A mechanism is disclosed for engaging in interactive photo gaming with user ratification. The mechanism can be used to provide a picture-tag game or other games. In a picture-tag game, for instance, a user designated as "IT" tags another user by capturing a photo of the other user. The photo is then transmitted to a game host, which distributes it to the participating players' devices. Upon receipt of the photo, a device presents the photo and prompts a user to acknowledge that the photo represents the user, i.e., that the user has been tagged. The device then sends the acknowledgement to the game host, and the game host notifies the players who is now designated as IT.