How it plays
Sixteen photos lie face up in a grid. Each person secretly draws a coordinate token such as “B3” and recreates that photo with their set: building blocks, shoelaces, sticks and stones, symbol cards or nine coloured cubes in a frame. Everyone builds at the same time; then each player writes down which photo the others have depicted. Each correct guess earns one point each for the guesser and the builder. The sets are passed on; after five rounds, whoever has the most points wins.
What it can help develop
At its core is abstraction: what makes the sunflower unmistakable, its round shape or its yellow colour? The photo is reduced to a few features and translated into awkward materials. A player’s own construction only scores if others recognise the photo: builders ask themselves what the others will see in a circle of shoelace, and guessers ask what was meant. That is perspective-taking. Each set also calls for a different strategy: cognitive flexibility instead of routine.
Especially suitable for
- Creative children from age 8 who like building and puzzling things out
- Mixed groups, from grandfather to granddaughter
- Reserved children: everyone builds at the same time
Less suitable for
- Two-person households: it needs at least three people
- Groups who want to play many games in a row
Our verdict
Pictures is a worthwhile choice for families of three or more in which children from age eight and adults want to get creative together. Its strength: everyone builds at the same time, and guessing the recreated photos is what makes it appealing. Its limitations are photos coming up again with the same materials and little appetite for playing many games in a row.
Getting started
- Before building, briefly go through the photos on display and make sure the construction does not also fit another photo.
- If photos come up again with the same materials, try the variant from the rules: replace photos that have already been depicted with new ones.
In detail
Variants and player count
According to version 2.0 of the rules, the game includes 91 photo cards and five material sets: coloured cubes in a frame, building blocks, sticks and stones, symbol cards and shoelaces. Sixteen photos lie in a 4 × 4 grid; everyone draws a secret coordinate token and depicts that photo at the same time. A correct guess earns one point, and builders receive one point for each correct guess; the game ends after five rounds. To avoid repetition, the rules name variants: drawing a new token or replacing photos that have already been depicted.
What reviewers say
Pictures was Spiel des Jahres 2020; according to the jury, each set poses a different challenge, and the guessing rounds resemble art exhibitions. According to PD-Verlag, it received gold at the MinD-Spielepreis 2021 in the short playing time category. The review round-up by the Spiel des Jahres jury describes the voices as mostly positive; several criticise that the same picture has to be built again with the same material. Udo Bartsch (Rezensionen für Millionen) praises the challenging tasks and the flow of play thanks to simultaneous building and swapping materials; he finds the symbol cards dull. Jörn Frenzel (Reich der Spiele) criticises the repetition; according to him, the game does not tempt players to play many games in a row.
How it compares
Azul (from age 8, 2 to 4 people, about 30 to 45 minutes) shares the age as well as logic and planning with Pictures. Azul is an elegant tile-laying game with a lot of planning ahead, less suited to groups looking for action and laughter. Dorfromantik: The Board Game (from age 8, 1 to 6 people, about 30 to 60 minutes) shares the age and the skill areas cooperation as well as logic and planning with Pictures. Dorfromantik: The Board Game is a calm, cooperative building game, less suited to children looking for speed or competition. Pictures (from age 8, 3 to 5 people, about 30 minutes) suits creative children from age 8 who like building and tinkering, and mixed groups from grandfather to granddaughter. Two-person households and groups who want to play many games in a row are less well served by Pictures.
Sources
- PD-Verlag: Pictures rules 2.0 (PDF, in German)
- Spiel des Jahres: Die Gewinner 2020 (in German)
- PD-Verlag: Pictures (publisher’s page, in German)
- Spiel des Jahres: Kritikenrundschau zu Pictures (review round-up, in German)
- Rezensionen für Millionen: review by Udo Bartsch (in German)
- Reich der Spiele: review by Jörn Frenzel (in German)
Frequently asked questions
What age is Pictures suitable for?
Pictures is recommended from age 8. A child is ready when they can reduce a photo to a few features such as shape or colour and enjoy tinkering with building blocks, shoelaces or cubes. The game works across several generations.
How long does a game take and how many people can play?
A game takes about 30 minutes and ends after five rounds. The game is for 3 to 5 people; it does not work with two. Everyone builds at the same time, and whoever has the most points at the end wins.
What skills can Pictures help develop?
Pictures can train logic and planning, cooperation and flexibility. Builders think about what others will recognise in their construction, and guessers put themselves in the builders’ shoes. Each material also calls for a different approach.
Is Pictures also suitable for reserved children?
Yes, because everyone builds at the same time, so nobody has to perform anything alone in front of the others. After the reveal, each child can explain which feature they relied on and learns what the others pay attention to.
