Pictionary Rules and How to Play pikto.fun

The basic Pictionary rules are simple: one player draws a secret word without speaking or writing letters, and everyone else tries to guess it before the time runs out. On pikto.fun the game handles the word, the timer and the points for you, so you can just draw and guess. This page covers the classic principle, the pikto.fun rules and some variants for friends.

Pictionary rules: the general principle

Drawing games of this kind all share the same idea. One person is the drawer. They know a secret word and must make the others find it with a drawing only. No talking and no spelling the word out. The other players call out guesses, and the first to find the word scores. Then another player takes the pen.

Each edition of the board game has its own details. If you play the board game, check the rule sheet in the box. Online, things are easier because the game does the bookkeeping. In France the board game is known as “Dessinez c'est gagné”, in Germany as Montagsmaler and in Brazil as Imagem & Ação. Those names belong to their owners and have no link with pikto.fun.

The pikto.fun rules

Players and rounds

A public game welcomes 2 to 16 players. In a private game you can invite up to 30. The host chooses the number of rounds (from 1 to 10) and the length of a turn: 60, 90, 120 or 180 seconds. In each round, players take turns drawing. A turn ends when the timer runs out or when everyone has found the word.

Choosing the word

When it's your turn to draw, the game offers you 3 words. Pick the one you find easiest to draw, or the one that will make your friends laugh. Words come from 26 categories, in the language of the game, and the host can pick the categories and the difficulty: Easy, Normal, Hard or Kids.

Drawing

You have a pencil, an eraser, a bucket, a color picker, undo and redo, shapes, 36 colors and a color wheel. Special inks (neon, glitter, chalk, rainbow) add a touch of style. Your word stays hidden by default on your screen, which is handy if you share your screen on a call. The sheet adapts to your screen, and the tools are made for touch on a phone or a tablet.

Guessing

The same field is used to guess and to chat. Type your idea and send it. Small typos are forgiven and plurals are accepted. If you are very close, a private “Almost!” message tells you so, and nobody else sees it. Once you have found the word, you can chat with the other players who found it in a private channel without giving anything away.

Hints

Letters and hints appear little by little during the turn, so a hard word becomes easier as the seconds pass. Don't wait too long though, because guessing fast is what earns you points.

Scoring

You score by guessing quickly. The drawer scores when the others find the drawing, so a clear drawing helps everyone. That's all you need to know to play.

End of the turn and of the game

At the end of each turn, the game shows the word and a sped-up replay of the drawing. After the last round, the podium shows who won, and you can start another game with one click. Along the way you can vote on drawings and react with stickers.

Variants to play with friends

In a private game, the host has several options to change the feel of the game:

Classic mode: the standard game, with the categories you pick.
Themed mode: the words follow a theme chosen for the game.
Absurd mode: weird animals, impossible objects and silly situations. Perfect for laughs.
Sprint mode: a faster game, for when you have little time.
Kids difficulty: simple words for young players.
Forced color and Blind mode: two options that add an extra twist to the drawing.
Custom words: the host types up to 200 of their own words, such as inside jokes, a movie night list or vocabulary for a class.

House rules to agree on out loud

The game does not enforce these, but they make great ideas for a game night. Treat them as friendly agreements between players.

Draw with your non-dominant hand.
Allow only three colors for the whole turn.
Draw in one continuous line as long as you can.
Let the winner of the last game pick the theme of the next one.
Ask the youngest player to choose the category.

To plan a full evening, read the guide to playing with friends. If you need ideas for words, open the word lists. New to the game? Start with Pictionary online and press play on the home page for a quick game.