Telestrations
Officially Telestrations (2009, USAopoly / The Op)
The 'Telephone' game with drawings — players alternately sketch a word and then guess what a passed-around sketch depicts, generating hilariously distorted chains for 4-8 players.
What is Telestrations?
Telestrations is a party drawing game published in 2009 by USAopoly (now The Op). The game revives the classic 'Broken Picture Telephone' pen-and-paper game for a commercial audience. Players start with a word (from card + die roll), sketch it on a spiral-bound whiteboard sketchbook, and pass it to the next player who tries to guess the word. That guess is then sketched by the next player, and so on around the table. The 'reveal' phase is the highlight — each book's original word is compared to the wild mutations that emerged. Adult (18+), Party Pack (up to 12 players), and NSFW versions exist. Sold 5M+ copies worldwide; a staple of family + party game shelves. Simple rules mask a hilarious social experience — no scoring is truly used competitively; the joy is the reveal.
Quick facts
Category
Party Games
Type
Team sport
Players
4–8
Duration
~30 min
Where played
indoor
Field / court
Table with each player's sketchbook
Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Estimated origin
Published 2009; based on centuries-old 'broken picture telephone' folk game
Olympic
No
Popularity
global
How it works
Objective
Enjoy the chaotic transformation of your original word through 7 sketches + guesses back to something wildly different. Optionally score points for accurate guesses.
Match structure
Setup: each player receives a sketchbook + marker + word card. Roll die to pick word 1-6 from card. Round 1: sketch your word (1 min timer). Pass clockwise. Round 2: guess what the sketch depicts, write on next page. Pass. Round 3: sketch that guess. Continue for 8 passes total (or until book returns to origin). Reveal: each book traced page-by-page for laughs.
Rules
Basic rules
Roll die to select word
Card has 6 words in 3 difficulty tiers (2 easy, 2 medium, 2 hard).
1-minute sketch timer
Sketch your word before sand runs out.
Pass clockwise
Always pass to next player after each page.
Write guesses, not describe
You may only write a single guess word/phrase — no descriptions.
No words on sketches
Cannot write letters, numbers, or symbols in drawings.
Reveal at end
Each book's journey is read aloud dramatically — the payoff.
Advanced rules
Scoring variant
3 chips awarded per successful guess-chain; used rarely.
Adult / NSFW versions
18+ words for adult parties.
Party Pack (12-player)
Adds 4 more sketchbooks + fixes 8-cap.
Family Edition
Kid-friendly words for 8+.
Scoring
Formal scoring rare; awards 3 chips for successful guess-chain, 1 for 'you had one job' funniest.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Successful guess-through-chain | +3 chips (rare) |
| Funniest chain (group vote) | +1 chip |
Win condition · Most chips (rare); usually 'everyone wins by laughing'.
Playing area
Called
Table with each player's sketchbook
Dimensions
8 sketchbooks (spiral-bound whiteboards, 8 pages each) + markers
Each player has personal sketchbook that passes clockwise round the table.
Equipment
8 spiral-bound whiteboard sketchbooks
Each player gets one, 8 pages for pass-around.
8 dry-erase markers
Wipe-clean for reuse.
142+ word cards
Each card has 6 words rated 1-3 difficulty.
8-sided die
Rolled to select word from card.
Sand timer (~1 min)
Enforces quick sketches.
Score chips (optional)
Rare — most play un-scored.
Positions & roles
Player
×8Alternately sketches + guesses across 8 pages.
Officiating
Casual party game — no formal officials.
- Host (informal)
Penalties & fouls
Penalties
Writing letters in sketch
Warning; usually overlooked.
Missing timer
Sketch is incomplete — pass anyway.
Strategies
Sketch simple + iconic
Stick figures + universal symbols survive best across 8 passes.
Guess broadly
When guessing, pick common English words — obscure guesses derail chains.
Choose difficulty 1-2 for family
Level 3 words (obscure) cause faster derailment — funnier or worse depending on group.
Don't over-explain guesses
'Man sitting on horse' is worse than 'cowboy' — brevity wins.
Terminology
- Sketchbook
- Spiral-bound whiteboard book with 8 pages.
- Chain
- The full 8-page sequence one book travels.
- Reveal
- The end-of-round comedy phase where each book is read aloud.
- Roll
- 8-sided die roll to select which of 6 words to sketch.
Major competitions
Casual party events
informal · worldwide · since 2009
Where it is played
Governing bodies
USAopoly / The Op
Founded 1994 · San Diego, USA
Official site ↗
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- None (party game — no professional scene)
Records
Sales
USAopoly/The Op — 5M+ copies sold worldwide by 2020 (2020)
Toy of the Year (TOTY) Award
Telestrations — Party Game of Year 2011 (2011)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Play with 6-8 friends
Full chain (8 passes) delivers max comedy.
- 2
Pick difficulty 1
Concrete nouns easier to draw + guess.
- 3
Enjoy the reveal
The comedy is the point, not scoring.
advanced
- 1
Play with Adult version
18+ words boost comedy for grown-ups.
- 2
Party Pack 12-player
Longer chains = more chaos.
- 3
Speed-round variant
30-second timer for extra chaos.
Frequently asked
How is this different from Pictionary?+
Pictionary is guess-my-drawing timed teams; Telestrations is pass-and-transform for solo drawings — the comedy comes from the transformation chain.
Can 2-3 people play?+
Not effectively — 4 minimum, 6+ recommended for max hilarity.
Any drawing skill required?+
None — bad drawings are often funnier! Stick figures + simple shapes work best.
Family-friendly?+
Base game yes (kids 12+); Adult version is 18+; Family Edition is 8+.
Playing time?+
One round ~15-20 min; games usually 2-3 rounds for 45-60 min total.
Sources & provenance
- BoardGameGeek — Telestrations— BGG
- The Op — Telestrations— The Op
- Wikipedia — Telestrations— Wikipedia