Last Tuesday, a group of six inventors, including four current seniors at Westlake High School (Austin, Texas), obtained a patent on several gaming methods. U.S. Patent No. 7,044,469 ("Game involving multiple communication methods"), issued on May 16th, claims several methods of gaming that combine two games, Pictionary® and Charades. One claim is a method of game playing comprising “selecting from a deck a card having displayed thereon a word, phrase, or image to be seen by a first player and not by a second player,” the activation of a timer, and a first player attempting “to communicate the word, phrase or image to a second player by acting” where the second player tries to understand the word pr phrase. The second player, however, in attempt to convey his or her understanding of the word or phrase, will need to draw what is believed to be the word, phrase, or image in question. The particular game stops when the second player successfully conveys the word, phrase, or image at issue within the time period set by the timer. The game allows people who like to draw (required for traditional Pictionary®) to play with people who like to act (traditional charades), while allowing several people to play at once in a competitive scored atmosphere.

U.S. Patent No. 7,044,469: LINK
News 8 Austin Article: LINK
Westlake High School Webpage: LINK