Pictionary Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Object of the Game
• Setup
  • Quick Play Rules
• How to Play
• All Play Squares
• All Play Words
• The Meaning of the Squares
• Special Challenge Die
• Moving
• Pointers
• Hints
• Winning the Game
• Other Stuff

Contents

• Gameboard
• One-minute timer
• Standard die plus Challenge Die
• 324 Cards including 4 category cards
• 4 Pencils
• 4 Playing pieces
• 4 Pads of paper
• Card holder

Object of the Game

The object of the game is to sketch your way from Start to Finish. The first team to reach the FINISH square and guess a final sketch correctly is the winning team.

Setup

1. Remove the four category cards from the deck and use them for reference during the game. Fill the card holder with cards, making sure that all cards of the same color face the same way. Note: You may find that not all of the cards fit in the holder at one time. Simply set aside the extra cards and use them later.
2. Place the timer, card holder, standard die and challenge die within easy reach of all players.
3. Divide the players into teams of equal numbers. Each team chooses a playing piece, which it places on the large ALL PLAY START square. Each team should then take some paper, a pencil and a category card.
4. At the beginning of the game each team chooses its Picturist (the person who sketches) for the first round.

Quick Play Rules

1. Divide into teams of 2 or more players and choose a Picturist (the person who sketches) for each team.
2. The Picturist takes a card and reads the word or phrase that corresponds to the square that team's marker is on. (If it's an ALL PLAY, a Picturist from each team sketches the same word at the same time.) The timer is turned, and the Picturist starts sketching.
3. Your team (all teams if it's an ALL PLAY) now has one minute to guess! If you guess correctly before the time is up, roll the die and move on. If not, stay where you are.
4. Play passes to the next team if your team doesn't guess in time. When it's your team's turn to play, choose a different Picturist, a different card and play the same as before, starting with the word in the category which corresponds to the square you are currently on.

How to Play

Die: Decide if you will play by the classic rules, or add the special Challenge Die (see rules on back).

Picturists: Team members take turns being the Picturist. Each time your team has to sketch a new word, a new Picturist must sketch.

All Play Squares

The START square is an ALL PLAY square and there are others around the board with the same symbol. Whenever you land on ALL PLAY, the word is shown to and sketched simultaneously by the Picturist from each team. The other players must try to guess the word from their respective team's sketch.

All Play Words

In addition to the ALL PLAY squares, there are ALL PLAY words. If the word for the category you have landed on has the four-pencil symbol next to it, play is the same as on an ALL PLAY square. No matter whose ALL PLAY word it is, whichever team guesses the word first within the time limit, rolls the standard die, moves and takes the next turn.

The Meaning of the Squares

• ALL PLAY — this can be any type of word
• DIFFICULT — challenging words
• ACTION — things that can be performed
• PERSON/PLACE/ANIMAL — names are included!
• OBJECT — things that can be touched or seen

Special Challenge Die

The 15th Anniversary Challenge Die adds a decidedly different twist to the classic PICTIONARY game — a little bit more challenge, a lot more laughter. To incorporate it into gameplay: At the start of your turn, roll the Challenge Die to see if this round will contain any special challenges.

• No special Challenges for this card. It's traditional PICTIONARY.
• Off Hand. Every Picturist must use his/her off hand to draw the picture. If you are right-handed, draw with your left hand. And vice versa.
• Eyes closed. Every Picturist must draw with his/her eyes closed. No peeking or you forfeit the round. You can look up at the ceiling if that's easier.
• One line. Every Picturist can only use one line when drawing a picture. Once the pencil hits the paper, it cannot be lifted for any reason. If a Picturist lifts the pencil, his/her team loses the round.
• Two images. Every Picturist must draw two pictures from this card. One picture must be the one from the correct category (i.e., the right color) while the second picture can be any other one from the card.

If the first picture is an ALL PLAY (or it is the ALL PLAY category), then the person whose turn it is decides what the second picture will be. All teams then draw the same two pictures. The pictures can be drawn in any order.

Moving

1. The team that gains control of the die by guessing the word first rolls the standard die and moves forward that number of squares.
2. The next Picturist for this team takes a new card from the card holder. The timer is turned, and the Picturist draws the word which corresponds to the square the team has landed on. If it is an ALL PLAY word, follow the ALL PLAY rules.
3. If it's not an ALL PLAY and this team guesses correctly, it rolls the standard die, moves and takes another turn.
4. If time runs out, it's the next team's turn to play. This next team does not roll the die. Instead, it picks a new card and must sketch the word on the card matching the category of the square it is currently on. If this square is an ALL PLAY square, everyone gets the chance to play again.

Pointers

If you guess an opposing team's ALL PLAY, you gain control of the die and you can roll to move on. If not, on your next turn, you must pick a new card and draw the word for the category corresponding to the square you are currently on. If you guess correctly, you can roll the die, move on and play on. If time runs out, you stay on the same square until you guess a word correctly!

Hints

You Can: Draw anything related to the word, no matter how tenuous the link; break words down into a number of syllables; draw "mail" for "male" or "blew" for "blue," etc.

You Can't: Use "ears" for "sounds like" or "dashes" for the number of letters in the word; use letters or numbers; speak to your teammates; use sign language.

Winning the Game

Continue to sketch your way around the board, sketching the word corresponding to the square you land on. The first team to reach the FINISH square and guess a sketch correctly wins the game! (You don't need to roll the exact number to reach this final square.)

Other Stuff

• There can be more than one playing piece on the same square.
• If there are three players, one player can act as the Picturist for both teams!
• It's probably a good idea to set some "house" rules before you start to play.
• Decide how precise an answer must be. Are you prepared to accept floss for dental floss, run for running or puzzle for jigsaw puzzle?

Remember, friends are for life, not just for an evening of PICTIONARY!