For years, Pictionary has proved what awful artists we all are (in between ruining friendships inspiring creativity and bouts of frustration creative thinking). And while the drawing is arguably the best part of the game, the guessing is definitely the worst (because like, hard).
Rapidoodle, from Spin Master, is a new drawing game that lets each player explain what he or she drew to other players, eliminating the challenge of guessing at your friends’ artistic masterpieces. Designed for two to four players ages 7 and up, Rapidoodle is perfect for families or small groups of friends looking for game night in a flash.
Each player grabs a set of nine shape cards, a drawing tablet, and a dry-erase marker. One player chooses a shape card, and starts the timer. Each player then has one minute to complete four doodles using the shapes on their card. Once the time is up, players show off their drawings, explaining what each one is. The person with the most points after four rounds is the winner.
Players score one point for each unique drawing, meaning if one player drew the same thing as another player, neither player gets a point. This encourages kids to think outside the box (or triangle, or teardrop, or squiggly line) to come up with different doodles. The shapes also give kids a great starting point, giving their creativity a little bit of direction and making sure they don’t get stuck once the timer starts.
Since each round only lasts one minute, game play is super fast, allowing kids to play more than once in a single sitting. Rapidoodle also comes with challenge cards, which give kids a chance to earn extra points by using specific shape cards to draw categories of objects. For example, we had to use the oval to draw foods (lemon, basil leaf, dumpling, hamburger, etc.), and for each unique food drawn, players grabbed two points instead of one. These cards are especially great for kids who need a little more direction, or for those who just love a good challenge.
This game lets kids focus on drawing and creativity. The short game play and the small doodle space allow kids to think quickly and act fast, while creating simple drawings that make sense to them. Though these dry-erase doodles may not be Louvre-worthy, they are perfect examples of innovative thinking. A celebration of uniqueness, Rapidoodle proves that different is always better.
