Holiday Guide: Telestrations (The Telephone Game Sketched Out)

November 23, 2009 By Erin Tales

When I first heard about Telestrations, I admit I was wondering how it could work. It was advertised as the telephone game sketched out. I am sure you know the telephone game. You whisper something in one person’s ear, they whisper to the next, and so on and so on. Eventually the last person has to repeat what the first said, sometimes with hilarious outcomes. So if the first person said, “I like the color red.” The last person might end up saying,”I fight with Karl in bed?” Well, it’s the same idea here, but with writing and pictures. I honestly can’t do this game justice with a description. Shocker, right? Wordy Erin can’t explain? Well, give me a break! It’s a game that DOESN’T INVOLVE TALKING! So here is an illustration to show you how it works, step by step, when you follow one sketch book.

For you visual people, if the illustration wasn’t enough:

I needed more players than just my husband and I to play. Bummer! But it’s perfect for when the family gets together, which is the holidays. I always like games that involve guessing, imagining, sketching, etc – so I think this is like Pictionary but 10x more fun and with zanier outcomes. I am planning on bringing this to Thanksgiving Dinner at the in-laws to play with everyone. This is sure to be a hit.

Telestrations comes with 8 erasable sketch books, 8 erasable markers, 4 eraser cloths, 144 cards in a card box (1,728 words that can be drawn), 90 second sand timer, 1 die and instructions. A player rolls to figure out what word on a card they are illustrating. And people are NOT just sitting around waiting for the card to be passed to them. Instead everyone is simultaneously drawing the word on their card and when the 90 second timer ends, they all pass the cards to the next player. That next player GUESSES what they see. Then they pass the card to the next person who has to draw that guess. You just keep guessing, sketching and passing until the card ends up back with the original drawer.

How is the game scored? Well you can be friendly or competitive. Friendly scoring is when you give 1 point to the most creative sketch or written guess in YOUR book. You can also give 1 point to the most HILARIOUS sketch or written guess in YOUR book. And then give yourself 1 point if the final written guess matches your starting word. I think I might like the Competitive Scoring, knowing my inlaws. They would totally sabotage each other with the Friendly scoring – not so friendly, but funny! With competitive scoring you get 1 point if your written guess matches the starting word, your written guess matches the previous guess, your sketch helped the next player match the previous guess and if the final guess matches the starting word in your book. Overall, I do think the game is more about laughs and having fun than winning.

If 8 players are playing, a round can take 15 minutes. Telestrations is for ages 13+. It can be played with 4 to 8 players – but they say it is most fun for 6 players or more. It’s suggested retail value is $29.95 and is available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN

One Buzz Reader will win Telestrations: The Telephone Game Sketched Out

MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit PlayTelestrations.com and tell me something you learned about the game.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
To receive these extra opportunities for entries, you must fulfill the first REQUIRED entry. But for extra entries, you can do the following – leave a comment for each:

Add ErinTales to your Twitter and Tweet the contest. Leave your Tweet Link. (1 tweet per day is allowed)
Blog about the contest – add a link to the Mom Buzz and the Sponsor (www.usaopoly.com)
Embed the Telestrations code onto your site, blog, facebook – anywhere. Just let me know where you put it!
Leave a comment or Enter any other contest on the Mom Buzz Holiday Guide
Leave a comment or Enter any other contest on As They Grow Ups Hoo-Hoo-Hooliday Guide
Send a Free E-Card from Kraft – 10 Meals will be donated to Feeding America! (Let me know for an extra entry!)

Contest ends 12/6/09. Please refer to complete contest rules. The entries listed above are the ONLY entries for this contest. Winners will be notified by e-mail (if supplied in the entry or on profile page), as well as on the Winner’s Wall.

This is solely the opinion of the Mom Buzz. Other people may have different experiences with the product. And don’t forget to enter my other hot contests so you can win and try buzzworthy products! The Mom Buzz received Telestrations from USAOPOLY for review.

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