za3k > games > doodle adventures

a relaxing drawing-book adventure for one or more players. players listen as a pre-made story is revealed, and doodle what happens.

supplies needed: a set of 3x5 index cards or similar small paper.

not yet playtested. estimated time, 20-40 minutes

written by zachary "za3k" vance on 2021-03-29

how to play

• pass out paper and pencil to everyone
• print out one of the adventures below. you can read the one-line summary at the top to pick one you like, but don't read the rest yet!
• slowly reveal the events one at a time. you can hide them with a piece of paper you slide down, or you can just have one player read them out loud without sneaking a peek ahead.
• as each event is revealed, do whatever it says.
• when the event tells you to draw something, you draw it on a new piece of paper. i recommend drawings take 1-3 minutes each, but you can take as long as everyone wants really.
• you usually write what the drawing is of. just use 1-3 words.
• that's it!

wizard adventure (2+ players)

friends meet a wizard (7 drawings)

1. The heroes are all good friends. Draw your character. You could be a knight, a glam rock star, an alien, a scientist, or anything else. Write the hero's name under the drawing.
2. You've all had many good times in the past. Draw all the friends at one of those fun times. It could be a barbeque, an adventure park visit, a night under the stars, or anyhting else. Write the event.
3. Oh no, a wizard is going around the kingdom casting spells. Write down an easy-to-draw animal, but don't draw anything. Pass the animal to your left. Oh no, you've been turned into an animal by the wizard! Draw yourself as the animal you just got.
4. This wizard is causing havoc everywhere. Draw some havoc they caused. Write what the havoc was.
5. Oh but you also got a cool magic power! Draw yourself using your new magic power to fixing the problem to the left. Write the magic power.
6. Actually, this power is pretty useful. Draw yourself fixing up the kingdom with your new power.
7. It turns out the wizard was just shy. They turn you back into humans. Draw your friends doing something nice to welcome the wizard to the kingdom. Write what you did.

goblins adventure (1 players)

a hero defeat goblins (11 drawings)

1. Draw your hero. They can be a knight, a court minstel, a wizard, or anything else. Write the hero's name under the drawing.
2. Goblins have invaded the kingdom. On your paper, write "ADJECTIVE goblin" (for example, "smelly goblin"). That's the goblin chief. Draw the goblin chief.
3. The king's loved one has been kidnapped! Draw a prince, princess, or king's favorite pet being kidnapped by the goblin chief. Write the prince, princess, or favorite pet's name.
4. Draw the hero discovering a wanted poster for the goblin chief in an unexpected way.
5. Draw how the hero defeats a bunch of normal goblins. Write the hero's name.
6. Draw the hero leaning the goblin chief's secret weakness.
7. The hero takes a break from fighting goblins to compete in the Royal Baking Competition. Draw the hero's contest entry. If the hero's name starts with a vowel, they won!
8. Draw the hero battling the goblin chief. It's anyone's guess who will win!
9. You won! Draw the hero winning the battle.
10. Your hero brings back the goblin chief to the throne room, and the king's loved one rushes to hug him. Draw their reunion.
11. Draw the hero enjoying a giant pile of treasure they got as a reward from the king. Or, draw them on a date with the prince/princess or playing with the pet.

goblins adventure (2+ players)

heroes defeat goblins (11 drawings)

1. Draw your hero. They can be a knight, a court minstel, a wizard, or anything else. Write the hero's name under the drawing.
2. Goblins have invaded the kingdom. On your paper, write "ADJECTIVE goblin" (for example, "smelly goblin"). Pass your paper to the right. Draw the goblin the player to your left hands you. These are the goblin chiefs.
3. Pass your goblin chief to the right. The king's various daughters and sons have been kidnapped by the goblins chiefs! Draw a prince, princess, or favorite pet being kidnapped by your goblin chief. Write the prince, princess, or favorite pet's name.
4. Pass your goblin chief to the right. Draw your hero discovering a wanted poster for the goblin chief in an unexpected way.
5. Draw how your hero defeats a bunch of normal goblins. Write your hero's name.
6. Draw your hero leaning the goblin chief's secret weakness, which is only useful to the player to your left.
7. The heroes all take a break from fighting goblins to participate in the Royal Baking Competition. Draw your hero's contest entry. The hero with the biggest ears won the contest.
8. You all meet at the baking competition, and realize how to defeat the goblin chiefs. Draw your hero meeting the hero to your right at the baking competition.
9. Draw your hero battling the goblin chief. It's anyone's guess who will win!
10. You won! Draw your hero winning the battle.
11. Your hero brings back the goblin chief to the throne room, and the king's loved one rushes to hug him. Draw the hero enjoying a giant pile of treasure they got as a reward from the king. Or, draw them on a date with the prince/princess or playing with the pet.

thieves adventure (2+ players)

thieves steal from each other (11 drawings)

1. You are all sneaky thieves and spies stealing from each other. Draw your thief.
2. There is a big treasure you want more than anything. It could be a ruby, a cool laser gun, a sparkly crown, or anything else. Draw the treasure. Write what it is.
3. Draw the trap or security system guarding your treasure, like an alligator-infested moat. Write what the security is. Stack the security drawing on top of the treasure it's guarding.
4. You planned a perfect heist, and brought one special piece of equipment with you to overcome the security. Write what the equipment is. Draw it.
5. You just can't help yourself. You steal the equipment the player to your left drew. Draw how you steal it. Actually take the equipment, too.
6. Oops, you have the wrong equipment now. Draw yourself sneaking through the security with the wrong equipment, and setting off the security or triggering the trap.
7. Darn, you're in jail now. Your friends on the outside sneak you in tools. Shuffle the equipment and deal one to each player. Draw how your friends snuck that equipment into your jail cell.
8. Draw yourself breaking out of jail using your new equipment.
9. Quick! Everyone put their hand on a security system to claim that target. Everyone has a different target. Draw how you break into it using your new equipment. Actually take the treasure under the security.
10. Well this treasure is cool, but it's not what you really wanted. Draw your thief stealing the treasure you actually wanted from the player who has it. If you already have what you want, draw yourself gloating instead. Actually take any treasure you steal.
11. Draw your thief on a dream vacation.

making your own adventures

• you can make your own adventures however you want, but play one of the existing adventures to get a feel for how they go first.
• i don't have a great way to make and play adventures one-player yet. sorry!
• if you write your own adventure, feel free to send it to me and I can add it here.
• if you want to make and play and adventure as a group, here's one way.

1. Write the numbers 1-8 (or however many drawings you want.
2. One player says what the story is about, and says out loud what that is.
3. The next player writes the first step, but doesn't show it to everyone.
4. They pass the paper to the next player, who writes step 2, and folds the paper so only step 2 is visible.
5. The player after that sees only step 2. They write step 3, and fold the paper again so only step 3 is visible. Keep going until the story is done and you have 6-8 steps.
6. Now play like normal.