The 6 Official Pictionary Categories
The official Pictionary board game uses 6 categories, each with a different card color. Here's what they mean and how to draw them effectively.
Person / Character
Any person — real or fictional, historical or contemporary. Draw the person themselves or their most iconic attribute.
💡 Drawing tip: Draw the most distinctive accessory or costume (astronaut's helmet, pirate's eye patch, chef's hat).
Place / Location
Any real or fictional location — countries, landmarks, rooms, or general settings. Draw the most iconic visual feature of the place.
💡 Drawing tip: Draw the silhouette or skyline. Landmarks are best recognized by their unique shape.
Animal
Any creature in the animal kingdom — mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, insects, or mythical creatures. Draw their most distinctive features.
💡 Drawing tip: Exaggerate the most unique physical feature (elephant's trunk, giraffe's neck, narwhal's horn).
Object / Thing
Any tangible, physical object that can be touched. Focus on the distinctive shape and use of the object.
💡 Drawing tip: Show the object in use or in its natural context. A guitar being played is more recognizable than just the shape.
Action / Verb
Any action, activity, or verb. Show movement through dynamic drawings. Use motion lines and arrows to convey the action.
💡 Drawing tip: Use stick figures in motion with dynamic poses. Motion lines and arrows help convey speed and direction.
Difficult / All Play
The toughest category — abstract concepts, idioms, unusual phrases, and hard-to-draw ideas. These words can be from any category but are extra challenging. In the board game, ALL teams draw simultaneously when a black card is drawn!
💡 Drawing tip: Decompose the word into drawable components. Use metaphors and symbols rather than literal representations.
Put categories into play with the free Pictionary word generator, or browse samples on the list of Pictionary words.