How to play Picture Shiritori: Shiritori mode and Telephone mode

Picture Shiritori modes

• Play Now (すぐに遊ぶ): join the public room with the most players among those waiting (or create one and wait if there is none)
• Create Room (部屋を作る): create a room to play with friends (you can set its name and password)
• Find Room (部屋をさがす): pick from the list of public rooms, or join with a room ID and password

Basic rules of Picture Shiritori

• Shiritori mode (2 or more players): players draw one at a time in turn. The first player picks a word that starts with "ri" (り), the last sound of "shiritori", and draws it.
• The next player works out what the previous drawing shows and writes that answer, then picks their own word that starts with the last character of the answer and draws it. Your answer and the word you draw are visible only to you until the final album. Everyone can watch the drawing as it is made.
• Words are 2–12 characters in hiragana or katakana. Words ending in "n" (ん) and words that have already been used are not allowed. If the thinking time runs out, a word is chosen automatically.
• Telephone mode (3 or more players): everyone plays at the same time. First, everyone writes a prompt (up to 20 characters) and passes it to the next player. Then you alternate: draw the prompt you received, then write what the previous player's drawing shows, and so on. A drawing in progress is visible only to the person drawing it.
• At the end, the album lets you compare the words people meant to draw with how their drawings were read.

How to play on Asobi Lounge

• The host sets the mode, how many times each player draws (1–3 in Shiritori mode), the drawing time (60, 90 or 120 seconds) and the thinking time (30, 45 or 60 seconds), then starts.
• On your turn, enter your answer and the word you will draw, then draw. Press Done (描けた!) to move on without waiting for the timer.
• The drawing tools are a pen, an eraser, fill, 20 colors, 4 brush sizes, undo, redo and clear all.
• When the game ends, the host turns the pages of the album so everyone can look back together. On the last page, Review (ふりかえり) shows everything at once.

How words connect in shiritori

Shiritori on this site is judged loosely, the way people usually play it. As long as a word starts with the last character of the previous word, the following cases also count as connecting.

• If a word ends with a long-vowel mark (ー), continue with the stretched vowel sound. After "koohii" (コーヒー, coffee), start with "i" (い).
• If a word ends with a small character, continue with its full-size form. After "kisha" (きしゃ, train), start with "ya" (や).
• Dakuten and handakuten (the marks for voiced sounds) do not matter. After "buta" (ぶた, pig), you can start with either "ta" (た) or "da" (だ).

Example: one round of Shiritori mode

1. The first player starts from "ri" and draws "ringo" (りんご, apple). Their answer and word are visible only to them.
2. The second player reads the drawing as "ringo", then picks "gorira" (ごりら, gorilla) from the last sound "go" and draws it. If they had misread it as "tomato" (トマト), they would draw a word starting with "to".
3. The third and later players continue the same way, and once everyone has drawn, it is time for the album. Everyone compares where the reading went off and how the chain changed.

Tips

• Drawing something simple and distinctive makes it easier for the next player to read.
• Once you enter your answer, the first character of the word you need to draw next is shown on screen.
• In Telephone mode, putting the most eye-catching part of the previous drawing into words makes it easier for the next player.
• Drawings that did not get across are the ones that get the biggest reaction when you look back in the album.

Frequently asked questions

Can we keep going if an answer is wrong?

Yes. Looking back at the end, including the drawings that did not get across, is what makes the game fun.

How many people can play?

Up to 10. Shiritori mode works with 2 or more players, and Telephone mode with 3 or more.

Can I answer in kanji?

To check that the shiritori connects, you write answers and the words you draw in hiragana or katakana.

Is Picture Shiritori free to play?

Yes, it costs nothing. Because players gather online for this game, you need to sign in with a Google account. To invite a friend, they also need to create an account and register as your friend. You can also give them the room ID and password so they can join.

More party games

• Drawing Chat
• Quiz Battle
• Typing Battle
• Quick Draw
• Life Sugoroku
• Word Wolf