Esquissé is available at La Becterie's game library
At La Becterie, our cozy guesthouse nestled in the heart of Normandy, we believe that laughter is the best icebreaker. That’s why one of our favorite boardgame is Esquissé. It is always ready to play in our games library. Whether you’re staying with us for a quiet weekend or joining one of our ludothèque evenings (game nights), you’ll find Esquissé on the shelf, waiting to create unforgettable memories. The best part? You don’t need to know how to draw! All you need is a willingness to laugh, improvise, and sketch out the silliest ideas that come to your mind. In fact, the worse you draw, the funnier the game becomes!
Stand-aside personal note: Laurence might quite disagrees, since she does not like to play this game. Undoubtely because she mostly likes games where she can cheat unnoticed.
How To Play Esquissé at La Becterie
So how does it work? Esquissé is based on the concept of “Chinese whispers” (aka téléphone arabe in french) but with drawings. Each player writes a word, then passes it on for the next person to draw. That drawing is passed again to the next person, and someone else tries to guess the word… and so on. With each pass, the original word transforms—usually into something hilariously unexpected. The game is perfect for 4 to 8 players, and a typical session lasts about 30 to 45 minutes. Everyone gets a sketchbook and a pen, and the timer keeps the pace snappy, ensuring there’s never a dull moment.
Our Favorite Board Game is Esquissé!
Personally, my favorite boardgame is Esquissé. It’s a perfect mix of quiet concentration and uproarious laughter. During the drawing phase, everything goes quiet—but it’s a tense quiet, as the clock ticks and you struggle to turn a concept into a picture. Then comes the big reveal: you open your sketchbook, and realize how far your original word has drifted! That moment of comic disaster is priceless. You’ll laugh at your own confusion, and yes—at your friends’ bizarre interpretations too – especially if you play with Laurence. But it’s always done with kindness and joy. At La Becterie, Esquissé isn’t just a game—it’s a shared experience, one that brings people together through laughter, silliness, and just a few strokes of a pen.