What is DoodleRat?

The free online drawing game with a social deduction twist

How DoodleRat Works

In each round, all players except one receive the same secret word. The exception is the "Rat" — a player who does not know the word and must blend in by watching what others draw. Players take turns adding one stroke at a time to a shared canvas. After drawing, players discuss and vote on who they believe the Rat is. If caught, the Rat gets one final chance to guess the word and steal the victory.

Game Modes

• Classic Mode — Standard gameplay with configurable rounds (1-5). Each round features a new secret word and a randomly selected Rat. Scores accumulate across all rounds.
• Tournament Mode — Elimination-style competition where the lowest-scoring player is removed after each round. Play continues until one player remains.

Features

• Free to play with no account or download required
• Works on any device with a modern web browser (phones, tablets, laptops, desktops)
• Real-time shared canvas where all players draw together
• 7 themed word packs: Classic, Animals, Food, Movies, Places, Sports, Spooky
• Custom word lists — the room host can add their own words
• 3 power-ups: Extra Time, Thick Brush, Eraser
• 5 canvas themes: Classic, Notebook, Blackboard, Blueprint, Corkboard
• 12 character avatars (Detective, Ninja, Alien, Robot, and more)
• In-game chat during gameplay
• Built-in profanity filter for names and chat messages
• Sound effects and animations
• Available in English, Spanish, and French
• 10-second turn timer per drawing stroke
• 30-second final guess window for caught Rats
• "Sus" button to highlight individual players' strokes during voting

How Scoring Works

Points are awarded at the end of each round based on the outcome:

• Artists win (Rat caught, Rat guesses wrong) — Each artist receives +1 point
• Rat wins (wrong vote or tie) — The Rat receives +2 points
• Rat steals (Rat caught but correctly guesses the word) — The Rat receives +3 points

In Classic Mode, points accumulate across all configured rounds. In Tournament Mode, the player with the lowest score is eliminated after each round.

Comparison with Similar Games

Who Is DoodleRat For?

• Friend groups looking for a quick, fun game for game nights or virtual hangouts
• Remote teams seeking a work-friendly icebreaker or team building activity
• Party hosts who need a game that works on every device with zero setup
• Fans of social deduction games (Among Us, Werewolf) who want a lighter, faster experience
• Fans of drawing games (Skribbl.io, Gartic Phone) who want more strategic depth