What the Sketch?: the wildly chaotic art class by Alley Cat Games
Designed by Ellie Dix and published by Alley Cat Games, What the Sketch? is an entertaining drawing and communication party game for three to six players. In this creative challenge where raw drawing talent matters far less than interpreting abstract spatial instructions, one player acts as the Art Teacher while the rest of the table becomes eager students. Hidden behind a screen, the teacher must verbally direct the class to recreate a mystery object using strictly basic geometric shapes and directional prompts. Accessible for players aged 8 and up, this party game features:
- Reusable dry-erase components including individual whiteboards and markers for every player.
- A strict communication limitation where teachers can only describe shapes, lines, patterns, and board coordinates.
- A tense 60-second sand timer that fuels fast-paced deduction, chaotic guessing, and table-wide laughter.
Geometric descriptions, blind sketching, and fast-paced guessing
Each round tests players' spatial visualization and deductive speed under tight time limits:
- The Art Teacher's secret assignment: The active player draws a card and secretly selects an object across three difficulty tiers awarding one, two, or three victory points.
- Dictating shapes: The moment the 60-second timer turns, the teacher sketches behind the box while giving step-by-step geometric directions (such as: draw a wide circle, place two triangles on top, and add wavy lines below).
- Active student guessing: Students listen carefully, sketch along on their personal dry-erase whiteboards, and shout out guesses at any point without penalty.
- Scoring the round: As soon as a student correctly identifies the secret item before time expires, the round concludes, awarding points to both the teacher and the successful guesser.
Point tallies and crowning the premier sketch artist
The teacher role rotates clockwise around the table so everyone takes a turn leading the class:
- Point accumulation: Each solved card rewards the teacher and the sharp student with points matching the chosen card difficulty level.
- Final score tally: Once every player has served as the Art Teacher, participants sum up all their earned points across the match.
- Art class graduation: The player boasting the highest total score wins the game and claims bragging rights as the master communicator. What the Sketch? is an accessible, delightfully funny party game, perfect for lively gatherings with friends or family where even the most disastrous doodles spark memorable breakthroughs.
