If the embarassing video above didn't quite explain it, here are the steps to playing Pictodash:

  1. Gather friends (six or more is good)
  2. Sit in a circle
  3. Give everyone a piece of paper, a pen, and something to write on
  4. Write a sentence at the top your paper
  5. Everyone passes their paper in one direction
  6. Read the new sentence you've got, and draw a little picture to try and explain it (preferably without using any words)
  7. Fold back the sentence so that only your drawing is visible
  8. Everyone passes their papers
  9. Look at the new picture you've got, and write a sentence that somehow explains or summarizes the picture
  10. Fold back the picture so that only your sentence is visible
  11. Pass
  12. Repeat until the paper has gone almost completely around the circle, or until you've run out of room. It is best to end on a sentence
  13. Unfurl your Pictodashes and go around the circle reading them
  14. Send your favorites to Pictodash.com or submit them to the Pictodash Flickr group

That's it! Now, what good are these Pictodash things, anyway? Well, they're entertaining! They're full of stuff that you normally wouldn't even think of. And because of that, they're great inspiration. Try it!

Your friend, Dave Jacob Hoffman

 

A note: Apparently this game goes by several other names, including "Eat Poop You Cat." I think I prefer to call it Pictodash, but whatever it is, it's still fun.

Another note: Special thanks goes to Dan Benjamin and A List Apart for the image randomizer code without which this site would have been much harder to make. They are a bunch of geniuses over there.