Shadow Sketch
Fill in the silhouette, guessers only see your strokes.
Play in a room
Connecting to the game server…
How to play
The drawer sees a faint silhouette and must sketch the details that make it recognizable. Guessers watch the drawing appear with no silhouette to help them.
How to play Shadow Sketch
Shadow Sketch flips the drawing game formula. The drawer sees a faint gray silhouette, a cat, a Christmas tree, the Statue of Liberty, and must draw the INTERNAL details that make it recognizable: eyes, branches, a torch. The catch: guessers never see the silhouette. They watch only the drawer’s strokes appear on a blank canvas and try to name the shape before the 90-second round ends. At 60 seconds the silhouette is revealed to everyone, turning the final half-minute into a frenzy of obvious answers.
Rules & scoring
The silhouette layer is visible only to the drawer until the 60-second reveal. Guesses are matched case-insensitively against the silhouette name. The first correct guesser scores up to 100 points based on speed, and the drawer earns half of the total points their drawing produced. With 110 silhouettes in the bank, the round feels different every time.
Tips to win
The silhouette tells you the outline, your job is the inside. Draw the most identifying features first: the eyes of a cat, the stripes of a zebra, the torch of Lady Liberty. Guessers should name what the shapes suggest rather than what they literally see; a circle with lines is usually a face. When the reveal hits, everyone suddenly knows the answer, the last 30 seconds are pure speed.
Why it works for parties
Shadow Sketch rewards cleverness over drawing skill and produces genuine “oh, it’s so obvious” moments, making it one of the most satisfying browser party games for friends and one of the best visual-thinking activities for classrooms.
Devices & requirements
Play on any device with a modern browser. The faint silhouette renders identically on all screens, and touch drawing is fully supported. Nothing to install.
Playing with friends
Shadow Sketch shines with a mixed group of artists and non-artists: the silhouette guides the drawer, so drawing skill matters less than observation, and the reveal moment gives everyone the same aha. Set up a room, share the link, and rounds rotate the drawer through the whole group. With up to 24 players, guessers stay engaged because the reveal at 60 seconds suddenly makes every stroke obvious. It is also a wonderful classroom game, the silhouette mechanic teaches shape recognition and visual communication better than any lecture, and the simple rules mean even first-time players contribute from round one. The reveal mechanic stays fun for repeat players.
Shadow Sketch FAQ
Can guessers see the silhouette?
Not until the 60-second reveal. Before that, the silhouette is drawn only on the drawer’s canvas, as a faint background layer.
What kinds of silhouettes are in the game?
More than 100: animals, objects, landmarks, vehicles, and holiday icons, every silhouette is a simple SVG outline that fits the canvas perfectly.
Is Shadow Sketch good for large groups?
Yes, up to 24 players can guess simultaneously, and the reveal mechanic makes late guesses just as fun as early ones.