The Pictionary India Special box (Mattel India)Photo: Hamleys
A family gamePhoto: Mattel
What's in the boxPhoto: Hamleys
Draw before the sand runs outPhoto: Mattel
Everyone guessesPhoto: Mattel
Box backPhoto: Hamleys
Video

Party game

Pictionary

Sketch the clue for your team, no letters or talking

4–16players · best with 6-8
30–60 minplaying time
8+recommended age
Learning curve
Very easy1 / 5
EasyDemanding
Luck & skill
Luck and skill
LuckSkill
Interaction
High
Set-up
About 2 min
Reading
Little

The quick verdict

Full verdict ↓

Great for Family get-togethers with a wide spread of ages, where you can split into two teams such as cousins against uncles and aunts

Think twice if You usually play with two or three people, because Pictionary needs two teams

How we rate it

Learning curve. Draw the clue, guess before the sand runs out, move on. A five-minute explanation covers it, so it sits at 1 on our scale; the only thing to agree on is how exact a guess must be.

Luck & skill. Quick sketching and sharp guessing matter most, but the die roll, the colour you land on and which clue comes up add plenty of luck.

Interaction. Your team shouts guesses together, and in All Play rounds both teams race on the same clue at once.

Set-up. Split into two teams. Put the clue cards in their two boxes, give each team an erasable board, a marker, a category card and a mover on Start, and keep the sand timer and die where everyone can reach them.

Reading. Only the person drawing reads one English word or phrase from the card. Guessers can call out answers in whatever language the group shares.

Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.

Buying link pausedWe haven’t found an available Amazon listing for this edition.

Is Pictionary right for you?

Great if

  • Family get-togethers with a wide spread of ages, where you can split into two teams such as cousins against uncles and aunts
  • People who find dumb charades embarrassing, since here you draw the clue instead of acting it out
  • Groups where not everyone is confident in English: only the person drawing needs to read the clue
  • Players who would enjoy familiar Indian clues, which Mattel's India box mixes in

Skip it if

  • You usually play with two or three people, because Pictionary needs two teams
  • Your group dislikes being laughed at for bad drawings, since even stick figures get teased
  • You want a game in Hindi: all the clues are printed in English, and we found no Hindi edition

A place on the honours list

Good company to be in.

Recognition from beyond our table.

Games 100 (Games magazine), 1986 (Listed)

How Pictionary plays

Split into two teams. Each team gets an erasable board, a marker and a mover that starts on the first square of the board. In Mattel's current box, every word card has five clues, one for each colour on the board: Object, Person/Place/Animal, Action, Difficult and Pop Culture. The colour of the square your mover is on decides which clue you draw.

  • Time to teach: about 5 minutes.
  • Reading and language: The clues are printed in English, so whoever is drawing has to read and understand the word. Mattel's India box mixes Indian clues in with the usual ones. Guessers can shout answers in whatever language your group shares, because the drawing does the work. We found no Hindi edition.
Everyone guesses · Photo: Mattel

How to Play Pictionary in 3 Minutes · Tabletop Duo

Choose a video · Watch right here

If this creator doesn’t allow embedded playback, watch on YouTube ↗.

A turn, step by step

  1. 1
    Draw

    One player on your team secretly reads the clue matching the colour of your mover's square, flips the one-minute sand timer and sketches on the erasable board. No letters, numbers, talking or gestures.

  2. 2
    Guess

    Teammates shout guesses. Guess in time and you roll the die, move, and a different teammate draws the next clue. Miss, and the other team takes over. On All Play squares both teams draw the same clue at once, and the first to guess takes the die.

  3. 3
    Win

    Reach the final square, then be first to guess in one last All Play round while your team holds the die.

Read the official rules (PDF)Pictionary instruction sheet (Mattel item DKD47) · English
The full explanation: how a game of Pictionary goes

On your team's turn, one player secretly reads the clue, flips the one-minute sand timer and starts sketching. You may draw anything linked to the word, break it into syllables, or draw something that sounds similar. You may not write letters or numbers, talk, or use sign language. Imagine trying to get 'Pav Bhaji' across with a tawa and two buns, and you can see where the laughs come from.

If your team guesses before the sand runs out, you roll the die, move forward, and a different teammate draws the next clue. You keep going for as long as you keep guessing correctly. If you miss, the other team takes over and draws a fresh card without rolling.

Some squares are All Play. On these, one sketcher from each team draws the same clue at the same time, and whichever team guesses first takes over the die. On a Wild square the sketcher may pick any category. To win, a team must reach the last square and then guess first in a final All Play round while it holds the die.

Before you start, agree how exact a guess has to be. For example, does 'bunk' count for 'bunk bed'? The rules leave that decision to the players.

What's in the box

What's in the box · Photo: Hamleys
  • 200Clue cards
    English clues, some of them about India
  • 2Card boxes
  • 4Category cards
    show which board colour goes with which type of clue
  • 2Erasable boards
    one per team
  • 2Erasable markers
    one per team
  • 1Game board
    a long board with a winding track of coloured squares
  • 2Movers
    one per team
  • 1Sand timer
    one minute
  • 1Die
  • 1Instructions sheet

Box: 27 × 27 × 4 cm, 0.63 kg. Handy to know for gifting and travel.

From the contents line on the back of the Indian box and an Indian listing. The photos show that the Indian HJK35 board is a long strip with a winding track, unlike the square board in Mattel's international box (DKD47). DKD47 lists the same parts but splits its 200 cards into 120 adult and 80 junior cards; the Indian box does not say whether it keeps a junior deck. The one-minute timer is from Mattel's DKD47 rules. Pictionary Air 2 and the Pictionary Card Game are different products with different contents.

Where to buy

Buying link pausedWe haven’t found an available Amazon listing for this edition.

How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.

About the editions

Mattel's Indian company sells Pictionary India Special (item HJK35) here. Its box label says it is made in Mumbai for Mattel Toys (India) and is for sale only in the Indian subcontinent. Imported international Pictionary boxes are genuine, but they don't have the Indian clues.

Before you choose

  • Look for Mattel or Mattel Games on the box and in the listing's brand field. The Indian box is yellow with the Pictionary logo, carries item code HJK35, and Indian listings name Mattel Toys (India) Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai.
  • Check the contents. The genuine India box has 200 clue cards, 2 card boxes, 4 category cards, 2 erasable boards, 2 erasable markers, a game board, 2 movers, a sand timer and a die. Listings with drawing pads and pencils, 'playing chips' or a different card count are not this box.
  • Check the brand as well as the price. Much cheaper lookalikes titled 'Pictionary Board Game' come from unknown brands, often with a large crossed-out price, and are not Mattel's game.
  • Be careful with 'Pictionary Card Game, no drawing required' boxes from other brands, and with misspellings like 'Picti0 Nary'. Mattel does make a Pictionary Card Game, but the genuine one says Mattel on the box.
  • Look for the ISI mark and an Indian importer or manufacturer address on the box. Toys sold in India are required to carry both.

What reviewers and players say

Pictionary remains a favourite for mixed-age groups because it rewards quick thinking more than drawing talent: stick figures and clever hints do the job, and a bad sketch is half the fun. Reviewers like the erasable boards and markers in Mattel's current boxes, the easier clues for younger players, and the All Play rounds where both teams draw at once. The gripes are small: the markers can leave ink on hands, and the rules leave a few points, such as who plays after an All Play round, for the group to decide. You need at least four people to make two teams.

What people love

  • You don't need to draw well; simple sketches and clever hints work, which puts nervous players at ease
  • Erasable boards and markers mean no hunting for paper and pencils
  • All Play rounds, where both teams draw the same clue at once, get everyone shouting
  • Quick to learn for players of 8 and up, and it works with big groups

Common complaints

  • The markers can leave ink on hands, and Mattel warns they may stain some surfaces
  • The rules leave some points open, such as whether the timer restarts and who plays after an All Play round
  • It needs two teams, so it doesn't suit two or three people
Based on 5 reviews and discussions

Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.

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Play time30–60 min20–60 min15 min30 min
Age8+13+14+8+
RulesEasyEasyEasyEasy
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Questions people ask about Pictionary

Does Pictionary in India have Indian words?

Yes. Mattel's India box, sold as Pictionary India Special (item HJK35), mixes clues relevant to India into the deck. Indian listings give Mumbai Indians, Marina Beach and Pav Bhaji as examples. All the clues are in English, and we found no Hindi edition.

Where can I buy genuine Pictionary in India?

Make sure Mattel is named as the brand. For the Indian clues, look for Pictionary India Special (item HJK35), which Mattel’s Indian company sells here. Imported international boxes do not have the Indian clues. Our buying link is currently paused.

What age is Pictionary suitable for?

Mattel says 8 and up, played in two teams. The person drawing has to read an English clue, so younger children can pair up with an adult. Mattel's international box in this format includes a separate deck of easier junior clues, but we could not confirm whether the India box's 200 cards are split the same way.

What is the difference between Pictionary, Pictionary Air and the Pictionary Card Game?

Classic Pictionary uses a game board, erasable boards and markers. In Pictionary Air you draw in the air with a light-up pen while a phone or tablet shows the drawing. The Pictionary Card Game needs no drawing at all, because teams use simple pictures printed on cards.

Game facts

Designed by
Robert Angel
Publisher
Mattel (first published by Angel Games in 1985)
In India
Mattel Toys (India) Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai (marketer); made in Mumbai by Fancy Fittings Ltd.
First published
1985
Players
4–16
Barcode
0194735088249
Language
Some English – The clues are printed in English, so whoever is drawing has to read and understand the word. Mattel's India box mixes Indian clues in with the usual ones. Guessers can shout answers in whatever language your group shares, because the drawing does the work. We found no Hindi edition.
Box size and weight
27 × 27 × 4 cm, 0.63 kg
Awards
Games 100 (Games magazine), 1986 (Listed)
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.

Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.