A Gartic Phone alternative: telephone-style games online
Letternerd is a Gartic Phone alternative for groups who love the telephone game: in Story Relay a story goes round the group by voice, and you only hear the clip before yours, so it drifts as it goes. It is not a drawing telephone game; for drawing, try Sketch guess. Both are free in the browser, with no download.
What is Gartic Phone?
Gartic Phone is a free browser game based on the telephone game. One player writes a sentence, the next draws it, the next describes that drawing, and so on, and at the end everyone sees how far the chain drifted. A host makes a room and shares the link, there are several game modes, and you can play without an account.
Why people look for a Gartic Phone alternative
- You want a telephone-style game that does not depend on drawing.
- You want a mix of games for one evening: telephone, drawing, writing and quizzes.
- Some of your group would rather talk than draw.
Letternerd vs Gartic Phone
| Feature | Gartic Phone | Letternerd |
|---|---|---|
| The chain | Write, draw, describe, repeat | Story Relay: each player adds a voice clip after hearing only the one before |
| Drawing | The heart of the game | Sketch guess: everyone draws the same prompt, then guesses who drew which |
| Joining | A room link from the host | Room code, link or QR code, as a guest |
| Account | Not needed | Not needed |
| Other games | Several modes of the telephone game | 176 built-in games across party games, quizzes and word puzzles |
Which should you pick?
Pick Gartic Phone if
- You want the drawing telephone itself: text to drawing to text, with a big reveal of the chain. Letternerd has no game that does that.
- Your group would rather draw than talk into a microphone.
Pick Letternerd if
Pick Letternerd if- You love the drift of the telephone game and are happy to play it by voice.
- You want telephone and drawing games side by side with party games and quizzes.
How Story Relay works as a Gartic Phone alternative
- The game gives the group the start of a story.
- Players take turns adding the next part as a voice clip. You only hear the clip just before yours, never the whole story.
- When everyone has added their part, the whole chain is revealed.
- The room votes for the player whose part made the story work best.
Story Relay takes 3 to 10 players and plays in about 12 minutes.
More games for a Gartic Phone crowd
- Sketch guess: everyone draws the same thing, then the room guesses whose drawing is whose.
- Caption this: one scene, everyone captions it, and the funniest caption takes the round.
- Emoji story: tell the story in emoji, and the clearest version wins.
- Voice guess: everyone records the same line. Whose voice is that?
- Story Relay3–10 players · 12 minA story goes round the table by voice — you only hear the clip before yours.
- Sketch guess3–12 players · 12 minEveryone draws the same thing. Whose masterpiece is whose?
- Caption this3–12 players · 12 minOne scene, everyone captions it, funniest one takes the round.
- Emoji story3–12 players · 10 minTell the story in emoji. Clearest version wins the round.
Games to play instead of Gartic Phone
Free in your browser on any phone or computer. Play alone, or share the room code and everyone joins as a guest.
- Story Relay3–10 players · 12 minA story goes round the table by voice — you only hear the clip before yours.
- Sketch guess3–12 players · 12 minEveryone draws the same thing. Whose masterpiece is whose?
- Emoji story3–12 players · 10 minTell the story in emoji. Clearest version wins the round.
- Caption this3–12 players · 12 minOne scene, everyone captions it, funniest one takes the round.
- Voice guess3–12 players · 10 minEveryone records the same line. Whose voice is that?
- Best Answer3–10 players · 12 minAnswer the prompt in one line. A rotating judge crowns the best.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a game like Gartic Phone?
On Letternerd, [Story Relay](/g/story-relay) plays the telephone game by voice: each player hears only the clip before theirs, and the full story is revealed at the end. It is free in the browser.
Can you play a telephone game online without drawing?
Yes. Story Relay uses voice clips instead of drawings, so nobody has to draw.
Do I need an account to play?
No. Friends join a Letternerd room from a code or link and play as guests.
More games
Other comparisons
See all- Online drawing and guessing gameskribbl.io alternativeLooking for a skribbl.io alternative? In Letternerd’s Sketch guess everyone draws the same thing, then guesses who drew what. Free, in the browser.
- Drawing and guessing party gameGames like PictionaryLooking for a game like Pictionary online? Sketch guess on Letternerd: everyone draws the same thing on their phone and the room guesses who drew which.
- Party game packs played on a shared screenJackbox Party Pack alternativeWant free games like Jackbox? Letternerd runs party games in the browser: everyone plays on their own phone, with nothing to buy and no screen to share.
- Group video chat app (closed in 2021)Houseparty alternativeHouseparty closed in 2021. Letternerd brings the games back to any video call: open a link on your phone and play along on Zoom, FaceTime or WhatsApp.
Gartic Phone is a trademark of its owner. Letternerd is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by them. The comparison describes each product as publicly presented and may change; check their site for the latest.