Not every game is about winning.
If you want to hone your skills as a creative writer, these are an excellent way to start.
In games likeSettlers of Catan, players use strategy and some luck to win.
In storytelling games, players think creatively, use their imaginations, and entertain everyone else at the table.
Some even encourage it!
Arguably, the popularCards Against Humanityis a very basic storytelling game.
you might also get a very different experience when playing with new people.
Of course, no one really pays attention to whos winning, either.
You just count up cards at the end and have a laugh about who got the most.
This all makes CAH an excellent intro to how storytelling games work.
Dont worry about winning, tell the best story, and lean on the creativity of your other players.
It seems counterintuitive, but havinglimits can make you more creative.
Use other players to improve your ideas.Other people are one of your best sources of ideas.
Creativity and inspiration arent exact sciences, so do whatever helps you come up with ideas or write stories.
Make notes and, when youre done playing, follow up.
Games are fun, but remember youre also trying to practice your craft here.
In it, players cooperatively explore a creepy old mansion.
At this point, one player becomes the traitor and works against the remaining players.
While this game involves very little storytelling directly, its an excellent writing prompt.
Sometimes youre fighting a giant snake, a horde of zombies, or a Clue-style murder mystery.
There are 50 different haunts (and 50 more if youget the new expansion).
Try playing the game and then writing the story your characters experience down.
Make notes while you play about how you overcome challenges.
This is especially helpful if you have some really close calls.
A tense dice roll can become a scary confrontation with a monster.
The predictions are vague and sometimes ironically phrased, but theyre always right.
In the game, you play as an assassin living in that world.
To kill your victims, you must create a story that fits their death prediction.
You might even have to get extra creative if they also know how theyre going to die.
Your plans either succeed or fail based on dice rolls.
This game requires a lot of out-of-the-box thinking.
It gives you just enough of a framework to get started, but it leaves much to your imagination.
Its like storytelling MacGuyver.
Mysterium
Players:2-7Play time:45 minutes
In Mysterium, one player is a ghost thats recently been killed.
They can only communicate with vague, impressionistic cards.
For writers, this is a particularly fun challenge because it forces you to communicate with things besides words.
Sometimes the ghost may be trying to point out colors, shapes, or other characteristics about the cards.
This is an excellent way to get in the mindspace to interpret non-verbal details.
Gloom
Players:2-5Play time:60 minutes
In Gloom, each player controls a different despondent family.
Their ultimate goal in life?
They all want to die in the saddest state possible in avery Series of Unfortunate Events-esque way.
Players take turns playing event cards on their own or other players family members to build their miserable story.
Cards include such miserable and loathsome events as Hunted by Hounds or Visited Vermont.
The player who has the saddest story when all their family members are dearly departed wins.
Like Betrayal, this game provides an excellent writing prompt, both during the game and after.
The event cards have a few details, but you might embellish the story as you play.
Each new card is another chance to tell a delightfully dreary story.
Each round, a player is applying for a job opening.
One player reads the listing such as Drill Sergeant or Secret Agent.
Which, coincidentally, wasJason Mamoas actual resume for Aquaman.
If you want more examples, you canfind more at io9.
Youre also not limited to games that are explicitly designed to tell stories.
Anything that gets you ruminating about characters or storylines counts.
