Telestrations
Telestrations is a hilarious party game that combines the telephone game with Pictionary. Laughter guaranteed as the original message gets twisted and transformed through multiple rounds of drawing and guessing!
Description: Telestrations is a party game that injects humor and creativity into the classic telephone game. Players start with a secret word or phrase, then take turns drawing what they see on the word. The next player only sees the drawing and tries to guess the word, then writes down their guess. This process continues around the group, with each player drawing based on the previous guess and writing down a new one. The final results are often wildly different and nonsensical compared to the original word, leading to much laughter and surprise. Telestrations is a perfect icebreaker for parties, game nights, or gatherings with friends and family, and it’s sure to bring out the creativity and comedic interpretations in everyone.
Categories: Party Game, Drawing, Creativity, Family-friendly
How to Play:
- Number of Players: 4-12 (Works best with more players for maximum laughter and transformation of the message)
- What You’ll Need:
- A copy of Telestrations (includes erasable sketchbooks, markers, a die, sand timer, and word cards)
- Paper and pens (can be used for alternative homemade version)
- Gameplay:
- Deal sketchbooks and markers: Each player gets a telestrations sketchbook and a marker.
- Choose a word: If playing with the included deck, players can draw a word card to determine the starting word or phrase. You can also choose a word yourself or have players take turns picking words.
- Set the timer: Each round has a time limit for drawing and writing, typically around 30-60 seconds.
- Start Drawing!: The player with the chosen word secretly writes it down in their sketchbook at the top of the first page, then folds the page to hide the word. They set the timer and start drawing what they see written down.
- Passing and Guessing: Once the timer runs out, the player passes their sketchbook (with the drawing hidden) to the next player. This player unfolds the page, sees the drawing, and writes down their guess for what the word or phrase might be at the bottom of the next page. Then they fold the page again to hide their guess and the previous drawing.
- Continue Drawing and Guessing: Play continues around the circle with each player seeing the previous guess written down, then drawing what they interpret from that written guess. They write down their new guess at the bottom of the next page before folding it again.
- Reveal the Transformation!: After all players have had a turn, unfold all the pages in each sketchbook one by one, revealing the chain of drawings and guesses. The final guess is usually hilarious and completely different from the original word, providing plenty of laughs for everyone.
Winning Criteria: Telestrations is not a competitive game, but the most entertaining and funniest transformation of the original word often wins bragging rights!
Estimated Playtime: 20-45 minutes (depending on the number of players, number of rounds, and how long players take to draw and guess)
Make it Your Own: Minor Changes for a Different Experience
- Custom Words: Instead of using the included deck, create your own list of words or phrases to personalize the game.
- Themed Rounds: Choose themes for starting words, like movies, video games, or famous landmarks.
- Team Play: For larger groups, divide into teams and work on the same sketchbook together, with one person drawing and another writing the guess.
- Act it Out: If you don’t have Telestrations, you can play a similar game using paper and pencils. Players take turns drawing what they hear someone act out instead of a written word.
Ready to Play? You can find Telestrations at most major toy and game stores.
Tags: Party Game, Drawing, Creativity, Family-friendly, Laughter
Similar Games:
- Pictionary: A drawing game where players take turns drawing clues for their teammates to guess the word within a time limit. If you prefer a more structured drawing game with teams, Pictionary is a good choice.
- Charades: An acting game where players act out words or phrases for their teammates to guess without speaking. Charades is a good alternative if you want a more active game that focuses on acting and guessing.
- Taboo: A word guessing game where players try to get their teammates to guess a secret word by giving clues, but they can’t use certain forbidden words listed on the card. Taboo is a great game for vocabulary and creative thinking, but with a less artistic focus than Telestrations.