/pic5875448.jpg)
Game Info
Year
2005
Players
1-12
Age
6+
Playtime
15 min
Collection
Your Tier
Loading…
Expansions & Family
Mechanic profile
Not enough video data yet
Vibe profile
Not enough video data yet
Description
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.
Rory's Story Cubes Family
(3 games)
This page includes videos and mentions from the whole Rory's Story Cubes family. Drill into a specific game below.
/pic5875448.jpg)
Featured Videos
Ask a Rules Question
All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 7
This page: 7
Sentiment:
pos 7 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–7 of 7
Video l7OEGDl_6rY
Top List at 3:42 sentiment: positive
video_pk 77053 · mention_pk 185580
Click to watch at 3:42 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Neutral to Positive
Pros
- Accessible and versatile.
- Good for families.
Cons
- Considered more of an activity than a game.
- Did not make the final top 10 list.
Thematic elements
- Storytelling based on dice rolls
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Dice Rolling — roll the dice
- Storytelling — tell a story based on the images that you roll on those dice
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- so we have a list of every single game that was released in 2005 and we're going to go through all of them in a three-hour episode absolutely not
- we have a potential pool of 25 board games but only 10 can be inducted into our newly minted Hall of Fame that's the rules that's the rules only 10 we made them up that's the rules
- you could argue with us in the comments and tell us why we're wrong you could do that always an option
- I'm going to be real honest with everyone that this list of games from 2005 there are a bunch on here I don't know
- that is like the oldest of old school hidden Trader Trad
- it spawned so many other games right we have a ton of games in this Arkham Horror World which is obviously the world of HP Lovecraft
- I think wits and wagers is a is a classic
- it is on my list it's one of the very early like kind of worker placement kind of mean Euro dry Euro kind of game that I played
- this is like a grill game for people
- wow we didn't even rehearse that
- it sounds like if your jam is hidden rolls or social deduction style games and you haven't played Shadow hunters and you see it out in the wild maybe pick KCK it maybe give it a whirl you might like it
- if this isn't a classic game I don't know what it is
- it is ubiquitous when it comes to board games not just the theme but sooner or later if you're talking about board games eventually Arkham Horror is going to hit the table
- many aboard gamer covet this
- people still talk about I mean any game that you're still it's 20 years old and you're like I should play that sometimes
- I may have my Nostalgia goggles on and uh you know be looking at it through those rosecolor glasses
- it's a game 100% you can play with your kids
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video gDXn8wlEFJE
Gaming with Edo & Jessica Discussion at 6:46 sentiment: positive
video_pk 34280 · mention_pk 102085
Click to watch at 6:46 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- prompts creative storytelling
- high replayability due to random prompts
- portable and accessible
- encourages personal interpretation and imagination
Cons
- no built-in plot or theme, relies on player creativity
- may require additional framing for cohesive narratives
Thematic elements
- storytelling prompts
- anywhere, imagination-driven settings
- interpretive, prompts-based
Comparison games
- Story World
- The Game Master's Apprentice
- River and Stone Playing Cards
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- random_object_prompt — Roll up to three dice to generate narrative prompts that guide storytelling.
- story_construction — Build a cohesive narrative from the prompts, incorporating twists and turns.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Hey everyone, I'm Jessica and today I want to talk about solo RPG oracles.
- the oracle and this tool is going to create those situations that move your story forward
- the most interesting part about an oracle is that this is something that you are going to interpret
- it's the solo RPG, it's just you. And interpreting what you see is sort of the appeal
- I like solo RPGs so much.
- What I love about solo RPGs is the interpretation and creating a story that you didn't necessarily think was going to come out of this.
- This is for you to have fun with.
- these gigantic cards called Story World
- the art style is really really pretty and really detailed
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video nQT-6e_kUDY
Game Night Picks - Pair Of Dice Paradise Discussion at 1:06 sentiment: positive
video_pk 30431 · mention_pk 89610
Click to watch at 1:06 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Low barrier to entry, quick to play, encourages creativity
Cons
- Less structure may frustrate players who want more concrete prompts
Thematic elements
- imagination and collaborative storytelling
- Abstract prompts via dice for spontaneous storytelling
- prompt-based, player-driven storytelling
Comparison games
- Funemployment
- Snake Oil
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- prompt-based storytelling — Players roll dice to generate prompts and craft stories around them
- Storytelling — Players roll dice to generate prompts and craft stories around them
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I started rooting for that character ... I didn't even care about winning anymore I wanted to see the story play out I wanted to see this character make their Valiant escape
- there's not a clearly defined goal and you know it kind of damaged my enjoyment of the game
- I hate those quote unquote pitch games like fun employed or snake oil not just rifling stories doesn't feel much like a game to me
- everyone was in character and playing their part for about a round round and a half and after a round and a half it just naturally people stopped doing the accents
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 9_NcqaHe2hA
Adam in Wales - Board Game Design Analysis at 30:00:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12785 · mention_pk 37317
Click to watch at 30:00:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- 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
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Imagination and interpretation
- Story prompts
- Tool for creativity
Comparison games
none
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
No key topics recorded for this video.
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)
No references stored for this video.
Video zZCesvU-eIA
Adam in Wales - Board Game Design Unboxing at 7:49 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9337 · mention_pk 27526
Click to watch at 7:49 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- extremely approachable
- great for creative warm-ups and family play
Cons
- no fixed win condition; more a prompt tool than a competitive game
Thematic elements
- story prompts, imaginative narration
- A set of small dice with icons used to spark storytelling
- open-ended storytelling
Comparison games
- 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
- Storytelling — Players collaboratively craft tales around prompts
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
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)
No references stored for this video.
Video aQaQspi-4Z0
Sir Thecos Discussion at 0:34 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2190 · mention_pk 6395
Click to watch at 0:34 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Versatile storytelling prompts
- Easy to use for RPGs and writing
- Low cost
- Encourages creativity
Cons
- Some symbols may be abstract for some settings
- Prompts require interpretation
Thematic elements
- Narrative generation from visual prompts
- Various settings; storytelling prompts
- Open-ended storytelling prompts
Comparison games
none
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
No key topics recorded for this video.
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
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video aQaQspi-4Z0
Sir Thecos Discussion at 6:33 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2190 · mention_pk 6397
Click to watch at 6:33 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Excellent for fantasy/sci-fi contexts
- Adds variety to settings and world-building
Cons
- Some symbols may be cryptic
Thematic elements
- Voyage and exploration imagery
- Fantasy or sci-fi adventures; travel and exploration
- Symbol-based voyage prompts
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Voyage prompts — Faces depict travel-related symbols to spur stories
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
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
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–7 of 7