story game for my darling sister and high-energy nephew......for we have all misbehaved and fallen short, in need of a story or two to work out that extra fidgeting
Them’s the rules, laddie:Mom or Dad will lay out the LEGOs and says where the story starts. Everyone takes turns adding to the story. Listen and don’t talk over one another no matter how excited or angry you get. Work together to tell a good story with some mix of fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, and miracles. Pick up a LEGO guy and says what happens next. Move the LEGOs around as you talk. Make lots of noises like people talking, animals sounds, machine noises, and cool sound effects. After adding to the story let someone else have a turn. Any one can add to or even change the story. If someone doesn’t like a change they may ask to roll the die and if it’s odds, the change doesn’t happen. If it’s evens, it does. If the story could go two ways and you’re not sure which will happen (or don’t want to choose) say the two ways out loud and roll the die. If it’s odds, it’s the first way. If it’s evens, the second. Don’t get cross if a LEGO guy gets hurt or something bad happens. Say what happens next! Mom and Dad can say no to any addition if it’s too silly or crazy. Mom and Dad can also change the rules to make them better. The game ends when Mom or Dad say so or when it’s time to eat. :) Some story starters (h/t to The Big List of RPG Plots by S. John Ross)Any Old Port in a StormA fierce thunderstorm drives some travelers into a tiny rickety house where strange shadows move on their own, and whispering voices drift out from behind a closed door. What’s that noise??! Better Late Than NeverSneaky thieves have already galloped away with the prince’s older sister, leaving muddy tracks that twist into dark woods where the trees lean a little too close. There’re rumors of gryphons in there… BlackmailA masked bandit knows an embarrassing secret about the librarian. Please, please, PLEASE don’t let him tell anybody about… that thing. Breaking and EnteringDeep inside a tall and sleepy castle, glowing globe sit guarded by living thorns and doors that slam shut all by themselves. The jolly skeletons also want something in return. Capture the FlagA golden goose squawks from the top of a tall stone keep, guarded by a extra fat ogre whose read too much poetry. He’s a bit nuts. Mmm, nuts. Clearing the HexThe Hexwood grows strange, with crooked trees and eyes that shine from inside hollow trunks. A cackling witch isn’t being nice to intruders… Unless they’re especially handsome. The mayor wants us to get that witch outta there. Delver’s ~Delight~Underground ruins stretch into the dark, filled with crumbled statues, shifting floors, and soft footsteps that echo. Man, we’re really lost down here, aren’t we? This one guy told me there’s a sandman, giant crabs, and star-anglerfish down here. Don’t Eat the Purple Ones!A ruined, overgrown city buzzes with odd worms, bubbling ponds, and colorful fruits that shiver when touched. There are rumors of an elf trapped in ice in the city’s center. Elementary, My Dear WatsonA plate of warm, melty cookies has vanished, leaving behind only scattered crumbs, smudged footprints, and a locked room with its window wide open. Was it the butler? Or the granny? Or the baby sister? Or the babysitter? Escort ServiceA nervous, chatty monk needs help to reach a faraway port, but the roads ahead wind past cliff edges, echoing caves, and places where travelers feel they’re being watched by living trees. Good HousekeepingA whole manor house has been left to the heroes, but the roof creaks, the kitchen cupboards bang on their own, and the villagers keep dropping off problems at the front gate. The fireplace also has a hangry fire spirit who used to like living here… Help Is On the WayFar across a rocky valley, smoke rises from a zoo where bells ring wildly and animals run loose through the streets. That’s what happens when the hobbit who runs the place misplaces his smoking pipe! Hidden BaseA hidden tent-camp lies at the bottom of a hollow hill that’s filled with lanterns, maps, hurried voices, and crates stacked high with stolen food. Armored pig guys are EVERYWHERE. But they haven’t seen us yet… How Much for Just the Dingus?In a noisy marketplace, everyone claims to own the same rare treasure, and each stall is crowded with rivals pointing fingers and arguing loudly. How are we supposed to get all the ingredients to bake a cake with all this NOISE?! I Beg Your Pardon?A family suddenly leaps out and attack, shouting something we don’t understand. They think we stole their treasure chest they buried? Long or Short Fork When Dining on Elf?A grand feast in the faraway land of elves is full of puzzling rules: guests bow in strange ways, servers ring bells at odd moments, and no one explains why the forks are different sizes. And what an odd wedding venue… Look, Don’t TouchA ghostly antelope wanders through a meadow, but flinches at every sound. The old stories say it can turn you into stone. But it can also grant wishes if you ask nicely. ManhuntSomeone has gone missing in the deep woods where the paths split without warning, and scraps of clothing hang from thorny branches. Are we sure Old Man Gus did just WANDER away? Missing MemoriesWake up in an unfamiliar room with strange marks on the floor, half-burned papers on a table, and no memory of how we got here. Is this even our room at the inn? Most Peculiar, MommaThe town clock spins the wrong way as people crowd the streets pointing at the sky. What’s a flying boat doing up there? No One Has Soiled the BridgeThe old stone bridge stretches over a foggy chasm. A HUGE vulture sits there. He says he just wants to play a game, but he’s got a look in his eye… Not in KansasAn evil sorcerer teleports our LEGO guys to a land with giant flowers, swirling stars in the sky, and creatures that peek out from behind enormous mushrooms. How’re we gonna get back home??? Ounces of PreventionBoxes of strange perfumes arrive in the city, late-night meetings echo behind locked doors, and odd lights flicker from a warehouse window. A not-so-secret pamphlet posted on the alley wall reads “meting 2 sumon a big big dragon happenn tonite.” Pandora’s BoxA cracked jar lies open on the ground, and from it drift strange shapes: tiny winged pixies, floating will-o’-the-wisps, and footprints that appear without bodies. Alright, who broke it? Quest for the Sparkly HoozitsA really grouchy wizard doesn’t want to break the curse that turned a frog into a princess. Nobody ever helps HIM for a change… Recent RuinsA village was burned to rubble. A giant salamander dreams on the ashes, sleep-farting. Running the GauntletA long road winds through a dangerous valley where falling stones, windswept ledges, and howls wolves make every step uncertain. A boy named Tristan thinks he can race the fastest character to the other side. He might cheat a bit. SafariA dire giraffe with shimmering fur roams a wild plain, leaving deep tracks, broken branches, and strange roaring sounds behind it. Score One for the Home TeamA huge tournament draws crowds from every direction, with jousters lining up, challengers boasting loudly, and big cheers sounding across the field. The winner gets a magic lamp!! Stalag 23WE”RE LOCKED IN A JAIL. THESE LIZARD GUYS ARE MEANIES.. Take Us to Memphis and Don’t Slow DownA busy ship is suddenly taken over by shouting PIRATES while the captain steers through fast-moving waters full of jagged rocks. Ole Redbeard is BACK, BABY!! TroublemakersSomeone keeps upsetting the town: knocking over carts, scaring animals, and leaving taunting messages wherever they go. Can you help figure this one out? Uncharted WatersThe heroes set sail toward unknown lands, seeking the floating island in the sky! It’s said to have the best food world IN THE WORLD
The Story Games Sojourn blog is FREE to all. If you wanna support this work, browse my itch.io page so you also get a game out of your generosity. Contact me directly here if you have any questions or want to tell me something cool. :)
|
Saturday, 22 November 2025
story game for my darling sister and high-energy nephew...
Monday, 17 November 2025
From wired & wide awake to back asleep in 10 minutes
You know that 4:17 AM moment.
Eyes open. Mind racing. Room still dark. You're not rested. You're not ready. And yet — here you are.
This isn't random.
Your cortisol, the hormone that should gently wake you up around sunrise, is spiking too early, and stealing your best sleep: that dreamy, memory-making, mood-regulating REM window between 4–6AM.
Here's the surprising part:
It's not just about stress.
It's about how your nervous system is recovering, your light exposure, your morning rituals.
And yes, I've been there myself in years past. But for now let me tell you about my patient, Christine, who was there too…
She's 42. Teaches yoga full time. Knows how to breathe, move, meditate - she does the work.
And yet… she kept waking up at exactly 4:13 AM, almost every night for nearly three months.
She tried all the usual things: magnesium, ashwagandha, the Calm app, even that lavender sleep spray someone left in the studio's lost-and-found bin.
Still wide awake. Every time.
She told me she'd lie there and start counting backwards from the hours she could maybe still sleep.
Then she'd reach for her phone. Scroll. Sigh. Think about coffee. Regret thinking about coffee.
She was exhausted by noon, wired at midnight, and more than anything just confused about what was going on because for someone who is in tune and lives in touch with their body every day… it just didn't make sense.
Until we walked through what was really going on with her cortisol. And how to stop fighting it.
💡 What to do when you wake up at 4AM (and it works):
Take a deep physiologic sigh: one long inhale, one short top-up inhale, slow exhale. I repeat it 2–3 times. (This calms the sympathetic system fast and there's science to back it up.)
Mimic REM by gently moving your eyes back and forth with your eyes closed. It sounds weird. But it works.
And if I'm still a little too alert? I turn on a sleep story on the Calm app their original one about a woman walking through a field of lavender in Provence.
But more importantly, stopping the 4AM wake up in the first place starts early in the day.
This comes from small, foundational shifts in the mornings:
☀️ Step outside for natural light within 45 minutes of waking.
💧Drink 10 oz of warm water before coffee.
☕ Delay caffeine for about an hour after waking so your cortisol can follow its natural arc without a caffeine spike.
If you're going through this, I see you.
You're not "crazy." Your body's not broken.
It's just asking for rhythm. And it's incredibly responsive when you give it the right cues.
I'd love to know if any of this hits home or if you've tried something else that works for you. Just hit reply.
✨ Here's to deeper sleep and smoother mornings,
Dr. Tracy
If you no longer wish to receive these emails you may unsubscribe
Saturday, 15 November 2025
playing to be SURPRISED (ft. solo story gaming)
We play story games because we want to play out a scenario and be surprised by the results (playing to find out!). It’s part exploration, part curiosity, part simulation, part experimentation, and part… something else. Story games give us a way to watch something unfold that we helped create but can’t fully predict. SURPRISE is that “something else”. It’s what hits us on the head and runs away, leaving us reeling and dealing with the fallout. I’ve said it many times: playing a story game is one of my favorite activities to share with the people I love. Everything I just listed (discovery, twists, emergent play) becomes even better when shared around a table. But what if you wanted to play out a scenario solo? What if circumstance or simple desire put you in the mood to explore a world, push characters into danger, and see what unfolds? What changes? More importantly: how do you keep the all-important element of surprise when you’re both the player and the “GM”? Put foolishly: how do you play peek-a-boo with yourself? Let’s break it down. Surprise requires expectations.In a multiplayer story game, your expectations are constantly being challenged, bent, or overturned by the other people at the table. You say what happens next, you make your claim, and then your friends expand it, tweak it, redirect it, or reject it entirely (perhaps asking you to roll dice). That dynamic tension generates surprise. It lets a story swerve into the unexpected without feeling random by bouncing back and forth between multiple rational/irrational human brains. In solo play, you don’t have other people to push back. So where does surprise come from? Your own expectations.More specifically: your expectations about what happens next in the story.A baseline expectation usually comes from:
If you’re playing a classic fantasy dungeon crawl and Captain America bursts through the floor, that’s not just surprising… that’s just absurd. Good surprises live within the world’s likely and unlikely boundaries as established by you. On the flip side, if your classic fantasy dungeon crawl plays out EXACTLY like you would expect, that’s just boring. Good surprises take opportunities to intervene and grab you by the ankles. Y’know: to trip you up. When something likely doesn’t happen, you’re surprised. When something unlikely does happen, you’re surprised. This is why, for all my love of coin-tosses, I don’t do 50/50 dice rolls in solo gaming. Having an even hand on two outcomes means you cannot, by definition, be surprised: both routes were equally likely, making you somewhat apathetic to what happens next. But when you say, “I don’t think Dr. G in going to make it out of this alley full of zombies…” and then the dice defy that statement, your eyebrows raise. And that’s the physiological response we’re looking for in solo experience: raised eyebrows and a thoughtful “hmm, now that’s interesting…” See? The trick in solo play is to make your expectations explicit and then give chance the ability to intervene. You know, zagging when you thought it would zig, or confirm something you thought was doubtful, or tell you that play you thought was likely goes awry. Alright, now the actual rules, you gaming ANIMAL.The seven pointed star of the story games becomes a mere five:
Aside, here’s the cutting-room floor by nature of being the only player:
The solo oracle (soloracle)is what you consult each time you say what happens next. Here’s the procedure: 1. Say what you think happens next. 2. Roll 2d6. If at least one die shows a 4+, your statement becomes true. 3. If no die shows 4+, it doesn’t happen. Occasionally: If you state something you think is unlikely, both dice must show 4+ for it to be true. This simple oracle imitates what other players do naturally: it challenges your assumptions, nudges against overly confident predictions, and interrupts you with unexpected outcomes. It also creates a rhythm of:
That’s the pulse of a good solo game. Why this worksis that when you say “what happens next,” you are stating what you believe is most likely given the situation. In multiplayer games, other players push back on those statements. In solo games, the oracle provides that friction. It creates moments like:
That’s the core of surprise: a believable world behaving in unexpected ways. Continuing the exampleof classic fantasy dungeon crawl: imagine you’re on Level 1 of a dungeon. You open a door and expect:
When the soloracle contradicts you:
This is why having expectations is essential. Solo RPGs aren’t about randomly generating chaos. If you enter with zero expectations (“anything could happen at any time”), then nothing can surprise you. Versus surprises happening relative to what you thought would occur. What does this have in common with Whose Line Is It Anyway?You did NOT just ask me that. Yeah, I know you actually didn’t… “New Choice” (sometimes called “Change”) is a game where improv actors play out a scene, saying and doing what happens next. When the host calls out “New Choice” the actor must immediately replace whatever line or action they just did with a new one, often several times in a row, until the host is satisfied. Sometimes the host does nothing and lets a few lines or actions play out uninterrupted. They don’t have to intervene, it’s just entertaining when they do.  In solo story games, the dice are hosts of “New Choice”. When you say what happens and the soloracle tells you no, that’s just the game telling you “new choice.” You gotta keep digging. Try something new! Now, if you want more instances of random intervention and more “New Choice” moments, just change the probabilities. As written above, there’s a 25% chance that the dice push back on what you say, but you could change it so that everything you say is considered “unlikely” with only a 25% of being true. Now you have to test your quick-thinking chops and get to be surprised when the dice are finally “satisfied” with your second, third, or even fourth answer. Putting It All TogetherWhen you play solo:
This creates the same emotional experience as playing with others: a sense of discovery, a rhythm of tension, and genuine moments of… SURPRISE!
The Story Games Sojourn blog is FREE to all. If you wanna support this work, browse my itch.io page so you also get a game out of your generosity. Contact me directly here if you have any questions or want to tell me something cool. :)
|
-
Hi again, , Ready for some real, concrete things you can try right now? No fluff. No platitudes. Just practical support for your beautiful, ...
-
Title: KPop Demon Hunters Author: Mark Hobin Category: Action Content: Rating 8/10 I have only a passing familiarity with Korean pop. A ha...
-
I speak to women every day who are struggling with symptoms of hormonal imbalance. They tell me they don't feel like themselves a...
