Hosting the Perfect Gartic Event: Themes, Variants, and Long-Term Play

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Introduction: Turning a Casual Game into a Legendary Gathering

Gartic Phone may be a simple online party game, but with just a little thought, structure, and creativity, you can transform it into a complete experience—a full-blown virtual or in-person event. Whether you’re playing with friends, coworkers, stream audiences, or strangers on a Discord server, the key is to go beyond individual games and build themed sessions, events, and seasonal traditions.

In this 5,000+ word section, we’ll break down:

  • How to plan and host unforgettable Gartic events

  • Choosing themes to guide gameplay, drawing styles, or prompt categories

  • Custom challenges and variants that spice up gameplay

  • Leaderboards, scoring, and mini-competitions

  • Long-term play ideas: tournaments, hall-of-fame slideshows, and recurring events

  • Real-life examples of themed game nights, streamer formats, and community competitions

Whether you're a gamer, streamer, event planner, or just a really fun friend, this section is your blueprint to elevating Gartic Phone from a casual party game to a core experience your group comes back to again and again.

🎉 Part 1: Planning the Perfect Gartic Phone Event

Hosting a great session of Gartic Phone begins before the game starts.

👥 1.1 Picking the Right Group Size

Group SizeExperience Style
3–5Tight-knit, quick games with lots of participation per person.
6–10Ideal for balanced chaos and creativity.
11–16+Large-scale madness, slower rounds, but great entertainment.

💡 Tip: For large groups, use shorter timers or fewer chains to keep games snappy.

🗓️ 1.2 Setting the Schedule

Plan a structured flow like this:

  1. Intro Round (Normal Mode) – for warm-up and laughs

  2. Challenge Round – with themes or restricted rules

  3. Wildcard Round – Knock-off, Secret, or Animation mode

  4. Finale Round – Themed, custom rules, or longest chain

⏱️ Total event time: 1.5–2 hours is ideal
⏱️ Shorter session: 45–60 minutes with 2 game modes

🔔 1.3 Sending Invites and Hype

Promote your event:

  • Create a fun event name: “Chaos & Crayons Night” or “Gartic Gladiators”

  • Send invites with a custom poster or image

  • Use Discord/Event platforms to schedule

  • Include optional theme hints (e.g., “Bring your most cursed prompt ideas”)

🎨 Part 2: Using Themes to Guide the Game

Themes are powerful tools. They give structure and flavor to gameplay, sparking more focused and creative contributions.

🌍 2.1 Types of Themes

Theme TypeExamples
Topic-BasedSpace, Medieval Times, Food, Superheroes
Genre-BasedHorror, Romance, Sci-Fi, Comedy
Game MechanicOnly 3 colors per drawing, No vowels in prompts
StylisticDraw in pixel art, anime, cave paintings
Prompt-Driven“Every prompt must begin with: ‘The last thing you’d expect is…’”
Narrative-BasedPlayers must continue a single ongoing story chain

🧪 2.2 Themed Round Examples

A. “Alien Invasion”

  • Prompts must involve aliens, UFOs, or space cows

  • Players encouraged to use green/purple color palettes

  • Result: A funny and surprisingly coherent narrative across chains

B. “Minimalist Mayhem”

  • Use only 2 colors

  • Max of 5 lines per drawing

  • Prompt must be 5 words or fewer

  • Result: Hilariously abstract chaos and tough guesses

C. “Saturday Morning Cartoons”

  • Draw in exaggerated, cartoon style

  • Prompts must relate to animals, food, or kids' shows

  • Encourage sound effects in guesses (“BOOM!” “SPLAT!”)

  • Great for nostalgic laughs

🌀 Part 3: Custom Challenges & Game Variants

Go beyond the default modes—create house rules and custom challenges.

🔁 3.1 Rule Variants

VariantDescription
Prompt RoulettePlayers must write prompts that combine 2+ random topics (e.g., “Dragon dentist in the Matrix”)
No ContextGuesses and drawings are done with no visible chain
The “Wombo Combo”Drawings must include 3 given items (host announces before game)
Wordless WorldAll prompts and guesses are done as emojis or icons only
Color BanPlayers can’t use red, green, or blue (host picks the banned color)

🧑‍🎤 3.2 Role-Playing Variants

A. Character Chains
Each player plays as a character—pirate, alien, teacher—and their prompts must reflect their “voice.”

B. Detective Chains
At the end of each round, players guess “Who corrupted the chain most?” Like a social deduction twist.

C. Voice Mode Add-On
On video call, have the final slideshow narrated in character voices—Siri, Gandalf, Dracula, etc.

🏆 Part 4: Making It Competitive (or Just Silly)

🎖️ 4.1 Awards and Leaderboards

Add gamified elements for long-term fun:

  • Best Prompt – funniest or cleverest

  • Best Drawing – by vote

  • Biggest Chain Breakdown – most off-topic final guess

  • Accidental Genius – accurate final guess despite chaos

  • Doodle MVP – best consistent artist

  • Prompt Saboteur – most confusing starter prompt

Use online polls or Discord reactions to vote!

📊 4.2 Seasonal Leaderboards

Track over weeks:

  • Points per category (Prompt, Guess, Art)

  • Reward participation over skill

  • Create badges or custom titles

Example:

  • 🥇 “Chainlord of May”

  • 🎨 “Scribble Master”

  • 🧠 “Prompt Prophet”

📆 Part 5: Long-Term Play Formats

Turn Gartic into a recurring event or campaign.

🔄 5.1 Weekly Series

Every week, new:

  • Theme

  • Mode

  • Challenge

  • MVP

Track wins on a shared doc or leaderboard. Invite guests or stream the session.

🏁 5.2 Tournament Format

Structure:

  • 4 teams (3-5 players)

  • Each team submits a prompt per round

  • Play Normal, Knock-off, and Animation modes

  • Judges score on prompt creativity, chain chaos, drawing accuracy

Winners get digital trophies or silly social media shoutouts.

📼 5.3 Community Slideshow Vault

Save the best slideshows in:

  • Shared Google Drive

  • Community Discord Channel

  • YouTube video compilations

Use them to roast friends, reminisce, or build inside jokes over time.

📚 Part 6: Real-Life Event Examples

🔥 6.1 The “Gartic Gauntlet” (Advanced Chaos Session)

Structure:

  1. Normal Mode (Warm-up)

  2. Speedrun + Random Prompts (Timed Panic)

  3. Animation (Collaborative Chaos)

  4. Compliment Mode (Cute Cooldown)

  5. Finale: Secret Mode w/ 10-Second Timer

Played monthly by 12+ players. Awards tracked. Monthly champion crowned. Ended with voice-narrated slideshow roast session.

📺 6.2 Streamer Event Template

For Twitch or YouTube:

  • Use Solo mode to build scripted chain

  • Invite fans to interpret one round

  • Run live voting: “Which drawing nailed it?”

  • Save highlights as content

🔑 Part 7: Hosting Best Practices

  • Be clear with rules

  • Test your mic and stream settings if broadcasting

  • Encourage wildness but be inclusive

  • Meme responsibly—don’t alienate new players

  • Use screen share for the slideshow finale

  • Be the energy you want others to bring

🏁 Conclusion: You’re Not Just Playing—You’re Directing an Experience

Hosting a great Gartic Phone session means more than clicking “Start.” With themes, custom variants, awards, and recurring events, you can create a shared memory machine—a place where drawing, storytelling, and chaos collide.

So go ahead—craft your “Pixel Pirate Night,” launch your “Gartic Olympics,” or kick off your “Guesspocalypse Tour.” You now have the tools to not just play, but to build a legacy of doodle-driven madness.