Pictionary Rules Explained: How To Play Pictiuonary

If you need ideas for your next family game night, this epic game of doodles and guesses is a great choice because the Pictionary rules are easy for all ages. Pictionary is similar to charades, but instead of pantomiming, you draw clues that help everyone guess the word. If you’ve never played before, you might be wondering, "What are the rules of Pictionary?" or "How do you set up Pictionary?" Fear not, because this guide lays out everything you need to know about Pictionary, including the Pictionary rules.

Whether you want to learn the basic Pictionary rules, the Pictionary rules for kids or the Pictionary rules for 2 players (yes, there are differences between all of them), we’ve got you covered. And it’s okay if stick figures are about as fancy as your art skills get — the Pictionary rules don’t say you have to be Picasso! Easy doodles and fun drawing ideas are just fine. So settle in, find out how the game works and get ready to have a good time — whether you have the official game board or just a whiteboard.

Jump to Section

• How Do You Set Up Pictionary?
• Pictionary Rules With A Board
• Pictionary Rules Without A Board
• Pictionary Rules For 2 Players
• Pictionary Rules FAQs

How Do You Set Up Pictionary?

1. Shuffle the Cards

Before we even get into the Pictionary rules, you need to know how to set up the game. The first order of business is to shuffle the deck and place the cards in the holder. Make sure all the cards are facing the same direction and that the words are covered. Players shouldn't be able to see the words; otherwise, they'll know the answer before you even start the game.

2. Divide Into Teams

The next step is to divide into even teams (or as evenly as possible). You can play with up to four teams and as few as two. You can have as many people in a team as you'd like. One thing to consider is that the fewer players on a team, the more often each player will have the opportunity to draw. 

3. Gather Your Supplies

Now that you have your teams and the cards are ready to go, give each team a drawing utensil (pen, pencil or marker), something to draw on (paper, the official mini whiteboards or a larger whiteboard) and a reference card. The reference card provides color-coded prompts that tell you what type of word to draw on your turn.

Here are the categories (Note: These may differ depending on the version of the game you have. Some might not include "Wild" for example, but could include "Popular Culture".):

• Object (yellow): Things that can be touched like a fruit or a piece of furniture.
• Person/Place/Animal (blue): Regular nouns like pets, famous people, countries or Famous sites. 
• Action (orange): This is a verb, something that you can do like throw, bend or fly. 
• Difficult (green): The dreaded green (or maybe the most fun, depending on who you ask). These are not only harder to guess, but also pretty hard to draw. They could contain complex structures like "Black hole," "Applause," "Blizzard," or "Time machine." These can include any of the other colors from objects to verbs to famous people. 
• Miscellaneous (dark orange/red): This can be any word from any of the above categories.
• Wild: Some versions have the wild category, which means you can choose any word on a card to draw.

4. Set Up the Board

Next, it’s time for each team to select a pawn and place it on the “Start” space. You only need one pawn per team since you’re working together. 

5. Outline Your House Rules

There are the official Pictionary rules (discussed below), and then there are house rules (your unique additions). When it comes to board games for a party, it’s always important to establish the house rules before getting started so everyone is on the same page. For example, if the word is “dental floss,” you should decide whether it’s acceptable for someone to just say “floss.” Or maybe you're playing with second language speakers, and they're allowed to answer in their first language if they don't know the word in English. 

Pictionary Rules With A Board

1. Determine the Starting Team

Roll a die, draw lots, or play a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to determine the starting team. Whoever rolls the highest number etc. gets to go first. 

2. Choose the First “Picturist” 

One of the most important Pictionary rules is choosing a Picturist for the starting team. The Picturist is the person who will do the sketching; you can alternate players each round to give everyone a fair shot. 

• The starting team will roll the die again and move the corresponding number of spaces.
• Then, the first Picturist draws a card from the holder and looks at the color of the space their team’s pawn is on. This lets the Picturist know what category they’re sketching in this round.
• Pictionary rules with a board do have some exceptions, and one of them involves “All Play” spaces. These spaces, which are either labeled “AP” or have four pencil icons, allow Picturists from both teams to draw a card at the same time. Whichever team guesses the picture correctly first gets to go next.

3. The Starting Team Takes Their Turn

Now, it’s time to put the Pictionary rules into action and officially start the round. The Picturist flips over the sand timer and starts drawing. Tip: If you don't have the sand timer (these things tend to disappear over time), the measured time in traditional Pictionary rules is one minute, which you can change if you'd like, depending on your own house rules. Just use your cellphone timer.

You could get someone in the other team to flip over the timer (or press start) so the Picturist could get to work right away. One Pictionary rule you should be aware of is that the person is not allowed to start drawing until the timer has started. 

The person sketching can draw anything that relates to the prompt, including words that rhyme with it and homophones. For example, if the word was “wail,” the Picturist could draw a whale.

Many people wonder about Pictionary rules concerning symbols, and unfortunately, they aren’t allowed (nor are letters or numbers). On the bright side, not using symbols or letters means you get to play around with lots of easy drawings to draw for beginners! 

4. As the Picturist Draws, Their Team Guesses

The Pictionary rules state that the Picturist’s team (not an opposing team) tries to guess what they’re drawing before the sand timer runs out. As everyone throws out their best guesses, the Picturist can add to the drawing to speed things along. If the space is “All Play,” the first team to guess the word wins the round. 

5. If the Team Guesses Correctly, They Roll the Die To Advance

If the guessing team gets the word in time, they roll the die and advance the corresponding number of spaces. When it comes to All Play spaces, the winning team advances with a caveat. If it was your team's turn and you win the All Play round, you can spin again and advance. If it was the other team's turn, you and you win the round, you can't spin and will have to play the color of your last turn, where your pawn is placed. 

6. The Team Continues Taking Turns Until Nobody Guesses the Word in Time

The team continues taking turns, switching Picturists each time, until they fail to guess the word before the timer runs out. According to the Pictionary rules, play passes to the other team at that point.

7. Win By Reaching the Finish Square and Guessing One Last Word

According to the Pictionary rules with a board, landing on the Finish square isn’t enough to win the round (this is one thing players often get wrong). Once your team reaches the final space, you have to guess one last word to claim victory. Another plot twist is that the Finish square is usually an All Play space, so another team could swoop in and steal your thunder.

Pictionary Rules Without A Board

Use a Point System

Pictionary rules without a board are very similar to traditional gameplay. The only difference is that you’ll have to use a point system for scoring since there’s no clear “finish line,” so to speak. Agree on how many points it takes to win, with each correct guess counting as one point, then play as normal.

Picturists can pick any prompt from the card, since you don’t have a board with colored spaces. If you don’t have official Pictionary cards, make your own or use an online generator! This is a great version of Pictionary for your road trip games. It’s especially a great way to pass the time on long car rides for the kids.

Pictionary Rules For 2 Players

Each Player Is a Team of One

When it comes to Pictionary rules for two players, the only difference is that, since you don’t have anyone else on your team, one of you will guess the word as the other draws. If the guesser is successful, they’ll advance on the board and keep taking turns until they fail to guess correctly before the timer runs out. The biggest issue with two players is that you'll really have to trust each other because the Picturist could easily cheat by not drawing fast enough or to their best potential.

You could make it a mutually cooperative game by trying to get to the end of the board in a set time, like 30 minutes. If you make it, you both win! If not, you both lose. You could also use a points system where the guesser gets 2 points if correct and the Picturist gets one point. If the giuess is incorrect, no one gets a point, or you give a point (or two) to an imaginary third player. You never go twice in a row. The person with the most points after a set time wins.  

Pictionary Rules For Kids

The Pictionary rules for kids are the same as the rules for adults — except that there’s a separate version of the game, Pictionary Junior, made just for kids. Pictionary Junior has hints to help players guess the word, and the cards are two-sided to accommodate both older and younger kids. According to Scholastic, board games have numerous benefits for kids, from better focus to improved language skills. In case you needed another reason to learn the Pictionary rules and start playing, this is your sign.

Pictionary Rules FAQs

How Do You Play Pictionary On A Whiteboard?

The Pictionary rules don’t say you have to use pen and paper! For an even more collaborative experience, have the Picturist sketch their drawings on a whiteboard. The rules are the same, so just follow the steps outlined above, whether you’re playing with or without a board. For All Play, both teams draw at the same time on the same whiteboard, or two if you have them. 

Can You Use Words In Pictionary?

No, the Pictionary rules clearly state you can’t use words, symbols or gestures to help your team members guess the prompt. You must stay silent during the round and draw pictures only. You can nod your head or shake it to let the person know if they're going in the right direction in terms of guessing. 

Can Pictionary Be Played With 2 People?

Yes, you can play Pictionary with just two people. The Pictionary rules for two players are almost identical to the standard rules, except that you’ll have to guess what the other person is drawing since you’re playing as teams of one. See our section above to get some ideas on two-person Pictionary.

From Pictionary rules without a board to the lowdown on Pictionary rules symbols, now you’re ready to play this classic game that’s fun for all ages. Whether you’re playing traditionally or DIYing it without a board, there’s no wrong way to enjoy Pictionary. 

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