Gather your friends, unleash your creativity, and embark on an uproarious journey of miscommunication with Telestrations, the game where laughter reigns supreme. As you pass a sketchbook around, each player adds their own unique interpretation to a starting phrase. The results? A hilarious cascade of distorted drawings and head-scratching guesses.
The rules are deceptively simple: begin with a secret phrase. The first player draws their interpretation, folds the paper, and passes it to the next. Player two draws what they think they see, folds it again, and so on. By the time the sketchbook returns to the original artist, the drawing bears little resemblance to its initial inspiration. Now comes the challenge: each player must guess the phrase based on the final, mangled illustration.
Telestrations is more than just a game; it’s an exercise in misinterpretation and a testament to the power of imagination. As the game progresses, the drawings become increasingly distorted, the guesses more outlandish, and the laughter more contagious. It’s an unforgettable experience that will solidify friendships and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Gather the Players and Materials
Players:
Telestrations is designed for 4-8 players, although larger groups can participate with multiple sets of materials. Ensure that all participants are comfortable with the game’s premise and rules.
Materials:
– Telestrations Sketchbook: This spiral-bound notebook contains pages with pre-printed categories and spaces for drawing and writing.
–Sketch Pencils: Each player receives a pencil to draw their illustrations and write their words.
–Markers: A set of colored markers or crayons is used for filling in the illustrations.
Additional Recommended Materials:
–Timer: A timer or stopwatch can help keep track of the time limits for each round.
–Sand Timer or Hourglass: This can provide a more immersive experience for keeping time.
–Tabletop or Blackboard: A flat surface or blackboard can be useful for displaying the drawings and writings for all players to see.
–Music: Background music can create a fun and relaxed atmosphere for gameplay.
Choose a Starting Phrase
1. Brainstorm some ideas
Gather your group and start thinking about a phrase to draw. It can be anything from a common idiom to a funny catchphrase. The more creative, the better!
2. Write down the phrase and pass it around
Once you have your phrase, write it down on a piece of paper and pass it to the person to your right. This person will be the first artist.
3. Set a timer
Decide how long each person will have to draw their phrase. A good starting point is 30 seconds or 1 minute.
4. Pass the paper around
Once the timer goes off, pass the paper to the person to your right. This person will now write their interpretation of the drawing.
5. Repeat steps 3-4 until the paper returns to you
The paper will continue to pass around the group until it eventually makes its way back to you. At this point, you will have a series of drawings that illustrate your original phrase.
Tips for choosing a good starting phrase:
*
- Keep it short and simple.
- Choose a phrase that people will be able to interpret in multiple ways.
- Avoid phrases that are too abstract or difficult to draw.
Set a Timer
Step 1: Choose a Time Limit
Determine the desired duration of each round. The standard time limit is 60 seconds, but feel free to adjust it based on the group’s pace and preferences. If players are consistently struggling to finish, consider extending the time. Conversely, if rounds are dragging on, you can shorten the time to increase the pace.
Step 2: Use Visual Aids
To ensure everyone follows the time limit, use visual cues such as an egg timer, stopwatch, or timer app. Place the timer in a central location where all players can see it.
Step 3: Monitor the Progress
As the timer runs down, monitor the players’ progress. Remind them of the time remaining and encourage them to finish within the allotted time. If necessary, intervene to keep the game moving.
| Time Limit | Player Progress | Intervention |
|—|—|—|
| 60 seconds | Halfway through | Remind players of the remaining time |
| 30 seconds | Nearing completion | Gently encourage players to finish |
| 5 seconds | Time’s up | Announce the end of the round and move on to the next player |
Draw the Phrase
In the first round, the first player secretly draws a phrase that is written on their card. The player then passes their drawing to the person to their left. The second player doesn’t look at the phrase, only the drawing. They write a phrase that describes what they see, then passes it to the left. The third player only looks at the phrase, not the drawing. They draw a picture of what the phrase describes, then pass it to the left. The fourth player doesn’t look at the drawing, only the new phrase. They write a phrase that describes what they see, and the process repeats until it gets back to the first player.
Example
| Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 4 |
| Draws “A man playing a guitar” | Writes “Man with strings” | Draws “A man with lines” | Writes “Man in a maze” |
The game continues until everyone has had a turn drawing and writing, and the final product is often a hilarious and confusing interpretation of the original phrase.
Pass the Sketches
The heart of Telestrations is the sketching and passing of sketches around the table. Here’s the step-by-step process:
Step 1: Draw Your Secret Word
Each player receives a secret word or phrase from the deck. Using their dry-erase markers, they have a limited amount of time to sketch that word or phrase on the provided drawing sheet.
Step 2: Fold and Pass
Once the sketching time is up, players fold their drawing sheets to hide their sketch and pass them to the player on their left.
Step 3: Guess the Sketch
The player who receives the folded sheet now opens it and tries to guess what the previous player has drawn. They write their guessed word or phrase at the bottom of the sheet and fold it again.
Step 4: Pass Again
The sheet is passed to the next player who draws their interpretation of the guessed word or phrase, based solely on the written description.
Step 5: The Phone Game
This is where the game gets hilarious. As the sketch passes around the table, each player’s interpretation becomes more and more garbled. The final sketch is often wildly different from the original, creating a chain reaction of misinterpretation and laughter.
| Round | Action | Player | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Draw | Player A | Original sketch |
| 2 | Guess and Draw | Player B | Interpreted sketch |
| 3 | Guess and Draw | Player C | Misinterpreted sketch |
| … | … | … | … |
| n | Guess and Draw | Player Z | Final, wildly different sketch |
Write the New Phrase
The first player will write a phrase at the top of their sketchbook, leaving the rest of the pages blank. Make sure to write clearly and legibly so that the others can understand your phrase.
Once you’ve written your phrase, pass your sketchbook to the player on your left. They will not be able to see your phrase.
The player on the left will draw a picture representing the phrase you wrote. They should only draw the picture, not write any words.
Once they’ve finished drawing, they will pass the sketchbook to the player on their left. This player will now look at the picture and try to guess the phrase that was written.
They will write their guess at the top of the next page in the sketchbook. They should not look back at the original phrase.
The sketchbook will continue to be passed around the group, with each player drawing a picture based on the guess of the previous player. The last player in the group will write down their guess based on the final picture.
Once everyone has finished, the sketchbooks are passed back to the original owners. The group can then take turns revealing their phrases and comparing them to the final guesses.
| Example Phrase | Example Picture | Example Guess |
|---|---|---|
| Going to the beach | A picture of a person with a beach chair and umbrella | Relaxing on vacation |
| Making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich | A picture of a spoon in a jar of peanut butter | Eating a snack |
| Riding a bike | A picture of a person on a bike | Exercising |
Repeat the Steps
Start a New Round
Once one team finishes drawing and writing, collect the notebooks and pass them to the next team in line. The next team should check the bottom of their notebook to see what the last team wrote. They will then turn to the next blank page and begin drawing the phrase they read. This process continues until all teams have drawn and written a phrase.
Reveal the Masterpiece
After all the teams have completed their drawings, collect the notebooks again. Then, starting with the first team, go around the circle and have each team reveal their final drawing and phrase. As each team reveals their creation, the previous team will explain what they wrote or drew to lead to that result.
Declare the Winner
After all the teams have revealed their masterpieces, it’s time to declare the winner. The team that ends up with the most accurate depiction of the original phrase wins the round. If a team guesses the original phrase correctly, they receive 5 points. If they guess the phrase but with some errors, they receive 3 points. And if they completely miss the mark, they receive 1 point.
Continue Playing
Continue playing rounds until one team reaches the designated number of points (usually 10 or 15). The team with the most points at the end of the game is declared the overall winner.
| Points | Guess |
|---|---|
| 5 | Correct guess |
| 3 | Guess with errors |
| 1 | Incorrect guess |
Reveal the Final Results
Finally, it’s time to reveal the masterpiece that has emerged through the hilarious misunderstandings and creative interpretations. Here’s how to unveil the final results:
Step 8: Unfold and Display the Drawings
Starting with the last player, each participant reveals their drawing one at a time. Unfold it carefully and hold it up for everyone to see. Stay tuned to witness the transformation of that first, innocent sketch into an abstract masterpiece.
Table 1: Original Drawing vs. Final Result
| Original Drawing | Final Result |
|---|---|
| A stick figure of a cat | A green, three-legged creature with a propeller on its back |
| A flower in bloom | An exploding volcano with lava pouring out |
| A simple house | A futuristic skyscraper with blinking lights and flying cars |
Step 9: Inspect the Journey
Trace the evolution of the drawing through each step. How did the original sketch morph into the final product? Point out the hilarious misunderstandings, the creative deviations, and the unexpected interpretations. This is where the laughter intensifies and the stories behind the drawings unfold.
Step 10: Choose a Winner
Declare a winner based on the most entertaining, creative, or downright hilarious drawing. Award a prize, if desired, and give the winning artist a round of applause. But remember, it’s all about the journey, not the destination. The laughter and memories created along the way are the real victory.
9. Declare the Winner (optional)
Once everyone has finished drawing and guessing, the fun part begins! To determine the winner, gather all the original words and drawings in order. Then, go through each round and reveal both the original word and the final drawing. For instance:
Round 1:
Original Word: Airplane
Final Drawing: A bird with wheels
Round 2:
Original Word: Elephant
Final Drawing: A large, furry creature with a long trunk
The player who drew the most accurate final drawing or guessed the most original words correctly wins the game. You can also award points to players for each correct guess or well-drawn picture.
Optional Scoring System:
| Points | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 2 | Accurate final drawing |
| 1 | Correct guess |
| -1 | Incorrect guess |
Keep score throughout the game, and the player with the highest score at the end wins.
Set Up
Gather your players, divide them into teams of 2 or more, and give each team a dry-erase board, marker, and a stack of phrase cards.
Start Playing
One player from each team chooses a phrase card and writes the phrase on their dry-erase board without showing it to anyone else. Once everyone has their phrase, the timer starts.
Drawing and Guessing
The first player on each team draws a picture of the phrase. When done, they pass their board to the next player on their team, who cannot see the original phrase. The next player writes down what they think the drawing depicts.
Continue Playing
Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the last player on each team guesses the phrase or the timer runs out.
Scoring
If the last player guesses the phrase correctly, their team scores a point. If they fail, the other team scores a point.
Repeat and Reveal
Repeat the game until you run out of phrase cards or time. Then, reveal the original phrases and share the hilarious results.
Have Fun!
Telestrations is a fun and challenging game that’s perfect for parties and game nights. With a little creativity and a lot of laughter, you’re sure to have a blast.
Tips for Success
- Don’t overthink your drawings. The sillier, the better!
- Be creative with your guesses. Even if you don’t know the answer, take a wild guess.
- Have fun! Remember, it’s all about the laughs.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What if I can’t draw? | Don’t worry! Telestrations is a game of creativity, not artistic skill. |
| Can I play with more than 12 players? | Yes! Just divide the players into smaller teams. |
| What if we run out of phrase cards? | You can either make up your own phrases or use a website like TelestrationsOnline to generate new ones. |
How to Play Telestrations
Telestrations is a hilarious party game where players draw and guess their way through a series of words or phrases. The game is played in rounds, with each round consisting of the following steps:
- One player writes a word or phrase on a piece of paper.
- The paper is passed to the next player, who draws a picture of the word or phrase.
- The drawing is passed to the next player, who writes down a guess of what the picture represents.
- The guess is passed to the next player, who draws a picture of the guess.
- And so on, until the paper has been passed back to the original player.
The original player then reveals the original word or phrase, and the players compare their drawings and guesses to see how close they came. The game is full of laughter and surprises, and it’s a great way to get creative with friends and family.
People Also Ask About How to Play Telestrations
How many people can play Telestrations?
Telestrations can be played with 4-8 players.
How long does a game of Telestrations take?
A game of Telestrations typically takes 30-60 minutes to play.
What is the best way to play Telestrations?
There is no one right way to play Telestrations, but here are a few tips:
- Be creative with your drawings and guesses.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
- Have fun!
