Everything Changed When

This is a story and improv game.

You can play it two different ways.

Group (2-10 Players): when played together, it’s an improvisation game. You try to tell the best possible story together. In many ways, it’s a simpler and faster version of Dungeons & Dragons
Solo: when played this way, it’s a great tool for plotting your next story (or practicing with story structure).

Material

Character cards

Strength/Flaw (two sides of the same card, whichever is on top is true)
Archetype/Personality Type (a very general idea of your skillset and character, given as statistics: bars and their percentage or number of points)
Attribute (a specific attribute; a +X or -X on some statistic)

Story cards

Goal: a general goal your character might have
Setup: a bit of information given. (Can be invented, can be the reveal of a character trait of yours.)
Resolution: a way to resolve a setup
Twist: a big event that radically changes a few things
Action: a decisive action in the story, with an exact representation in the game. (“Ask another player to give you a character card” or “Trade two cards with another player” or “You may play a card without meeting the requirements”)
Climax: reaches goals, necessary to finish the story. (Therefore high requirements.)

Group Mode

Setup

All players receive a character card and place it in front of them.

Now deal each player a hand of X cards.

If a player has a goal card, they start the game, and must do so by playing that card. Otherwise, start anywhere.

Objective

The game ends when the story ends.

All setups have been resolved. (For every setup, there’s a resolution card.)
All characters have seen change. (Nobody is identical to how they started.)
The goal has been reached.

If you want to control playtime, take only a portion of the deck. If you run out of cards, the game ends immediately. If you haven’t resolved the story, you lose.

Gameplay

Take clockwise turns until done. On your turn, play 1-3 cards from your hand.

Cards give a general idea. (A theme, a framework, a category). You must improvise how this idea connects into your current story.

Example: you have goal card saying “treasure”. If you play it, you must invent a clear goal for your character, that somehow involves treasure.

Be creative and stay true to everything established so far. (For example, don’t make a decision that makes no sense for your established character.)

Can’t play a card? Keep drawing cards until you get one that you can play. You must play it immediately.

Some cards have requirements. You cannot play them unless the requirements are met.

Example: a resolution card always requires a setup first, maybe multiple setups.

Now draw your hand back up to X.

Remarks

Character cards go in front of you. The top side (facing away from you) is the one that counts.
Goals, Setups and Twists are played in sequence. (You create a sort of timeline as you go, from left to right.)
Resolutions and Climaxes are played on top of the card that they resolve.
You may change (add/throw away/rotate) a character trait whenever a card allows it.

Communication

It’s allowed (even encouraged) to give each other ideas or suggestions.

The player who played the card, however, has the final say. Trust that other players might have a better plan, based on their own cards.

It’s allowed to say the types of cards that you have (like “two setups”), but no specifics.

Expansions

Character Collection

All players receive 4 random character cards at the start. Look at them, then place them face-down in front of you.

Any time you play a card, you may tie it to one of your character traits. If you do so, reveal the card.

Example: you play a “goal” card with “career”. You say “my character’s goal is to become the most successful musician ever, because … they are ambitious and they like music” => now reveal your character traits “music” and “ambitious”

The story cannot end until all character traits (of all players) have been revealed. Because of this knowledge, you can make the characters in the story much more consistent. (Their “change” needed to fulfill the story can also be planned further in advance.)

This expansion also adds more character cards with more diversity.

Backstory
Skill
Antagonist/Enemy

Supercharged Storylines

This expansion gives a framework for creating multiple storylines as the game goes on.

Any time you play a card, you may start a new storyline. (A new row on the table, clearly separate from the others.)

Any time you can’t play a card, start a new storyline.

@TODO: Figure out how to deal with multiple storylines (and converging/diverging)

Chronological Cuisine

This expansion allows stories that aren’t linear. (They move around in time or are told in a different order.)

New card types:

Flashback
Flashforward

Check if you can play a card by tracking back. If you remove certain cards from the current story, can you play a card then? Do this in cooperation with the other players. Everyone must agree that part of the story may be erased.

Wishful Worldbuilding

This expansion is more suited to fantasy/sci-fi. It contains more cards and opportunities to build a unique world in which the story takes place.

Reserve a separate area (on the table) for all Setting, Prophecy and Magic System cards.

These are rules about your world that you invent during the game. They, therefore, are “always true” and not part of a timeline.

It also means that you can play such a card and give completely new information, unrelated to whatever the story was doing at that moment.

New card types

Worldbuilding / Setting
Bad Luck
Good Luck
Prophecy
Magic System?

Solo Mode

This is a variation on the rules for Group Mode. Read those first.

@TODO

This is a **story and improv game**. You can play it two different ways. - **Group (2-10 Players):** when played together, it's an improvisation game. You try to tell the best possible story together. In many ways, it's a simpler and faster version of Dungeons & Dragons - **Solo:** when played this way, it's a great tool for plotting your next story (or practicing with story structure). ## Material ### Character cards - **Strength/Flaw** (two sides of the same card, whichever is on top is true) - **Archetype/Personality Type** (a very *general* idea of your skillset and character, given as *statistics*: bars and their percentage or number of points) - **Attribute** (a specific attribute; a +X or -X on some statistic) ### Story cards - **Goal:** a general goal your character might have - **Setup:** a bit of information given. (Can be invented, can be the reveal of a character trait of yours.) - **Resolution:** a way to resolve a setup - **Twist:** a big event that radically changes a few things - **Action:** a decisive action in the story, with an exact representation in the game. ("Ask another player to give you a character card" or "Trade two cards with another player" or "You may play a card without meeting the requirements") - **Climax:** reaches *goals*, necessary to finish the story. (Therefore high requirements.) ## Group Mode ### Setup All players receive a character card and place it in front of them. Now deal each player a hand of X cards. If a player has a *goal* card, they start the game, and must do so by playing that card. Otherwise, start anywhere. ### Objective The game ends when the story ends. - All *setups* have been *resolved*. (For every setup, there's a resolution card.) - All characters have seen *change.* (Nobody is identical to how they started.) - The *goal* has been reached. If you want to control playtime, take only a *portion* of the deck. If you run out of cards, the game ends immediately. If you haven't resolved the story, you *lose*. ### Gameplay Take clockwise turns until done. On your turn, play 1-3 cards from your hand. Cards give a general idea. (A theme, a framework, a category). **You must improvise how this idea connects into your current story.** Example: you have goal card saying "treasure". If you play it, you must invent a clear *goal* for your character, that somehow involves *treasure*. Be creative and stay true to everything established so far. (For example, don't make a decision that makes no sense for your established character.) **Can't play a card?** Keep drawing cards until you get one that you *can* play. You must play it immediately. Some cards have **requirements**. You cannot play them unless the requirements are met. Example: a resolution card always requires a setup first, maybe multiple setups. Now draw your hand back up to X. ### Remarks - Character cards go in front of you. The top side (facing away from you) is the one that counts. - Goals, Setups and Twists are played in sequence. (You create a sort of timeline as you go, from left to right.) - Resolutions and Climaxes are played on top of the card that they resolve. - You may *change* (add/throw away/rotate) a character trait whenever a card **allows** it. ### Communication It's allowed (even encouraged) to give each other ideas or suggestions. The player who played the card, however, has the final say. Trust that other players might have a better plan, based on their own cards. It's allowed to say the types of cards that you have (like "two setups"), but *no* specifics. ### Expansions #### Character Collection All players receive 4 random character cards at the start. Look at them, then place them *face-down* in front of you. Any time you play a card, you may tie it to one of your character traits. If you do so, reveal the card. > Example: you play a "goal" card with "career". You say "my character's goal is to become the most successful musician ever, because ... they are ambitious and they like music" => now reveal your character traits "music" and "ambitious" The story cannot end until *all* character traits (of all players) have been revealed. Because of this knowledge, you can make the characters in the story much more consistent. (Their "change" needed to fulfill the story can also be planned further in advance.) This expansion also adds *more* character cards with more diversity. - Backstory - Skill - Antagonist/Enemy #### Supercharged Storylines This expansion gives a framework for creating *multiple storylines* as the game goes on. Any time you play a card, you may start a new storyline. (A new row on the table, clearly separate from the others.) Any time you can't play a card, start a *new* storyline. **@TODO:** Figure out how to deal with multiple storylines (and converging/diverging) #### Chronological Cuisine This expansion allows stories that aren't linear. (They move around in time or are told in a different order.) New card types: - Flashback - Flashforward Check if you can play a card by **tracking back.** If you remove certain cards from the current story, can you play a card then? Do this in cooperation with the other players. Everyone must agree that part of the story may be erased. #### Wishful Worldbuilding This expansion is more suited to fantasy/sci-fi. It contains more cards and opportunities to build a unique world in which the story takes place. Reserve a separate area (on the table) for all Setting, Prophecy and Magic System cards. These are rules about your world that you invent during the game. They, therefore, are "always true" and not part of a timeline. It also means that you *can* play such a card and give completely new information, unrelated to whatever the story was doing at that moment. ##### New card types - Worldbuilding / Setting - Bad Luck - Good Luck - Prophecy - Magic System? ## Solo Mode This is a variation on the rules for Group Mode. Read those first. @TODO