Why we developed SKETCH & STORY®

Drawing and Storytelling games have long provided entertainment for players, but they suffer from some basic problems. They usually don’t allow enough player creativity and freedom of expression.

These types of games generally require that players exhibit a high level of artistic skill and/or language development with knowledge of well-known words or phrases to effectively play the games. SKETCH & STORY® is different as it follows an “anything goes” philosophy.

In most drawing games, players must correctly identify a drawn object, but SKETCH & STORY® has no such requirement. Players/teams are provided with a scenario and must quickly sketch on a tile something that they perceive relates to that scenario.  Participants then use their different perceptions of what they think has been sketched on each tile, and must tell a timed story about the scenario relating, in order, all of the tiles, without knowing exactly what each is or what each sketcher had in mind.

In contrast to so many other drawing or storytelling games on the market, SKETCH & STORY® is not designed as “juvenile” in nature which makes it a more credible option for use in many therapy, classroom, corporate, and institutional settings.

Few games exist that incorporate music, and none of them uses singing in the way SKETCH & STORY® does. Storytellers may choose to sing their stories using established songs/melodies that are specified, as well as “wild cards” that allow players to pick any song they desire in order to sing their story.

FAQs

How many can play Sketch & Story®?

The game can be played by a varying number of participants, from 2-8 individual players or teams. The Organizational version of Sketch & Story® is suitable to be played in team settings with much larger groups of people (25-50 would be very workable).

What if I’m not great at drawing?

The game presumes no inherent artistic skill of participants. Players are challenged to think of how they can illustrate something about a general or a wild card scenario and then sketch it. ANYTHING that is drawn will provide adequate material around which the participants may develop a story. Whether players use mere stick figures (or worse) or produce highly artistic drawings, any level of creative effort will work just fine for purposes of the game. The entertainment and fun is in the surprisingly different ways players perceive the various sketches and how participants incorporate all of them into their own unique tale. But, in case you don’t want to draw, you can delegate it to another team member to do it. There are no “wrong” sketches in Sketch & Story®.

What if I’m not a great storyteller?

You don’t have to be. No one is REQUIRED to be a storyteller. You can play in teams where someone draws and someone else tells the story. But the game is conducive to anyone becoming a better storyteller. Players must weave a tale (whether fact, fantasy, humorous, or serious) about perhaps totally unconnected pictures. Because it relies on each player’s perception of the art stimuli, there can be no “incorrect” tales told by participants about the drawings. You tell about what YOU see in the sketches. The next player in the round may tell an entirely different story based on what THEY see in the same drawings. 

Who is Sketch & Story® designed for?

While the game offers the opportunity for imaginative play from almost anyone beyond the nursery up to those aged 90 and more, it is primarily intended for players aged 13 and up.

SKETCH & STORY® is appropriate for many groups: 

• SKETCH & STORY® HOME EDITION is ideal for small groups such as families, households, or singles -- virtually any social setting and living arrangement, whether in homes, apartments, dormitories, fraternity houses, etc.  This version could also be used by therapy practices related to speech/language, play, motor functions, and music (e.g., using the game’s singing option could help patients who need help strengthening the muscles used for swallowing).

• SKETCH & STORY® ORGANIZATIONAL EDITION (which includes a SKETCH & STORY® HOME EDITION) adds 8 large dry erase tiles that are suitable to be played in settings with much larger groups of people (25-50 would be very workable) and adhesive-backed magnets in case you want to use the game on a metallic surface.  This version is ideal for use by large and small companies and organizations (both for-profit and nonprofit) - e.g., as an ice breaker or to develop teamwork, etc.  Schools (K-12 and extending through college and university) could use the game in teaching subjects such as English/Reading/History, etc.  It could be incorporated into programs for developing acting, thinking, and public speaking abilities.  Activities Directors in many different sectors (e.g., cruise ships, senior centers, assisted living facilities, etc.) could use the game with their clients.