SketchParty TV 6 press kit

SketchParty TV 6, a full redesign of the original Apple TV party game, is available now on the App Store. It's a free update for anyone who already has the game, and $5.99 for new players.

For interviews, review copies, or anything else, email Matt Braun.
Journalists: please request a promo code to review the game.

Fact sheet

Release date: November 10, 2026
Price: $5.99 on the App Store. Free update for current players.
Platforms: iPhone and iPad, with a native Apple TV app
Requires: iOS 18 or tvOS 18 or later; iOS 26 and tvOS 26 or later recommended
Players: 2 to 16, sharing one iPhone or iPad
Game modes: Classic, plus two new ones: Wild Cards and Kids' Free Draw
Ways to connect: The native Apple TV app, AirPlay (Apple TV and compatible TVs), or an HDMI adapter
Languages: English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish
First released: iOS app in 2012, tvOS app in 2015
Developer: Magnate Interactive Ltd (Matt Braun)
App Store: apps.apple.com/app/sketchparty-tv/id500175028

SketchParty TV 6, a full redesign, is available now on Apple TV and iPhone Duo (including iPad and iPhone)

SketchParty TV 6 is available now. Originally designed for iPad and AirPlay, with a small design refresh for the Apple TV HD, this is the first total redesign in the game's 14 years on the App Store.

SketchParty TV plays a lot like Pictionary. One player gets a word to draw on a single iPhone or iPad, and the drawing shows up on the TV in real time, while everyone else yells their guesses. And laughs at the hilarious drawings. Teams take turns - pass-and-play - while the app keeps track of time and the score. It's become a family tradition over the holidays and a classroom favorite for teaching vocabulary. Apple even showed it on stage during the WWDC 2016 keynote, mentioned in the same breath as titles like Minecraft and NBA 2K.

New game modes

Wild Cards - players get a game-changing card like "limited ink" and "spin cycle" on their turn. Customizable frequency and deck: cards can show up every turn, every other turn, or about one turn in three. The deck can have all cards, easier cards only, or a hand-picked set.

Kids' Free Draw - an oft-requested feature for families with small children, the family-friendly Apple TV party game just got family-friendlier. Kids can draw whatever they want to, or tap "Need an idea?" for a prompt a grown-up can read to them ("Draw a cat wearing a crown!"). One kid can draw alone, or a few can take turns. When they're all done, put on an Art Show on the TV. And a grown-up can also turn on a lock so leaving, saving, or sharing asks a simple math question first.

Total redesign

Every screen in SketchParty TV 6 has been rethought and redrawn, from the main menu and team setup to the drawing tools, word lists, and Past Games. The design language between the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV apps is also now much more cohesive.

SketchParty TV started as an iPad game, locked to landscape. Version 6 is built to resize, and fits every iPhone and iPad in portrait or landscape, and that includes the new iPhone Duo. Now you can play in any pose you like.

Understanding how to get the game onto every supported TV is easier than ever. The Apple TV app now shows its name and a short code, so a house or classroom with more than one Apple TV can tell which one it's about to connect to. The new how-to-play walkthrough also explains each way to connect: be it via the Apple TV app, AirPlay to a compatible TV, or an HDMI adapter.

Player turns start a little bit differently now, too. The player who is drawing has to press and hold to see their first word, which stops whoever is sitting near them from reading it off the screen and "cheating". Passing on the rest of a turn now reads "Passed!" instead of "Time's Up." The color picker was redesigned and the countdowns are smoother. Also, there are more confetti pops (without the cleanup).

Past Games and the post-game review were rebuilt as well. You can swipe through the drawings from a previous game, then start a new one with the same players without setting up teams again. I think families and classrooms that play every week will use that one the most.

SketchParty TV has looked mostly the same since it debuted on iPad and AirPlay 14 years ago. For all the people who've been playing it every year since, I thought they deserved a fresh look and improved gameplay. I rethought every screen and took every piece of feedback I've gotten over the years into consideration. I think both returning and new fans alike are really going to love it.

Matt Braun, maker of SketchParty TV

Current player's custom word lists and past games carry over from earlier versions. To play through the native Apple TV app, update both the iPhone or iPad app and the Apple TV app to version 6. SketchParty TV 6 needs iOS 18 or tvOS 18 or later, and iOS 26 or tvOS 26 or later is recommended.

More information at SketchParty.tv, or find the game on the App Store.

What's new in version 6

New! Wild Cards - get a game-changing card on your turn. Choose how often cards show up, and which cards are in the deck.
New! Kids' Free Draw - relaxed, family-friendly mode for small children. Kids draw whatever they want, with optional prompts, then the TV plays the pictures back as an Art Show.
Completely redesigned for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, with better buttons, a streamlined interface, and more fun animations. And everything is more cohesive between platforms.
Every screen, redrawn: the main menu, team setup, drawing screen, Past Games, word lists, settings, and the new how-to-play walkthrough.
Rebuilt to resize. Originally limited to landscape, SketchParty TV now adapts to every iPhone and iPad, in any orientation.
The native SPTV app on Apple TV now shows its name and a short code, so you always know which TV you're connecting.
Clearer step-by-step instructions for however you connect: native SPTV app, AirPlay, or an HDMI adapter.
When your turn starts, Press-and-Hold to see your first word. Keep things fair by preventing peeking!
Skipping your turn now shows "Passed!" instead of "Time's Up."
Drawing tool improvements, including a redesigned color picker.
More confetti (without the cleanup).
Smoother countdowns.
The "You're up" screen now shows the player's team and color.
Clarified end-of-game time bonuses.
A much better Past Games and Post-game Review screen.
Now you can easily start a new game using the same players. Perfect for people who play regularly.
Fixed an issue where the picture was getting cut off on TVs connected via HDMI.
Fixed an AirPlay connection issue on iOS 27.
Fixed Play Again from Past Games, and final scores in Past Games that didn't match the game.
Fixed problems editing team and player names, and drawing in landscape on iPhone.
Updated translations in German, Spanish, French, Italian, Norwegian, Dutch, and Portuguese.

Screenshots

Apple TV

iPhone Duo

Watch the video

Downloads

Key art JPG, 150 KB
On iPhone Duo and Apple TV 4K JPG, 241 KB
App icon (iPhone and iPad) PNG, 538 KB
App Store icon (Apple TV) PNG, 580 KB
Full press kit ZIP, 6 MB
SketchParty TV 6 video YouTube

About Magnate Interactive

Magnate Interactive Ltd was started in 2004 by Matt Braun (@mattdbraun) as a Macromedia Flash animation and web design consultancy. In 2008, Magnate Interactive began a transition from making Flash microsites for the desktop to native mobile apps for the iPhone. Magnate Interactive's first app release, MASH: Mansion Apartment Shack House, was an early App Store success story.