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About A Fake Artist Goes to New York
A Fake Artist Goes to New York is a drawing game where one player has no idea what is being drawn. The Question Master writes a category and a word on everyone's card except one, which just gets an X. Going round twice, each artist adds a single line to the same picture. Draw too clearly and the fake can guess the word; draw too vaguely and you look like the fake. It is cheap, quick and gets big laughs from the finished drawings.
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Is A Fake Artist Goes to New York Right for You?
Best for
A Fake Artist Goes to New York is for groups of five to ten who want a light, silly game with a clever bluffing hook. It is best at six to eight, where the picture has enough lines to hide in. Drawing skill does not matter at all, which makes it a great leveller.
Maybe skip it if…
Groups who want depth or long strategic play will find it slight. Some players dislike the pressure of drawing in front of others, even with single lines.
How to Play A Fake Artist Goes to New York
Setup
The Question Master picks a category and a word, writes the word on all but one card, and writes X on the last. Shuffle and deal the cards, and give each artist a different coloured pen.
On Your Turn
- The Question Master announces the category out loud.
- Each artist in turn draws one continuous line on the shared picture, without lifting the pen.
- After everyone has drawn twice, all artists point at the player they think is the fake.
- If the fake is caught, they get one chance to guess the word.
How to Win
The fake and the Question Master score if the fake is not caught, or is caught but guesses the word. Otherwise the real artists score. The first to the target score wins.
💡 Strategy Tips
On your first line, draw something only a real artist would draw, but that could fit lots of words in the category.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Drawing too obviously. If your line clearly shows the word, the fake will guess it at the end.
- Being too vague. Real artists who play too safe end up looking like the fake.
- Question Masters picking words that are impossible to draw in two rounds. Concrete things like animals or objects work best.
- Pointing at the last person to draw. Look at the whole picture, especially the first round.
Advanced Strategy
- As the fake, wait for a couple of lines before drawing, then extend someone else's line rather than starting something new.
- As a real artist, draw a line that only makes sense once you know the word, such as a detail rather than an outline.
- Pay attention to who hesitated before drawing. Real artists usually start quickly.
- The Question Master can set the difficulty by choosing a broad or narrow category.
Variants & House Rules
House rule: three rounds
With smaller groups, some players add a third round of lines, so the drawing gets more detail and the fake more to work with.
House rule: no scoring
Play casual rounds without points and simply rotate the Question Master each time.
Video Guides
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Our Verdict
A Fake Artist Goes to New York is cheap, quick and gets more laughs than its small box suggests. It is light, and some groups will find it a one-night novelty. As a party opener for six to eight, we recommend it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to be good at drawing?
Not at all. Each person only draws two lines, and the worse the picture, the harder it is for the fake.
How many players is it best with?
Six to eight. Five is a bit easy for the artists and ten makes the picture very busy.
Is it suitable for children?
The box says 8+, and the Question Master chooses every word, so it is easy to keep family friendly.