Similar pumpkin stencils
View all stencils →About this stencil
This free Game Over pumpkin stencil is a printable PDF pattern you can print at home, tape to your pumpkin, and trace. "GAME OVER" fills this easy pumpkin stencil in two stacked rows of chunky 8-bit pixel font lettering, each character built from squared-off rectangular blocks with notched corners that read unmistakably as retro video game text. Every letter interior is cut through, and the negative space between characters is narrow but distinct. The squared notches at the corners of each letter are the trickiest spots to keep clean; use the tip of a narrow blade to score those inside corners before opening the main letter body. Use it as a carving template for your Halloween jack-o'-lantern. It is rated Beginner-friendly. Estimated time: 60-90 minutes. Actual time varies with preparation, pumpkin size and experience. Larger shapes and shorter cuts. An adult should handle sharp carving tools.
Pumpkin size guide
- 🎃 Small (5 to 7"): print at 80%
- 🎃 Medium (7 to 10"): print at 100% (recommended)
- 🎃 Large (11 to 13"): print at 130%
- 🎃 Giant (14"+): print at 150% on tabloid paper
Frequently asked questions
Can I resize this stencil?▾
Yes. The PDF is vector so it scales cleanly. Print the pattern at 100% for a 7 to 10 inch pumpkin, 130% for 11 to 13 inch, or 150% for a giant. Use your printer's "Fit to page" or "Custom scale" setting.
What kind of paper works best?▾
Standard 20 lb letter or A4 printer paper is fine. Heavier paper is harder to bend around the pumpkin curve. If your printer supports it, set the quality to 'best' so the lines are crisp.
How long will the carved pumpkin last?▾
Usually 5 to 10 days. Coat all cut surfaces with petroleum jelly and store the pumpkin somewhere cool overnight. Avoid direct sun. Battery LED pumpkin lights produce no heat and help it last longer.
Can I sell pumpkins carved with this stencil?▾
Yes, the carved pumpkin you make is yours. The license covers personal and small-scale commercial carving (selling carved pumpkins, photographing them, posting on social). You may not resell the PDF file itself.
What if my printer doesn't print the whole stencil?▾
Set 'Page scaling' to 'Fit' in the print dialog and uncheck 'Auto-rotate'. If it still cuts off, the design includes 0.25" of safe-area margin so a small crop won't ruin it.
How to carve this stencil
This is a cut-through stencil: the gray areas on the printable pattern are the pieces you remove, and everything white stays attached. The steps below give you the safest carving order. Plan on about 60-90 minutes from print to candle.
Set up first. Print the PDF at 100% scale on letter or A4 paper. Cut the lid at an angle, scoop the pumpkin clean, and thin the carving wall to about 1 inch where the design will sit. Tape the pattern on (snip small darts in the paper so it hugs the curve) and transfer every outline by poking dots along the lines, about one every 1/8 inch. Peel the paper away and carve dot to dot with short, straight strokes.
Carving order
- Cut the inside notches first. Start with the small white notches that reach into the letters, like the mouth of the G, the slot under the A's bar, and the dip in the center of the M. Cut each side of a square corner separately; never twist the saw through a pixel turn.
- Carve the top row: GAME. Cut the four letters left to right. On each letter, leave a short tab attached along the bottom edge until the rest of the outline is free, then slice the tab and push the plug out with your other hand supporting the shell.
- Carve the bottom row: OVER. Repeat the same tab-and-release routine. Cut around the white centers of the O and R carefully, beveling the blade slightly so those centers stay wedged in place.
- Protect the letter spacing. The white strips between and inside the letters keep the words readable, so leave them untouched. Finish with a light pass to square up any corners that rounded off.
Clear loose fibers out of each opening as you go, and never twist or pry the blade against the shell; back it out and recut instead. When every piece is out, wipe the cut edges dry and drop in a battery LED puck.
Tools you'll need
For a beginner-friendly carve like this you'll want a paring knife, spoon / scoop, marker, and led pumpkin light. Here's the kit we reach for, but start with whatever you already own.
Elmchee Pumpkin Carving Kit
13-piece kit with carrying case
Saws for the larger cutouts, plus a scoop for hollowing. Covers both jobs in one kit.
View on Amazon ↗
HOME MOST LED Pumpkin Lights
4-pack, battery operated, with remote + timer
Orange glow made for jack-o'-lanterns. The remote and timer light the pumpkin every evening without reaching inside.
View on Amazon ↗
Speedball 4131 Lino Cutter Set
Handle + 5 interchangeable cutters
Interchangeable cutters for peeling and shading the face. Useful for the finer details.
View on Amazon ↗
Reviews from carvers
Every rating comes from a written review by someone who downloaded this stencil.
Carved this one?
Reviews are open to carvers who downloaded the stencil. Grab the free PDF, then come back and tell everyone how it went.
Community Pumpkin Carving Ideas
Carving ideas that use stencils like this one.
Related stencils
More patterns with a related subject. Compare their skill levels before you choose.
Beginner-friendlyI Heart New Jersey
Show some Garden State love with this bold lettering design: the word I, a big glowing heart, and the letters N and J stacked in a classic two-row layout, all pierced fully through the pumpkin wall. The chunky serif letters are forgiving for an easy carve; cut each letter stroke as its own piece rather than one big chunk, and save the J's curved hook for last since its tail is the thinnest part.
Beginner-friendlyI Heart Nevada
Styled after the famous city-love logo, this design spells out I, a big heart, then the letters N and V in chunky serif capitals, all cut straight through so the message glows for the whole street. The block letters are simple, but keep an eye on the enclosed spaces; the letters are solid cutouts with no counters to bridge, so just take the wide strokes out in sections and square up the serifs with a small knife.
Beginner-friendlyI Heart Tennessee
Bold serif lettering spells out I heart TN in the classic love-declaration layout, with a chunky letter I and heart on the top row and big TN initials below. Every letter and the heart are cut fully through, and the thick strokes make the sawing forgiving for a lettering design. Trace the serifs carefully when transferring the pattern, then cut each letter's inside corners with a fine blade for crisp typography.
Beginner-friendlyVintage Squint Pumpkin Stencil
This vintage-style face uses two curved crescent eyes that seem to squint with delight, a small triangle nose, and a broad smile interrupted by one chunky hanging tooth. Every shape cuts fully through the wall, and the pieces are large enough that a keyhole saw handles them easily. Cut the inner curve of each crescent first so the thin points at the tips release cleanly without tearing.
Beginner-friendlyLit Flame Pumpkin Stencil
One big flame fills the face of the pumpkin, its four licking tongues tapering to sharp points just like the classic fire symbol. The entire flame is a single cut-through shape, so candlelight literally becomes the fire. This is an easy carve with only one piece to remove; poke the pattern deeply at each flame tip first, then saw from the rounded base upward so the narrow points come out clean instead of ragged.
Beginner-friendlyWeary Face Emoji Pumpkin Stencil
The weary face emoji is recreated here as a jack-o-lantern pumpkin stencil: a large circular face outline holds two sets of drooping curved eyebrow-and-eyelid pairs that express exhaustion, a wide open mouth with squared-off upper teeth, and a small chin sweat drop below. All the interior shapes are cut through as separate pieces nested inside the face circle. Carve the tiny sweat drop below the chin first since it is isolated and easy to lose track of, then work upward through the teeth, mouth, and finally the eye arcs.