Pikto
Pikto Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 6 slates
- 1 score board
- 46 Word cards (1,104 words in total)
- 10 Shape cards (for a variant only)
- 5 markers
- 1 die
- the rulebook
Goal of the Game
Score the most points by guessing drawings and by getting your own drawings guessed.
Setup
- Write the players' first names on the score board.
- Each player chooses a slate.
- Shuffle the Word cards and stack them to form a draw pile.
Playing the Game
Draw lots to decide which player will guess first.
Turn Sequence
1. The guessing player rolls the die while all the other players turn over and look at the first card of the draw pile. The die tells them which word they must draw.
Die result / word to draw: 1 = Golf; 2 = Plastic duck; 3 = Caterpillar; 4 = Court jester / Fool; 5 = Saturn; 6 = Weathervane; 7 = Hen; 8 = Ice-cream parlour / Ice-cream seller; 9 = Fingernail; 10 = Avalanche; 11 = Duck; 12 = Yoda (Star Wars).
(These are the words on the example card pictured in the rulebook. Each card has a word for each die result.)
If this is your first game, it is recommended not to roll the die and to take, on each card, the word opposite the green symbol. Among young players, these words are also recommended because they are easier to draw.
If you are playing among experienced players, you can use the words opposite the red symbol instead of rolling the die. This "special" category promises more challenges and surprises (personalities, titles of works...).
2. Once all the players concerned have read the word (not before), they draw on their slate, without showing anything to their opponents.
ATTENTION:
- You may only draw using straight lines and circles. No curves!
- It is forbidden to draw letters, numbers (or other computer keyboard symbols). However, arrows are allowed.
- It is advisable to draw few elements to improve your chances of winning.
Each player then notes in the corner of their slate how many elements (the sum of the lines and circles) their drawing contains, then turns it face down on the table.
NOTE: In principle, the drawers have no time limit. But if players overdo it, do not hesitate to count 10 seconds out loud when only one player is still drawing, so that they hurry up.
Examples from the rulebook's illustrations: A drawing with 17 elements in all is made of 15 straight lines and 2 circles. Forbidden: circles must be whole. A dot is considered a small circle. No curves!
3. As soon as all drawings are finished, each drawer announces how many elements they drew. The one who announces the smallest number reveals their drawing first.
The guessing player may make a guess. If they do not find what the drawing represents, the player with the 2nd smallest number of elements reveals their slate, and so on until the correct answer is found or all the drawings have been revealed.
NOTE: If several players have the same number of elements, the one who finished their drawing first reveals their slate first.
(Example: Gwen did not find the right answer with Agathe's drawing. "No!" She now tries her luck with the next drawing. "Yes!")
4. If the correct answer is found, the drawer wins 2 points and the player who guessed wins 1 point. Note them on the score board.
Next Turn
The player to the left of the one who was guessing takes their role and play continues as in the previous turn with a new card.
End of the Game
The game ends when each player has been in the role of the guessing player:
- With 3 and 4 players: 2 times
- With 5 and 6 players: 1 time
The player with the most points is the great winner!
Variant: "In Great Shape"
After a few games, you can add the following rule: each turn, draw a Shape card at random. The drawers are now allowed lines, circles AND this shape. They may vary its size, but not its proportions (for example, the square cannot become a rectangle). In the total number of elements drawn, each of these shapes counts as 1.
Variant: Teams
For 4, 6, 8 or 10 players. Here are the adjustments to make:
- Form teams of 2 players. Members of the same team sit face to face.
- Each turn, a whole side of the table (that is, one member of each team) looks at the word they must have guessed, then these players all secretly draw that same word.
- Then the drawers may show each other their finished drawings.
- Then each drawer shows their slate to their teammate only. The teammates write down their proposed answer on the slate without speaking.
- Finally, all the slates are revealed and 1 point is awarded to the teams that found the correct answer. Among those that found it, 1 bonus point is awarded to the one that drew the fewest elements (even if there is only one team).
- The pairs swap roles for the next turn.
Variant: Artistic Score
Each turn, after seeing all the drawings, the guessing player gives a bonus point to the player whose drawing they like the most: the most successful, the one that helped them the most, the most stylised... It is their choice!