SMAKdraw
Publisher: High5 TeamBuilding |Playtime: 15-90 mins | Players: 3-10
Designers: Robin Hardin, Glenn Orfino| Ages 10+ | Graphic Artist: Logann Fitt
Kickstarter May 3rd, 2022
Sometimes the daily grind can leave you jumbled, and you just need time to reconnect with a board game. Gaming puts us in friendly competition and a chance to recharge but finding a game that encourages banter, deduction, and just plain delightful can be challenging. How about a game smooshing the good bits of Superfight, Quelf, and Pictionary into one new innovative game? SMAKdraw delivered on all counts. We found there is plenty of variety which leads to much laughter.
SMAKdraw will be on Kickstarter on May 3rd, 2022!
Set-Up
Each player gets 1 drawsheet, and 1 dry erase marker.
Whoever does the least amount of work each day is the scorekeeper.
Set the wordcards in the middle play area and place the blank card on top of them.
Place the SMAKhand beside the word cards.
Keep reading the easy-to-read rules, or you can also scan the QR code in the rulebook for a How to Play Video.
Gameplay
The rules suggest that the player that got out of bed the earliest becomes the first Guesser, and the last out of bed is the first SMAKer. That is a light-hearted way to pick first players; however, what if you play more than one game or fancy rolling dice? When there is a choice, we roll dice, which is how we pick the first players.
The back SMAKer picks a word card from the deck, concealing it from the Guesser. Then use the SMAKhand and SMAK it gently onto the back of the Guesser. The Guesser, turns around, the timer is flipped, and all players draw the word on the Guessers back.
* Blank Card – Anyone can create a word card during any drawing round using this card.
* Acting Round – Before any drawing round, the drawers can agree if they would rather act out the word card simultaneously instead of drawing it. Two or more can team up to act if desired. The word card is held on the forehead of the Guesser, and the same Scoring rules apply. We played every other round as an Acting round because we had an artist at the table- trying to level the playing field. It was just as delightful and silly. The designers note that "Drawing skills not required to win" is true unless you have our artist at the table. 😊
Choose Drawings: When the timer runs out, stop drawing, and place the drawsheets face down in the middle of the table, lightly shuffle, then turn them face up. The Guesser now turns back around to study the drawings. Flip the timer, and feel free to SMAKtalk and laugh at any drawings. When the timer runs out, the Guesser, declares they have a guess, however, does NOT reveal it yet! At this point, the Guesser, chooses the drawing, or multiple drawings, that helped them arrive at their guess the most, and the drawing or numerous drawings that enabled them the least. Scoring for Helped Most: The Guesser, reveals their answer, and if it is the Correct Guess, or is like the word or phrase on the word card, then the Guesser receives 2 points, and the drawing, or drawings, that helped the Guesser the most receive 1 point each. All players earning points should celebrate with a High 5 handSMAK! Needed Hint: If the Guesser's answer is not a match, do NOT reveal the answer yet. If anyone does, the Guesser automatically scores 1 point, then Continue to Play to the next drawing round. If not revealed, then the drawing, or drawings that helped the most get a second chance to score one point each; by quietly discussing then each giving a one-word hint. The Guesser listens to all hints, then takes only one guess. If correct, then those players, and the Guesser, score 1 point each.
Scoring for Helped Least: The player, or players, that drew a picture that helped the least can now defend and explain how their drawing resembles the word card. The Guesser, and all other players, become the Jury. The Jury votes, and 1 point is awarded to each drawing or drawing received 50% or more Jury Vote in favor. Scoring for Others (Optional Recommended!): The players whose drawings were Not selected as helped most or helped least can earn points.
Continue Play: The player to the left of the last Guesser now becomes the Guesser. The player that had the drawing that least helped becomes the back SMAKer. If both are the same person, that player chooses another back SMAKer. Continue to play like this until you have completed 1 full round or the agreed-upon rounds. 1 round = all players having had the chance to be the Guesser, 1 time each.
Bonus Points
During any Guessing around the players (Others) with drawings that were
NOT chosen as, helped most, or helped least, can battle for a point. If there
is only one player in this category, that player chooses a challenger, and both are eligible to earn a point. Roll the dice to decide the battle type.
Staring Contest - Battlers pair off. If there are an odd number of players, the player with the nearest birthday sits out (bye). If needed, the player with the furthest birthday would get the next bye. The one winner earns one bonus point.
Odds or Evens Battle - Battlers must choose to be on opposing odds or Even teams and battle simultaneously. Each player on the winning team earns one bonus point. Don't Laugh Challenge - One player decides to make the others laugh or lose their composure in any way. This player only earns one bonus point if anyone cracks. Players that hold their composure earn one bonus point.
Your Choice - Choose from the dice, or from any of our suggestions below, or come up with one of your own! Suggestions: Dance off, best joke, unique talent, thumb wrestle.
End game when each player has been the Guesser once. When playing with five or fewer, we had each player have a chance to be the Guesser twice.
The highest points win.
There is an After Dark expansion for seventeen and up. Those drawings were hysterical.
Bits&Bobs
10 Drawsheets
10 Dry erase markers with erasers
200 Word cards
1 Blank wordcard
1 Timer
1 Dice, 15
SMAKhands (periodically wash with warm water to regain stickiness)
Interview with the Designer
I spoke with Robin Hardin, the co-designer/producer of High5 Team Building Community, and asked when did High5 start and what was the initial mission?
Robin: High 5 TeamBuilding Inc. was created in 2001 to bring interaction and fun into the corporate world. Our mission has always been to bring people together through games and activities that are interactive, fun, and full of laughter. Our team-building events leave participants feeling happy and energized.
Tell us what brought you into this world of gaming enthusiasts?
Robin: We've always been gaming enthusiasts, and it was our obsession with games led us to create High 5 TeamBuilding.
What is the origin of the SMAKdraw Party Game?
Robin: We were motivated to create a game that could bring these same elements to game nights. We started developing SMAKdraw and spent the last 2 years playtesting, finalizing components, and sourcing the right manufacturer.
What was the process of deciding to do a Kickstarter?
Robin: We like the Kickstarter platform for its ability to provide access to markets in numerous countries and the ability to pre-sell games before manufacturing. We feel Kickstarter gives Indy publishers a chance to venture into the game market.
Last Word
Easy to learn and very engaging, the SMAKdraw Game is more than a party game. The outbursts, synergy of Bonus Challenges and Helpful Hints make for enterprising gameplay.
We found a lot of entertainment to be drawn out of the game by the players, coming up with good arguments, competing for extra points, and deciphering the clues that lead to interesting situations. Additionally, we played SMAKdraw After Dark expansion pack for ages seventeen and up. The twenty-something Nerdz at the Garage that played were laughing so hard that the tears were flowing. They thought it was inappropriate in all the right ways.
Some of the words/phrases require quite a bit of creative use of drawing; however, relying on the creative without forcing you to be a great drawer. Both versions of SMAKdraw were brimming with high jinks while still keeping it in the imagination zone.
SMAKdraw
Publisher: High5 TeamBuilding
Designers: Robin Hardin, Glenn Orfino
Graphic Artist: Logann Fitt
Playtime: 15-90mins
Players: 3-10
Ages 10+
Kickstarter May 3rd, 2022
This Preview was sponsored by High5 TeamBuilding. All pieces are prototypes.
Thoughts and opinions are my own.
