Story Poker

This story generating game works best with a group of people 5-25. Part of the game includes building and shuffling the playing cards, so you'll need blank index cards and pencils. We're using six basic element (or suits of cards): character, plot, storyworld, dialog, image, & theme.

For each story element the players write specific, concrete details on one card. For example, if I'm making a card for the storyworld suit I might choose:

An Island in the Great Lakes, accessible only by boat. There are no private automobiles, only bicycles and horses. The resort side of the island feels a little like a theme park without the rides. Outside the town, the blue sky and crystal clear water stretch endlessly, or at least as far as the eye can see.

Every player writes a card for at least two suits. All the cards are organized in piles (not shuffled) according to suit. Now, each player selects two cards (not his or her own) from different suits.

TIP: to help build the deck, some of the cards might describe a favorite film story. For example, for the dialog suit I might choose a man's pick-up lines: "We lost so many good men. (crying) I wish I were stronger." (from THE WEDDING CRASHERS)

The players work in teams of three to five. Using the story cards as inspiration, the goal is to take a wild collection of ingredients and generate an original story. Everyone has the option to trade in cards to find story elements that might make better sense together. But use caution when looking for 'better' cards. Some of the most delicious surprises come when unlikely story elements are put together.

After twenty minutes, each team pitches an original full-length story.