Rory's Story Cubes

I often get sidetracked.  Start off looking for one thing and end up looking at something entirely different.

I think that's how the internet gets you.  A 'quick look' online for todays weather forecast and two hours later you're embroiled in an Ebay bidding war for dice games, your laundry hasn't done itself and the kids are still hungry.

Now I love dice games & card games.  I have a games box that goes on holiday with us and I'm always on the look out for new games to go inside it.  That's how I found Rory's Story Cubes.

 

What are they?
Rory's Story Cubes are basically a box of 9 dice with a different image on each face.

What do you do with them?
You roll the dice then use the images as prompts to create a story.

When do you use them?
They did get into my games box, but not for long.  I decided the best place for them was my handbag.  Anywhere where I have to wait with the children, out they come.  It prevents a lot of bickering and arguing and general boredom.  They have served to keep us entertained in the waiting room at the dentist, waiting for a train, waiting for our meal in restaurants and many more places.  They're not just for killing time though, we get them out to play at home and they always come on holiday with us.

How do you use them?
The way we play is to roll the dice then in turns blindly pick 3 each.  The first player then uses their dice to start the story, the second continues it with their three followed by the last player.  If we're enjoying the story we might roll the dice again and continue.

A night in with a bottle of wine and the Story Cubes results in a whole different story and lots of laughter. 

How much do they cost?
I paid £10, which seems to be the average price.

Where can you get them?
I bought my original set on eBay and subsequent sets from Amazon but you can also get them direct from Rory @ http://www.thecreativityhub.com/shop

How many sets are there?
I may have indulged in additional purchases as they've come out:-
Actions 

Voyages

Mixes
The most recent addition to the Story Cubes family.  They are 3 dice packs on a specific theme (clues, enchanted or prehistoria) designed to be used with one of the three original 9 dice sets.

Also the iPhone and android apps joined my arsenal as they work better in the car than actual dice as there's nothing to loose under the seat.

Anything else you should know?
Packaging - The original sets come in compact sturdy packages that have stood up to months of frequent use and battering in the bottom of my handbag.  The mixes are new and have only been in my bag a week or so.  So far so good but to be honest I do not expect much from the thin card wrap around case, I would have preferred the sturdy base to entirely enclose the dice, perhaps with a magnetic clasp as the larger boxes do.  I may have to whip up a drawstring bag for them in the not too distant future.


Would I recommend them?
Absolutely!  A resounding 5 out of 5 in my book.

I've gifted two sets to friends and convinced the speech and language therapist at work to buy a set for use in her sessions.

Still with me?
I love my Story Cubes and can often be found enticing people to play.    Now I'm giving one original set to one of you, my lovely readers.  How can you get your hands on them?  Leave a comment about how and where you would use them and I will use the very high tech method of picking a name out of a bag on the 6th August 2013 to decide who gets them.

What next?
I try and remember the stories we come up with using the story cubes.  If ever I remember enough or remember to set my phone to record, I'll come back and tell you a story that's a little longer than 'the Octopus of destiny saved the alien jelly bean nation from the virus invasion'.