Sketchy Artists
A social deduction drawing game. Everyone draws the same word, except one player who's faking it. Figure out who the imposter is before they figure out the word.
What is Sketchy Artists?
Sketchy Artists is a social deduction game disguised as a drawing game. All players receive the same secret word and must draw it, except for one player, the Sketchy Artist, who has no idea what the word is. They have to fake it by watching what others draw and blending in.
Meanwhile, the other players need to draw well enough to prove they know the word, but vaguely enough that the Sketchy Artist can't figure it out from watching. It's a delicate balance that leads to hilariously suspicious artwork.
The Point of the Game
If you're a regular artist, your goal is to identify who the Sketchy Artist is. Draw convincingly enough to show you know the word, but don't make it too obvious; you don't want to hand the answer to the faker.
If you're the Sketchy Artist, your goal is to survive the vote without being identified. Blend in, mimic what others are drawing. If you do get caught, you get one last chance to guess the word to steal the win.
How It Works
- A secret word is picked. Everyone sees it except one player, the Sketchy Artist, who gets a blank prompt. Nobody knows who the faker is.
- Players take turns, 10 seconds each, adding exactly 2 strokes to their canvas. You can see everyone else's drawings in progress. The Sketchy Artist watches, copies the style, and hopes nobody notices.
- After drawing, the group votes on who they think is the Sketchy Artist. Discuss, accuse, defend. A correct accusation earns +5 points. A wrong vote costs you -2, and the player you wrongly accused loses -1.
- The Sketchy Artist is unmasked. If caught, they get one final chance: guess the word to steal +5 points (a wrong guess costs -1). For every wrong vote they received during voting, they earn +2.
- The game runs for exactly as many rounds as there are players, so everyone gets a turn as the Sketchy Artist before it's over.
Rules at a Glance
One Faker Per Round
One player sees a blank prompt. Everyone else knows the word. That's the whole setup.
10 Seconds, 2 Strokes
Players draw in turns: 10 seconds and 2 strokes each. The limited time and stroke count means you can't draw clearly even if you wanted to — just vaguely enough to look like you know what you're doing.
The Dilemma
Draw too clearly and the Sketchy Artist figures out the word. Draw too vaguely and you look like the faker yourself. Finding that sweet spot is the whole game.
Scoring Breakdown
Correct accusation: +5. Wrong accusation: -2 (and -1 to the accused). Sketchy Artist earns +2 per wrong vote against them, and +5 for correctly guessing the word (or -1 for a wrong guess).
Everyone Gets a Turn
The game always runs for exactly as many rounds as there are players. Everyone will be the Sketchy Artist once — and everyone will be trying to catch everyone else the rest of the time.
No Late Joining
Roles are assigned at the start of each round, so new players can't join mid-game. Make sure everyone's in the lobby before you begin.
Someone in your group is a terrible liar. Find out who.
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