I wanted to share with you this posting from Beth at Daily Grommet about this fantastic new game called The Storymatic. I think there’re some great possibilities here for application to exercises during meetings.

What happened to the amateur boxer who couldn’t get down from the roof? Or the neglected sibling who’s being followed by someone? It’s up to you to determine the fate of these conflicted characters in this smart new game called The Storymatic. It’s a bit like Mad Libs but in reverse — you’re given a few key words, then you build a story around those elements. 

The creator is fiction writing instructor Brian Mooney, pictured with his business partner JoAnn Fleming, whose students encouraged him to turn the classroom teaching tool he created into a parlor game that everybody can enjoy. Originally, Brian developed The Storymatic to help participants in a college writing workshop get their creative juices flowing. When the students started bringing the game back to the dorm to play on their own (beverages may have been involved), it was clear Brian was onto something.

The game includes 500 cards, which are printed in a classic typewriter font that gives The Storymatic a cool, retro vibe. Gold cards list a character trait or occupation, and white cards list a situation, place or object. You never know what combination you’ll be asked to weave together. Will it be “person with a devastating secret” and “reckless enthusiasm,” or “the one who got away” and “pair of pants that don’t fit right?” The only rules are that you can’t kill your character, and your character must change during the story. The rules keep the game challenging… and will keep you coming back for more creative workouts and inspired storytelling.

If you’re interested in how others are using The Storymatic, here are some testimonials (and ideas for application).

Have a new use for the game? Go ahead and submit a testimonial yourself.