You've been there. The timer is ticking. Your cousin is staring at you with a mix of confusion and mounting rage because that blob you just drew looks more like a potato than a "monorail." Pictionary is supposed to be fun, but when you run out of actual things to draw in Pictionary, the game devolves into five people screaming "Dog? A hat? Is it a hat dog?" It's stressful.
The problem isn't usually your lack of artistic talent. Honestly, being a bad artist often makes the game better. The real issue is the prompt. If the prompt is too easy, the game is over in four seconds. If it’s something like "existential dread," you might as well just set the notepad on fire and go home. Finding that middle ground—items that are recognizable but just tricky enough to require a bit of creative gymnastics—is the secret sauce to a game night that people actually talk about the next day.
Why Your Current Pictionary List Probably Sucks
Most people default to the basics. House. Cat. Tree. Sun. Boring.
When you stick to these, the game loses its spark. You want prompts that force the "artist" to think about components. Think about it. If I tell you to draw a "dentist," you aren't just drawing a person; you're drawing a chair, a giant scary light, and maybe someone screaming. That's a story. That's a prompt.
We need to move away from nouns that are just static objects. The best things to draw in Pictionary are often actions disguised as things, or specific scenarios that everyone knows but no one thinks to draw. If you’re playing with a group that has a specific hobby—say, you all love 90s action movies—tailor the list. General lists are fine for strangers, but for friends? Get specific.
The Anatomy of a Perfect Prompt
A good prompt needs to be "drawable." That sounds obvious, right? But people constantly suggest things like "freedom" or "democracy." Unless you’re a political cartoonist for the New Yorker, you’re going to fail.
Instead, look for high-contrast imagery. Things with distinct silhouettes. A "chainsaw" is better than a "saw." A "poodle" is better than a "dog." Why? Because a poodle has those weird puffballs on its legs that are unmistakable. You want features that act as "anchors" for the guesser's brain.
Easy Mode: The Warm-Up Round
Start simple. You need to build confidence. If you drop a "tectonic plate shift" on someone in round one, they’ll quit.
Try things like a hammock. It's just two trees and a smiley-face curve. Or maybe a campfire. Everyone can draw sticks and some squiggly lines for flames. Marshmallows are just cylinders on sticks. See? It’s about the relationship between objects.
Then you have the classic "pantry" items. A fried egg. It’s a circle inside a blob. If someone can't guess that, you need new friends. Tacos are another great one because the shape is so specific. You draw the crescent, add some jagged lines for lettuce, and boom—everyone is hungry and you get the point.
Medium Difficulty: The "Wait, I Know This" Phase
This is where the yelling starts. This is the sweet spot.
Think about scuba diving. You have to draw the person, the tank, the goggles, and bubbles. The bubbles are the giveaway. Without bubbles, it’s just a person in a weird backpack. Tightrope walking is another fantastic choice. It’s all about the horizontal line and the balancing pole.
What about vending machines? It’s a big rectangle, but you have to draw the little spirals and the bags of chips inside. It’s tedious, but highly guessable. Or try a cuckoo clock. It’s a house, but with weights hanging down and a tiny, annoying bird popping out of the top.
Hard Mode: For the People Who Think They’re Picasso
If you really want to test a friendship, go for concepts that require multi-step drawing.
- Solar Eclipse: You need the sun, then the moon sliding over it, then the "diamond ring" effect.
- Parallel Parking: This one is hilarious. You have to draw the two cars, the empty space, and the little dotted lines showing the path.
- Buried Treasure: A palm tree, an 'X', and a hole in the ground with a chest.
- Black Hole: How do you even draw this? Most people go for a swirl, but you have to draw things getting sucked into it to make it clear.
The "Action" Secret: Turning Nouns into Verbs
If you’re stuck looking for things to draw in Pictionary, stop looking at the objects around you. Look at what people do.
"Gardening" is way more fun to draw than "flower." You get to draw the shovel, the dirt, the kneeling pad, and the watering can. "Skydiving" is better than "airplane." "Weightlifting" is better than "barbell."
Actions provide context. Context provides the answer.
Avoid the "Abstract" Trap
I cannot stress this enough: stay away from adjectives. "Smelly" is not a prompt. "Garbage can" is a prompt that implies smelly. If you give someone the word "cold," they’re just going to draw a thermometer or someone shivering. Just give them "icicle" or "polar bear."
The goal of Pictionary is communication, not artistic expression. If the artist is spending three minutes trying to shade the "sadness" in a character's eyes, the game has failed. You want prompts that can be sketched in thirty seconds or less.
Category-Specific Gems
Sometimes you want a themed night. If you’re doing a "Nature" theme, skip "leaf." Go for Venus Flytrap. It’s got teeth! It’s iconic! For a "Movie" theme, don't just put "Star Wars." Put Lightsaber Duel. The interaction between the two lines makes it immediately obvious what’s happening.
In a "Travel" category, try Leaning Tower of Pisa. The tilt is everything. If you draw a straight tower, it’s just a tower. The moment you slant it, everyone in the room will scream the answer. That’s the kind of things to draw in Pictionary that make the game legendary.
Dealing With the "I Can't Draw" Friend
We all have that one friend. They draw a circle and tell you it’s a "transcontinental railroad."
For these people, you need prompts that are "icon-based." Things that have a universal symbol. A peace sign. A biohazard symbol. A no-smoking sign. These aren't drawings in the traditional sense; they're logos. It levels the playing field for the artistically challenged.
Also, encourage them to use "math drawing." Need to draw a pizza? Draw a circle. Draw a plus sign. Draw an 'X'. Now you have slices. Add dots for pepperoni. It’s logical. It’s systematic. It works.
Making Your Own Pictionary Cards
Don't buy the official sets if you've played them a million times. The cards get worn out, and you start memorizing the answers.
Grab a stack of index cards. Ask everyone to write down five things—two easy, two medium, one hard. This ensures the difficulty level is balanced. Plus, you get to see the weird stuff your friends think is "easy." (Looking at you, Dave, who thinks drawing a "particle accelerator" is a beginner-level task).
Pro-Tips for the Aspiring Pictionary Legend
- Don't start with the details. If you're drawing a "pirate ship," don't start with the individual wooden planks. Draw the hull. Draw the masts. Draw the giant skull and crossbones on the sail.
- Use arrows. Arrows are the "cheating" that isn't actually cheating. They show direction, movement, and focus.
- Break it down. If the word is "pancake," draw a frying pan first. Then draw the flat circle inside it.
- Watch the guessers. If they are shouting "Car! Truck! Jeep!", you know you're in the right neighborhood. Don't start over. Just add a detail that separates a car from a truck—like a flatbed.
Final Thoughts on Pictionary Prompts
At the end of the day, the best things to draw in Pictionary are the ones that lead to the most ridiculous guesses. The game isn't about winning; it's about the collective realization that none of you know what a "platypus" actually looks like.
💡 You might also like: Happy Family Card Game: Why This Victorian Classic Still Wins at Game Night
Next time you’re tasked with coming up with a list, think about the "visual hook." What is the one thing you can draw that makes it impossible to be anything else? If it's a "unicorn," it's the horn. If it's "Sherlock Holmes," it's the pipe and the deerstalker hat. Find the hook, and you'll find the fun.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Audit your current game set: Remove cards that are culturally outdated or just plain impossible to draw.
- Create a "House Rules" list: Decide once and for all if "ear-flicks" or "sounds-like" gestures are allowed (they shouldn't be, you cowards).
- Try a "Niche Night": Pick a specific topic like "2000s Pop Culture" or "Local Landmarks" to make the prompts more personal and hilarious.
- Practice the "Skeleton Method": Learn to draw basic stick figures in different poses (sitting, running, climbing) as they are the foundation for 70% of all Pictionary drawings.