Fixin' Leaks and Leeks

A terrifying breed of dinosaur has somehow enrolled in art school and is scary good. It has studied advanced drawing techniques, the entire history of art, and how to impress a human and then eat them. This new breed, the “Drawasaurus,” is online, challenging everyone to a draw-off, and I couldn’t be more excited, though I can’t draw. (Please see the following past posts from my blog for examples: “Destructive Devices: The Vacuum Cleaner” and “Holiday Themed Workout: Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks Style.” Keep in mind that these drawings are my best. My very best.)

I learned about the online Drawasaurus game when some workmates suggested we all get together and play. Drawasaurus is basically online Pictionary, where everyone takes turns drawing with the computer mouse, based on word prompts. You can choose colors and different line shapes as well. Those who aren’t drawing, guess the word in the chat. It’s completely free to play, but here’s the catch: The people at my work are all artists. So, I was a little hesitant to join in. Again, please see the above examples of my work.

Overall, I did have a lot of fun playing this game with my workmates. I was relieved to discover that when it was my turn to draw, I was presented with three options, and I could choose whichever was least challenging. You’re not supposed to write any words in your drawing, but we totally did, and it was super fun to break the rules, though I could feel the Drawasaurus breathing down my neck.

In any case, here’s a little sample of what transpired in the drawing room:

–I entered the online room late because I forgot the password and hit a “start” button that prompted me to download an extension on chrome. (Note: you don’t need any extensions to play this game.) While everyone started drawing, I said, very loudly, “Do I hit ‘yes’ to download the extension?” And someone replied, “No,” and that’s when I realized an advertisement had tricked me into clicking things, so I clicked out of whatever I was in, and entered the room, but I was kicked out because the Drawasaurus didn’t think I was “participating” enough.

–I entered the room again to discover that someone had drawn a lovely avocado, and I couldn’t figure out how. I could see the chat where I could guess, and people had already racked up 400 points. However, I didn’t see any tools for drawing.

–Suddenly, three words flashed on my screen, and I was prompted to pick one. I panicked. I picked nothing. It skipped my turn.

–Someone else drew an amazing aquarium—and I guessed what it was out loud, but I still lost points because I was supposed to put my answers in the chat—quietly, like a well-behaved dinosaur.

–When the words flashed on the screen in front of me again, I finally figured out that it was my turn, and I was supposed to pick a word and draw it—fast. There was a counter to keep time, so I just used the most basic tools available to me at the moment. One of the words I could choose was “art,” so I drew something abstract. Everyone thought it was a map. The more I tried to clarify with squiggly lines and shapes, the more they typed and said, “map.”

–Someone drew the Burger King head. The entire head! Like, it really looked like the Burger King King. I got to the 100-point mark by guessing the word: “king.” (You can see the number of spaces for each word above the chat function.)

–Someone drew the “Drawasaurus” drawing a “Drawasaurus”—and it was super cute.

–Then, it was my turn again. I chose the word “bedroom,” and ended up drawing an austere and unsettling land of rectangles. One rectangle looked like a stick-figure had been infused onto it, shoved flat in a most unnatural and uncomfortable position. Also, the rectangle was much bigger in scale than the stick figure. I then drew a chest of drawers that was really just a rectangle with one long horizontal line going through it. Then, I threw in a random door (rectangle with a smaller circle inside). Someone guessed “bed,” so that was good, but no one guessed “bedroom” until I drew a door that kind of floated over the bed. (It was more like a portal, I guess? In case you want to leave Rectangle Land and enter Triangle Land or something?)

Then, Drawasaurus threatened to kick me out of the room, unless I wanted to stay for dinner. Another “start” button appeared, but I wasn’t falling for that trick again. Instead, I slipped through the rectangular door and landed right back in my home office, with the doorbell ringing and the cat zooming about, crashing into walls. Here’s what that looked like:

Your Turn: What is your favorite game to play with friends or family? Do you catch on quickly or slowly to new games?