How to Play Picture Consequences

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Picture Consequences is a drawing game in which each player secretly contributes one section of a figure, folding the paper to hide their work before passing it to the next person. The result is a mismatched, often absurd creature assembled from everyone's independent efforts, seen in full only when the paper is unfolded at the end.

It is a staple of family gatherings, children's parties and rainy afternoons because it needs nothing more than paper and pencils, takes minutes to explain, and reliably produces drawings that make the whole room laugh. It works equally well with artistic adults and children who can barely hold a pencil.

A little history

Picture Consequences is a drawing variant of the older written game Consequences, in which players add to a story in turn without seeing previous contributions. The written form is documented in British parlour-game literature from at least the late nineteenth century, and the drawing version followed naturally from it. Its exact origins are unclear, but it was well established as a parlour game across Britain and France by the early twentieth century, and the Surrealists later adopted a formalised version they called Cadavre Exquis (Exquisite Corpse), using it as a creative technique from the 1920s onward. The family parlour version has remained largely unchanged.

Setting up

1. Seat all players around a table or in a circle on the floor.
2. Give each player one sheet of paper and a pencil.
3. Agree before the first round how many sections the figure will have. The standard division is three: head, body, and legs. Four sections (head, torso, hips and legs, feet) works well with larger groups.
4. Agree whether players will draw a human figure, an animal, a monster, or any creature they like. Leaving it open produces the best results.
5. Decide in advance which direction sheets will be passed, left or right, and stick to it throughout.

How to play

1. Each player holds their sheet in portrait orientation and draws the head and neck of any figure they choose in the top section of the paper, roughly the top third.
2. When drawing the neck, each player extends two short lines just past the fold line into the next section. These marks are the only guide the next player receives about where the body should connect.
3. Each player folds their paper forward so that only the two small guide marks are visible and the head is completely hidden, then passes the sheet to the next player.
4. The next player draws the torso of a figure, connecting to the two guide marks, in the middle section. When finished, they extend two short guide marks past the next fold line and fold the paper forward again to hide the torso.
5. The sheet is passed on once more. The final player draws the legs and feet in the remaining section, connecting to the two guide marks.
6. Once all players have completed their section, everyone passes their sheet one final time so that each player holds a completed sheet they have not seen before, or sheets are simply collected into a pile.
7. Each sheet is unfolded and revealed in turn. All players see the full figure together for the first time.
8. If playing multiple rounds, distribute fresh sheets and repeat the process. Players may be given a theme for each round to add variety.

Winning and scoring

Picture Consequences is traditionally played without scoring, the enjoyment being the collective reveal. However, if a competitive element is wanted, players vote after each reveal for the funniest or most imaginative figure. Each player casts one vote and may not vote for a sheet they contributed to. The player whose sheet receives the most votes wins that round. Play a set number of rounds and total the wins; the player with the most wins overall is the champion. In the event of a tie, tied players each draw one final head-body-legs sheet solo and the group votes between them.

The fine points

The most common dispute concerns the guide marks: a player who draws them too far into the next section effectively dictates part of the next player's drawing, which most players consider unsporting. The standard ruling is that guide marks should extend no more than one centimetre past the fold line and should indicate only the two connection points, not suggest a shape. If a player peeks, either deliberately or because the fold was too shallow, the usual remedy is simply to redraw their section on a fresh sheet; eliminating a player entirely defeats the social purpose of the game.

With younger children, disputes arise over what counts as a valid section. The practical ruling is that any continuous drawing that clearly occupies its allotted space and includes guide marks is valid. Players should not be made to redraw on grounds of artistic quality; the whole point is that no two sections will match.

How to win more often

• Make your guide marks clear and deliberate. Two dots or short lines placed precisely at the fold give the next player a clean connection point and produce a more satisfying reveal.
• Fill your entire section rather than drawing small and central. A cramped head at the top of a large space leads to a mismatched figure; a drawing that uses the full width gives the next player more to work with.
• Vary what you draw from round to round. If you always draw human heads, the game becomes predictable. Try animals, robots, aliens or inanimate objects to maximise the absurdity.
• Fold firmly and crease the paper well before passing it on. A loose fold risks the next player glimpsing your section, which spoils the reveal.
• With younger or less confident players, name a specific creature type for each round rather than leaving it entirely open. A shared starting point, such as a sea creature, still produces wildly different results but removes the blank-page hesitation.

Variations

Four-Section Figure

Divide the paper into four sections rather than three: head, chest, hips and legs, and feet. This works best with five or more players and increases the likelihood of a completely mismatched figure. Each player passes the sheet three times instead of two, and guide marks are added at each of the three fold lines.

Written Consequences Hybrid

After the figure is revealed, each player writes a one-sentence caption for the creature on the back of the sheet without showing it, folds it over, and passes it on once more. The sheet is then unfolded fully to show both the figure and a random caption written by someone who has never seen it. This adds a second layer of absurdity and works especially well with older players.

Themed Rounds

Before each round the group agrees a theme, such as superheroes, sea creatures, historical figures or robots. Every player must draw their section to fit the theme, though their interpretation of it remains hidden. Themes reduce complete randomness but produce funnier results because everyone's section is plausible in isolation yet ridiculous in combination.

Landscape Creatures

Turn the paper to landscape orientation and divide it into left, middle and right sections rather than top to bottom. Players draw the left part of a creature, fold and pass right. The result is a wide, horizontal beast rather than a tall figure and opens up interesting possibilities for animals with long bodies. Guide marks are placed on the right-hand edge of each section in the same way.

Picture Consequences: frequently asked questions