What is Relay Pictionary?

Relay Pictionary splits a room into two teams, each set up at its own table with paper and a marker. The host hands every player one word from a prepared list, and teammates take turns drawing their assigned word while the rest of the table calls out guesses — in any order, whichever paper's closest to done. When the time limit runs out, whichever team's guessed the most words wins.

It works because nobody's stuck waiting on one stumped artist: with several words in play across a table at once, the group's attention just moves to whichever drawing is landing. For larger groups, the relay variation turns the last guesser into a runner racing to shout the answer at the host — a genuinely silly sprint bolted onto an otherwise quiet drawing game.

Skip it with a group too small to split into two decent-sized teams — under six players, there's no real race, just one table drawing alone. And if the room doesn't have space for two teams to spread out at separate tables, Pictionary runs the same mechanic without needing the extra square footage.

The rules

Split the group into two teams, each with its own table, marker, and paper.
The host preps a word list and hands one word to each player in turn.
Players take turns drawing their assigned word — no letters or numbers on the page.
Teammates call out guesses; once a word's guessed, the next player draws.
Words can be guessed in any order — there's no fixed sequence to wait through.
When the time limit hits, the team with more correctly guessed words wins.

Before you start

Group size: 6–20 players. Splits into two teams. Below six, one side ends up drawing without a real race on the other side of the room.
Set up two tables. Each team needs its own table with a marker and a stack of blank paper — that's the entire kit.
Prep the word list ahead of time. Mix in easy and harder words depending on the room's age and skill level, with one word ready per player.
Ban letters and numbers upfront. Say it before anyone starts drawing: no writing words or numbers on the page, just pictures.
Age range — 8 and up. Works from school-aged kids through adults. Nothing gets written down, so there's no reading or spelling requirement.

How to run it

Set up two tables 2–3 min
Give each team its own table, a marker, and a stack of blank paper — that's the entire setup.
Split into two teams 1 min
Divide the group into two teams of equal size.
Explain the ground rule 1 min
One line covers it: draw the word, no letters, no numbers. Words can be guessed in any order, so nobody has to wait their turn to shout an answer.
Assign each player a word 1–2 min
Call players up one by one from each team and hand them a word off the list.
Draw and guess 10–20 min
Each player draws their assigned word while their team calls out guesses. As soon as one word's guessed, attention moves to whichever paper's next closest to done.
Call time and tally 2–3 min
When the time limit runs out, count each team's correctly guessed words. Most correct wins.

← no letters, no numbers, just the marker.

Facilitator tips

Keep the word list familiarStick to words the whole room already knows. An obscure word turns a round into a vocabulary quiz instead of a race.

Let teammates describe, not just nameIf a guesser's stuck, let them describe the drawing out loud instead of blurting the word — it keeps less-confident guessers in the round.

Try the non-dominant handHave everyone draw with their off hand. It levels the field between confident artists and everyone else.

Bring a prop for hard wordsA real object or a quick picture as a hint helps players who learn better visually than verbally keep up.

Match words to what people knowGive a player a word from their own field of expertise. It's an easier draw, and it doubles as a way for the room to learn something about them.

Variations

Groups of 20+

Skip individual assignments. Line up both teams; the first player in each line gets a word from the host and draws it on their own paper. The next player in line guesses, then redraws their guess on a fresh sheet — no talking, just handing drawings down the line. The last player runs to the host and says the final guess out loud; first team to say the right word wins the round.

Why it works

Multiple drawings going at onceEvery player on a team gets their own word and their own paper, so a team's attention can jump to whichever drawing is closest to landing instead of stalling on one stuck artist.

Guess in any order, so nobody just waitsThere's no fixed turn order for guessing — a team can call a word the second it clicks, which keeps everyone leaning in instead of watching one drawing at a time.

The relay version adds a sprintIn the larger-group variation, the last guesser has to run and shout the answer to the host — real physical movement bolted onto a game that's otherwise just sitting at a table with a marker.

HELLO, MY NAME ISJon

"I like Relay Pictionary because nobody's just standing around — every player's got their own word and their own paper, so a team's always got somewhere to look. And the larger-group version, where the last guesser has to run and shout the answer, turns a quiet drawing game into a genuinely silly sprint."

Jon Zajac · Founder & Chief Icebreaker

Reflection questions

5 questions for groups that want the debrief, not just the drawing.

What did you enjoy most about playing Relay Pictionary?Surfaces what actually landed, so you know what to keep for next time.
Did you find it easy or challenging to communicate with your teammates during the game? Why?Gets people naming their own communication style, and where their team could sharpen it.
How did you feel when your team correctly guessed a word you drew?A small-win question — it's about celebrating the correct guess, not just getting it.
Did you discover any new talents or skills among your teammates while playing Relay Pictionary?Surfaces the artist nobody knew about — and gives the team a reason to remember it.
How did the game make you feel about working with people you may not know well?Names the actual point of the exercise: trusting someone you just met to read your terrible drawing.