Gather

Sketch Round

One person draws on their phone while everyone else watches the picture appear live on the TV and types a guess. Faster correct guesses score more – and the worst drawings tend to be the funniest.

  • 3–10 players
  • 10–20 min
  • ages 7+
  • needs a TV

Score the most points by drawing well and guessing fast.

How it works

  1. In turns, one person draws a word on their phone, picked from three suggestions.
  2. The drawing appears live on the TV. Everyone else types their guess on their phone.
  3. The faster you guess correctly, the more points (100 down to 30). The artist gets 25 per correct guesser.
  4. Over time, hints appear: first the length, then single letters.

Good to know

  • Don't draw letters or numbers.
  • Everyone draws twice, from seven players once.

On the TV and on your phone

What you see and tap, where and when – step by step:

  1. Open a room
  2. Join and start
  3. Set the word language
  4. Pick a word

How to play Sketch Round with Gather

What makes Sketch Round work

  • Everyone draws badly – that’s exactly the fun.
  • Hints with the word length and single letters help when you’re stuck.
  • The artist scores too, so it pays to draw clearly.

Pick Sketch Round when three to ten people are gathered around a TV and like to laugh.

Skip it when some players can’t read or write yet – guesses are typed in.

Frequently asked questions

How long do you get to draw in Sketch Round?

80 seconds. Before that you have 15 seconds to choose one of three words, or Gather picks one at random; if everyone has guessed correctly, the turn ends early.

Does my guess count if I make a typo?

Small slips do: capitals, hyphens and accents don’t matter, and longer words allow one typo. If you’re close but not quite there, only your own phone tells you so.

What drawing tools are there?

Several colours and brush sizes, an eraser, undo and clear. You draw with your finger on your phone.

Can you draw letters or numbers in Sketch Round?

No, the rules forbid it. Gather can’t detect it, though – that’s up to you to watch.

Which language are the Sketch Round words in?

German or English; you choose the language on the game table before the first word. Some words have synonyms that also count as correct.

Can you play Sketch Round without a TV?

No. The drawing appears live on a game table – Apple TV, iPad or Mac – so everyone can guess at the same time. Three to ten people can play.

Variants and house rules

Gather plays by the rules above. Anything you can set in the app is marked – the rest are agreements you make at the table.

Words in German setting in Gather

On the TV you can switch the word language between English and German. For mixed groups or language practice – guesses are then in German too.

One colour only table agreement

Agree that every artist uses black only. Without colour as a crutch, pictures get harder and shapes matter more. Gather still offers all the colours; you just leave them alone.

Back to the TV table agreement

The artist sits facing away from the TV and draws only on the phone. They can’t see how the picture looks to everyone else – which leads to lovely misunderstandings. It works because the phone is the drawing surface anyway.

Good for

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