Icebreakers · Connectors & Mixers

Paint a Picture, Build a Story (Gartic Phone)

A big source of laughs for remote teams, and shareable afterward.

IcebreakerMixerMingling

Duration: 30 min
Participants: 1–5, 5–10, 10–20, 20–50
Energy: Medium
Difficulty: Beginner
Materials: Digital
Prep time: 5 minutes

2 min read · Delivery: Virtual

Overview

Purpose. A big source of laughs for remote teams, and shareable afterward.

When to use. Early in a session, especially with a group that doesn't know each other well yet.

Best for. Groups of 4–30, delivered virtually.

Facilitator preparation

Gather: a device with internet access for each participant.
Set up a free online drawing-and-guessing “telephone” style tool in advance. See Trainer's Reference below.

Room setup. Not applicable; this activity is designed for virtual delivery.

Virtual setup. Run this over video call, with everyone also logged into the shared online drawing tool on a second device or browser tab.

Hybrid setup. In-room participants can join on their own device alongside remote participants using the same online tool.

Materials. A device with internet access

How to Conduct

Set up a free online drawing-and-guessing game in advance (see Trainer's Reference below for what to look for).
Share the join link or room code with the group at the start of the activity.
Explain the format: each round, participants alternate writing a short prompt and sketching a picture based on what the previous person wrote or drew, without seeing earlier rounds.
Let the game run through all its rounds automatically.
At the end, go through the results together; the drift from the original prompt to the final drawing is the whole point, and usually the biggest laugh.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE GROUP

Most groups laugh within the first minute; that's a good sign, not a distraction.

Trainer's Reference: what tool to use

This activity works with any free online “drawing telephone” game, a genre of browser-based party game where players alternate between writing a short phrase and illustrating the previous player's phrase, with the results compared at the end. Search for “online drawing telephone game” to find a current, free option; most support the group sizes and format described here without any account or installation needed.

After the activity

DEBRIEF QUESTIONS

What part of “Paint a Picture, Build a Story” felt easy, and what part felt harder than expected?
Which round's transformation, from the original prompt to the final result, surprised you most?

REFLECTION QUESTIONS