbers can be used when drawing
• No sign language
• Talking is only allowed when asking the team mate holding the smart device to clear or reset the picture

If you enjoyed Pictionary find more great games you can play with friends. Pictionary and Pictionary Air from Mattel are available to purchase from any good toy store, or online. Download Pictionary Air from Google Play or the App Store.