Each jumbo 1" cube has 6 images or icons, with a total of 54 all-different hand-inlaid images that can be mixed in over 10 million ways. You roll all 9 cubes to generate 9 random images and then use these to invent a story that starts with "Once upon a time..." and uses all 9 elements as part of your narrative. As a puzzle, Rory's Story Cubes will really give your imagination a work-out. You'll practically feel both sides of your brain dancing.
Play it as a game for one or more players, or as a party game for three or more. Or play it as an improv game where each player contributes part of the story, picking up where the last one left off. Win award points for speedy delivery, inventiveness, imagination, drama and humor.
Full instructions include several other ways to use the cubes to solve problems, break up writer's block, enhance your imagination and heighten your ability to find unifying themes among the diverse images. Interpret or get at the meanings of your answers more quickly. It's fun, easy, and mind-stretching.
The challenge: Fit the 9 cubes into a 3x3 square. Now examine the cubes in any one row and turn them so their tops have something in common. Do this for all 3 rows. Explain your choices, or challenge another player to identify the element they share. More than one answer may be right, and there are thousands of possible combinations.
- Excellent component design
- Abstract images allow multiple interpretations
- Creates unique combinations when multiple cubes are rolled
- Speaker has massive collection of them
- Versatile for many storytelling approaches
- Imagination and interpretation
- Story prompts
- Tool for creativity
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Random image prompts for storytelling — Dice with different images on each face that are rolled to provide random images for interpretation and storytelling; images are abstract enough to be interpreted multiple ways
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- that sense of destruction sheer destruction of the playing space and you don't get that much in board games
- i think that's a really nice level of interaction in games because it's not mean spirited it's not vindictive but it still means you've got to constantly keep thinking
- i've got my own deck that alone is exciting and different to the vast majority of games that i had played in the past
- the deck is created as we play we're buying cards from a central pool
- everybody's got a bit of the same information a bit of different information and it makes the game really really intriguing
- everybody's running around a table shouting over each other trying to find the people with the same card
- i've played it with my german family and my english family who can't speak to each other because i don't speak the same language but they could all play happy salmon together
- everyone's got their own set of poker dice and they're rolling them all at the same time you're not having to wait for somebody else
- these are just the most fantastic little components that i've i've found in games i absolutely love them
- it takes six minutes to play which is three rounds of drawing one minutes each and three rounds of guessing one minute each
- it's so frustrating it just gets in the way it's not fun
References (from this video)
- extremely approachable
- great for creative warm-ups and family play
- no fixed win condition; more a prompt tool than a competitive game
- story prompts, imaginative narration
- A set of small dice with icons used to spark storytelling
- open-ended storytelling
- Dixit
- Once Upon a Time
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice-based prompts — Roll dice to generate prompts that steer stories
- group storytelling — Players collaboratively craft tales around prompts
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I was blown away by this game when I played this game, it's incredible.
- this is the most stunning board game I've ever seen.
- nonsense the whole thing but what a great sort of experiment in a randomizer.
References (from this video)
- Versatile storytelling prompts
- Easy to use for RPGs and writing
- Low cost
- Encourages creativity
- Some symbols may be abstract for some settings
- Prompts require interpretation
- Narrative generation from visual prompts
- Various settings; storytelling prompts
- Open-ended storytelling prompts
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Dice rolling — Roll 9 dice with 6 faces (54 symbols total) to generate prompts.
- NPC/backstory generation — Extract character ideas and backstories from symbol prompts.
- Sequence storytelling — Arrange dice in a chosen order to craft a story.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- these are not expensive
- these are not meant to be RPG stuff because these are just cubes for creative writing
- I would definitely suggest then you can just go out and get all these sets