Gartic Phone: A Telephone Drawing Game (Prompts & Themes Included)

Do you remember the childhood telephone game, where a simple message would hilariously change as it passed from person to person? Gartic Phone brings that classic game to life with a creative twist—players alternate between drawing and guessing, leading to unpredictable and often laugh-out-loud results. 

This online party game is perfect for friends, families, and streamers, combining artistic skills (or lack thereof!) with hilarious miscommunication. In this guide, we’ll dive into how to play Gartic Phone, share funny prompts, and suggest the best themes to make your game even more fun!

What is Gartic Phone?

Gartic Phone is an online multiplayer game created by the developers of Gartic.io, that creatively combines drawing and guessing in a hilarious way. It takes inspiration from the classic “telephone game,” where a message is passed through several people and often becomes wildly distorted by the end. In Gartic Phone, however, the message alternates between written prompts and drawings, resulting in equally absurd and often hilarious misinterpretations.

How to Play Gartic Phone

Setting Up the Game

To get started, head to the Gartic Phone website and create a lobby. You’ll be prompted to choose a character and a nickname—don’t worry, the character design is just for fun and doesn’t affect gameplay. Once in the lobby, you can invite friends by sharing the game link, or join a public lobby if you’re feeling adventurous. You can host games for up to 30 players, though smaller groups of 4–10 tend to lead to more manageable (and understandable) outcomes.

Choosing Game Modes

After setting up the lobby, you can choose between several game modes. Here’s a quick overview of the most popular options:

1. Classic Mode: This is the standard mode where each player writes a prompt, the next player draws that prompt, and the next player guesses what the drawing represents. This continues until the game ends, and the original and final guesses are revealed, often with hilarious differences.
2. Animation Mode: This mode allows players to create a collaborative animation, with each player drawing a new frame based on the previous one. The result is a quirky animated sequence that showcases how the idea evolves.
3. Speedrun Mode: For those who love a challenge, Speedrun mode reduces the time for each drawing and guess, leading to rushed and often unintentionally funny results.

How to Join a Gartic Phone Public Lobby

If you’re looking to dive into the fun of Gartic Phone but don’t have a group of friends ready to play, joining a public lobby is a great option. The public lobby allows you to connect with random players from all over the world, turning the game into an exciting mix of creativity, chaos, and unexpected surprises. Here’s how to join and make the most of a public lobby:

How to Join a Public Lobby:

1. Visit the Gartic Phone Website:
   Head to the official Gartic Phone site (garticphone.com).
2. Select “Public Lobby”:
   On the homepage, choose the option to join a public game. This will automatically place you in a lobby with players who are waiting to start a game.
3. Wait for Players:
   Public lobbies fill up quickly, so you won’t have to wait long to start. Once enough players have joined, the game will begin.
4. Play with Random Prompts:
   In public lobbies, prompts are completely random and often unpredictable. This adds an element of surprise and challenge, as you might encounter anything from simple requests to wild, creative scenarios.

Tips to Make Gartic Phone Even More Fun with Friends

Gartic Phone is already a blast, but there are ways to make it even more enjoyable, especially when playing with friends. Here are a few strategies to elevate your game night:

1. Use Voice Chats:
   Playing Gartic Phone with friends in a voice chat app like Discord or Zoom adds a whole new level of hilarity. Being able to hear your friends’ reactions live as they struggle to interpret your strange drawing—or worse, your unintelligible handwriting—makes for even more laughs. Plus, it adds to the social atmosphere, making it feel like you’re all in the same room.
2. Add Themes to the Rounds:
   If you want to spice things up, suggest specific themes for each round. Whether it’s “90s Cartoons,” “Horror Movies,” or “Famous Landmarks,” themed rounds force everyone to be more creative with their prompts and guesses. You can even introduce inside jokes within your group for an extra layer of fun.
3. Encourage Inside Jokes:
   Speaking of inside jokes, these are a great way to keep the game personal and hilarious. If your group of friends has a long-running joke, it’s fun to see how everyone interprets it differently as the game goes on. And don’t be afraid to use obscure references that only your group will understand!

Fun Gartic Phone Themes to Spice Up Your Game

One of the best ways to make Gartic Phone even more entertaining is by introducing themes to your rounds. Having a specific theme for everyone to follow adds an extra layer of creativity and hilarity to the game, as players have to think outside the box within the given topic. Here are some great Gartic Phone theme ideas that will take your gameplay to the next level!

1. Fantasy World

Enter the world of magic, mythical creatures, and epic adventures! In this theme, players can come up with prompts based on their favorite fantasy elements.

• Drawing Ideas: A dragon flying a kite, a wizard casting a pizza spell, a unicorn stuck in traffic.
• Funny Prompts: “A knight jousting on a giant chicken,” “A goblin taking a selfie,” “A fairy using a leaf as an umbrella.”

2. Superheroes and Villains

Turn your game into a comic book adventure! Players can create hilarious scenarios with famous or completely made-up superheroes and villains.

• Drawing Ideas: A superhero dog saving the day, a villain stealing the moon, a superhero afraid of spiders.
• Funny Prompts: “Batman fighting a giant donut,” “Superman taking a yoga class,” “A villain giving a TED talk.”

3. Animals Doing Human Things

Nothing sparks more laughter than seeing animals doing human activities. This theme is perfect for creating bizarre, yet adorable, scenarios.

• Drawing Ideas: A cat working as a chef, a penguin delivering mail, a giraffe shopping for shoes.
• Funny Prompts: “A hamster driving a car,” “A lion teaching a math class,” “A kangaroo playing the drums.”

4. Space Adventures

Blast off into outer space with this intergalactic theme! Think aliens, astronauts, and cosmic chaos.

• Drawing Ideas: An alien riding a rocket, a space dog exploring the moon, a black hole eating a planet.
• Funny Prompts: “An astronaut eating pizza in zero gravity,” “Aliens trying to parallel park a spaceship,” “A cow jumping over Saturn.”

5. Jobs Gone Wrong

This theme invites players to draw or guess wild, unexpected job situations. Whether the job is mundane or extraordinary, there’s plenty of room for mishaps!

• Drawing Ideas: A chef burning water, a doctor accidentally turning into a patient, a firefighter fighting a fire with spaghetti.
• Funny Prompts: “A dentist pulling out a dinosaur’s tooth,” “A teacher giving a lecture to fish,” “A pilot flying a broomstick.”

6. Cartoon Crossovers

Combine characters from different cartoons, movies, or TV shows in one outrageous scenario. It’s a great way to put familiar faces into unfamiliar situations.

• Drawing Ideas: SpongeBob and Pikachu on a roller coaster, Harry Potter and Mickey Mouse sharing a pizza, Shrek playing basketball with the Avengers.
• Funny Prompts: “Scooby-Doo and the Minions on a pirate ship,” “Dora the Explorer fighting a robot,” “Mario and Sonic opening a bakery.”

7. Under the Sea

Dive into the deep blue and create underwater adventures with sea creatures and aquatic scenes.

• Drawing Ideas: A jellyfish hosting a talk show, a shark driving a submarine, an octopus juggling seashells.
• Funny Prompts: “A mermaid playing volleyball with a dolphin,” “A crab in a business suit,” “A whale playing the violin at a concert.”

8. Zombie Apocalypse

Turn your game into a post-apocalyptic Zombieland where zombies roam and survivors try to outlast them. Even in dark times, there’s room for humor.

• Drawing Ideas: A zombie ordering coffee, a survivor building a house out of spaghetti, a dog leading a zombie rebellion.
• Funny Prompts: “Zombies competing in the Olympics,” “A zombie hosting a cooking show,” “A human teaching zombies to dance.”

9. Holiday Madness

Celebrate the holidays in the most chaotic way possible! From Christmas to Halloween, this theme brings festive spirit with a twist.

• Drawing Ideas: Santa Claus surfing in the summer, a turkey hiding from Thanksgiving, a snowman in a sauna.
• Funny Prompts: “The Easter Bunny getting lost in a maze,” “Santa Claus and a reindeer having a snowball fight,” “A pumpkin carving a human for Halloween.”

10. Technology Gone Wrong

In a world where technology rules, what happens when it goes haywire? This theme is perfect for imagining tech fails or futuristic gadgets that don’t quite work as planned.

• Drawing Ideas: A robot stuck in traffic, a computer that eats homework, a drone walking a dog.
• Funny Prompts: “A smartphone running away from a vacuum cleaner,” “A robot delivering pizza on a jetpack,” “A 3D printer printing another 3D printer.”

How to Pick a Theme:

• Rotate Themes: If you’re playing multiple rounds, switch up the theme each time to keep things fresh and interesting.
• Group Preference: Let the group vote on a theme to ensure everyone is excited about the prompts.
• Combine Themes: For an added challenge, you can mix two themes together, like “Superheroes Under the Sea” or “Fantasy Jobs Gone Wrong.”

Adding themes to your Gartic Phone game is a great way to challenge your creativity and make the experience even more hilarious. Whether you choose to go fantastical, futuristic, or festive, these themes will keep everyone entertained and coming up with outrageous ideas!

100 Funny Gartic Phone Prompts to Make Your Game Hilarious

One of the best parts of Gartic Phone is coming up with hilarious prompts that will challenge your friends’ creativity and drawing skills. The more absurd, the better! To help you get started, here’s a list of over 100 funny Gartic Phone prompts guaranteed to result in laugh-out-loud drawings and guesses.

1. A cat running for president
2. A dinosaur doing ballet
3. An astronaut eating spaghetti on the moon
4. A fish riding a bicycle
5. A monkey solving a Rubik’s cube
6. A penguin in a hot air balloon
7. Santa Claus on vacation in Hawaii
8. A dog driving a school bus
9. A dragon making pizza
10. A frog wearing sunglasses at the beach
11. A robot doing yoga
12. A turtle winning a marathon
13. A shark playing basketball
14. A unicorn knitting a sweater
15. A wizard ordering coffee at Starbucks
16. A zombie going grocery shopping
17. A panda DJ at a nightclub
18. A clown juggling watermelons
19. A vampire brushing their teeth
20. A pirate teaching a yoga class
21. A mermaid getting a haircut
22. A lion afraid of a mouse
23. A giraffe stuck in an elevator
24. A squirrel stealing pizza from a picnic
25. A cow skydiving
26. A kangaroo baking cookies
27. An elephant painting a portrait
28. A hamster playing a guitar
29. A snail on a roller coaster
30. A snowman surfing
31. An alien playing chess with a robot
32. A crocodile wearing high heels
33. A banana fighting a pineapple
34. A clownfish dressed as a superhero
35. A cowboy riding a unicorn
36. A vampire sunbathing on the beach
37. A ninja playing hide and seek
38. A fairy delivering pizza
39. A penguin conducting an orchestra
40. A moose dancing disco
41. A superhero afraid of heights
42. A ghost attending a birthday party
43. A donut lifting weights
44. A llama at a job interview
45. A pirate playing video games
46. A robot riding a horse
47. A giraffe in a hot tub
48. A T-Rex playing the piano
49. A ninja doing ballet
50. A kangaroo playing the drums
51. A walrus delivering mail
52. A flamingo at a fashion show
53. A yeti playing soccer
54. A parrot giving a speech
55. A hamster doing karate
56. A koala riding a skateboard
57. A zebra painting a mural
58. A dragon flying a kite
59. A mermaid playing volleyball
60. A shark singing opera
61. A sloth winning an Olympic medal
62. A turtle building a sandcastle
63. A walrus wearing a tuxedo
64. A penguin at a rock concert
65. A bat playing a trumpet
66. A lion knitting a scarf
67. A whale flying a spaceship
68. A squirrel doing stand-up comedy
69. A rabbit baking a cake
70. A gorilla playing tennis
71. A frog playing the violin
72. A cat designing a website
73. A unicorn driving a taxi
74. A pigeon leading a parade
75. A robot in a swimsuit competition
76. A polar bear playing golf
77. A vampire cooking breakfast
78. A dolphin at a football game
79. A snail in a business suit
80. A dog painting a masterpiece
81. A chicken breakdancing
82. A hamster running for mayor
83. A zombie working at a coffee shop
84. A skeleton riding a unicycle
85. A pirate building a snowman
86. A penguin delivering pizza
87. A dragon playing volleyball
88. A robot cooking spaghetti
89. A shark riding a skateboard
90. A monkey playing basketball
91. A camel riding a bicycle
92. A zebra taking a selfie
93. A sloth swimming in a race
94. A bear doing stand-up comedy
95. A ghost playing the violin
96. A T-Rex doing a crossword puzzle
97. A penguin going to a spa
98. A dog writing a novel
99. A crocodile playing a saxophone
100. A giraffe giving a TED talk

These prompts are designed to spark creativity, but they also open the door for absolute mayhem in the best way possible. Use these prompts in your next game of Gartic Phone, and watch as your friends struggle to draw or guess these hilarious scenarios!

8 Online Games Like Gartic Phone

If you enjoy Gartic Phone’s mix of creativity, laughter, and social interaction, you’re in luck! There are plenty of other games out there that offer similar fun experiences, whether you’re looking for drawing challenges, guessing games, or party-style chaos. Here’s a list of 10 games like Gartic Phone that will keep you and your friends entertained for hours.

1. Skribbl.io

Skribbl.io is another popular browser-based multiplayer drawing game. Players take turns drawing a word while others try to guess what it is. The faster you guess, the more points you earn. Like Gartic Phone, it’s a great way to combine creativity and quick thinking with a social, competitive edge.

Why You’ll Like It: Simple interface, endless prompts, and quick, easy rounds.

2. Drawize

Drawize is a fun, free online multiplayer drawing game similar to Gartic Phone. Players take turns drawing prompts while others guess, and you can play with friends or with people around the world. The game offers several modes, including “Quick Draw,” “Quick Guess,” and “CopyCat AI,” where you can practice replicating images and receive feedback from an AI to improve your drawing skills.

Why You’ll Like It: Play in public or private rooms, improve your skills with AI feedback, and enjoy daily challenges and bonuses. Great for fun, office games, or educational activities.

3. Drawful 2

Created by Jackbox Games, Drawful 2 is an online drawing game where players receive absurd prompts and must draw them for others to guess. The fun part? There are no erasers, so you’re stuck with whatever masterpiece (or disaster) you create! It’s perfect for groups who want a quirky, lighthearted game.

Why You’ll Like It: Funny prompts, hilarious drawings, and no artistic skill required.

4. Scribble It!

Scribble It! is a free-to-play drawing and guessing game available on Steam. Players take turns drawing random prompts while others guess. It features multiple modes, including a cooperative mode where players draw together and a party mode for competitive fun.

Why You’ll Like It: Steam integration, easy to play with friends, and customizable prompts.

5. Quiplash

Quiplash, another game from Jackbox Games, isn’t a drawing game but delivers the same level of humor and party chaos. Players answer quirky, funny questions and everyone votes on the best answers. It’s great for groups who enjoy witty banter and hilarious responses.

Why You’ll Like It: High-energy party game, quick rounds, and no drawing involved.

6. Civic Doodle 

Civic Doodle is part of Jackbox Party (Pack 4) and involves players completing funny drawings. You’re given incomplete pictures, and it’s up to you to finish them in the most creative or ridiculous way possible. Everyone then votes on which drawing is the best.

Why You’ll Like It: Collaborative drawing, voting system, and always unpredictable results.

7. Guesspionage

Guesspionage is another game from the Jackbox Party collection (Pack 3) where players guess statistics and survey results, then try to outwit their opponents with their guesses. While it’s more about trivia than drawing, it provides a fun and chaotic party game atmosphere similar to Gartic Phone.

Why You’ll Like It: Guessing game fun, ideal for groups who enjoy fast-paced trivia.

8. Drawasaurus

Drawasaurus is a free online drawing and guessing game similar to Skribbl.io. Players can join or create themed rooms such as “The Whimsical Room,” “The Funny Room,” or “The Popcorn Room.” Once inside, players are given words to draw, and others must guess the drawing within a time limit. It’s simple, fun, and accessible on any browser, making it an excellent alternative to Gartic Phone for quick and easy entertainment.

Why You’ll Like It: Simple interface, great for large groups, and lots of fun with friends or strangers.

How to Choose the Right Game Like Gartic Phone:

• Looking for More Drawing Games? Go for options like Skribbl.io, Drawful 2, or Telestrations for similar creative challenges.
• Want More Party Games? Check out Jackbox Games like Quiplash or Guesspionage for fast-paced, hilarious group fun.
• Craving Something Competitive? Games like Scribble It! or Psych! offer intense guessing and bluffing for players who love a challenge.

Each of these games offers its own unique twist on party-style gameplay, but they all share the same key elements that make Gartic Phone so much fun—laughter, creativity, and unpredictability. Whether you’re into drawing, guessing, or simply want a hilarious time with friends, these games will keep you entertained for hours!

Common Questions About Gartic Phone