🎨Sketch & Whisper: the drawing telephone game
A drawing and description chain game, also known as drawing telephone.
Everyone writes a short phrase. Each phrase is passed to another player to draw, then the drawing is passed to someone else who has to describe what they see – and so on until the chain ends. Then the host reveals each chain step by step, and the original phrase usually comes out hilariously different.
- 👥3–12 players
- ⏱️15–25 minutes
- 🖌️Draw on your phone
- 📱One phone or everyone on their own
You might know it as: Telephone Pictionary · Drawing telephone · Gartic Phone-style game · Eat Poop You Cat · Draw and guess
▶ Play Sketch & Whisper freeNo download, no sign-up
How to play Sketch & Whisper
- Write a phraseEveryone secretly writes a phrase – or taps the idea button for suggestions.
- Draw what you receiveYou are passed someone else’s phrase and draw it on your phone with colours, brush sizes and undo.
- Describe the drawingThe next person sees only the drawing and writes what they think it shows.
- Keep goingPhrases and drawings alternate until each chain has been through everyone.
- The big revealThe host steps through each chain from the first phrase to the last to see how it changed.
Rules and options
- Optional timers keep the game moving; anyone who runs out of time gets an automatic placeholder so the chain can continue.
- Each chain has an odd number of steps so it always starts and ends with words.
- There is no scoring by default – the fun is in the reveal. Pick your favourites out loud.
Tips
- Do not describe how well someone drew; describe what you see.
- Use simple phrases at first. “A dog riding a bike” makes a better chain than a quote.
- Keep the drawing timer short – 45 or 60 seconds – for funnier results.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be good at drawing?
No. Rough drawings make the best chains.
Can it be played on a touchscreen?
Yes. It is designed for fingers on a phone, but works with a mouse too.
How many players do I need?
At least 3. With more players the chains are longer and funnier.
Can we save the reveal?
Take a screenshot of each step to keep the best ones.
▶ Start a game of Sketch & Whisper