Story Builder
A collaborative story, one sentence at a time.
Play Story Builder →Story Builder is a collaborative-writing party game. The room shares a single story, and players take turns adding one sentence each on a 30-second timer. The result is almost always chaotic, usually funny, and occasionally genuinely good. It's a natural fit for creative teams, classrooms, and any group that likes their icebreakers to have a slight edge of unpredictability.
How to play
One player starts with a first sentence. Then the game rotates. Each player has 30 seconds to add exactly one sentence that follows on from what came before. When time runs out, control passes to the next player automatically. After a set number of rounds (or turns per player), the finished story is displayed in full.
There are no points and no winners — the story itself is the reward. That said, most groups end up voting informally on their favourite sentence.
What makes a good sentence
The best contributors advance the story without steamrolling it. Introducing a new character, changing the setting, or dropping in a small twist keeps momentum going. Ending your sentence with a hook ("...and then she opened the box.") gives the next player something concrete to work with.
The worst move is to try to end the story on your turn. Story Builder is not a competition; strangling the momentum for laughs usually just leaves the next player with nothing to do.
Prompts to get started
A good opening line does most of the work. Try one of these:
- "It was the first day of the last summer camp Earth would ever hold."
- "Marion realised the elevator hadn't moved in ninety seconds."
- "The office intern arrived to find the CEO hiding under a desk."
- "On Tuesday, the ocean started running backwards."
- "Nobody at the wedding had actually met the groom."
- "The dog spoke, and it wasn't good news."
Where it works best
Creative teams (design, writing, marketing) tend to love it — it's adjacent to what they already do. It's also excellent in classrooms as a low-friction way to practice writing.
For remote teams, the 30-second timer works surprisingly well over video. You get a nice rhythm of typing, watching, laughing, typing again.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a game take?
About 60 seconds per player per full lap of the room. Most sessions run two to three laps.
Can we play with a longer timer?
The 30-second timer is deliberate — it stops perfectionism and keeps energy high. Try it as-is for a round before adjusting.
Does it need any writing skill?
No. Short, silly sentences are usually the best ones.
Ready to play?
Story Builder on JossUp is free, needs no download, and no account. Just share a room code.
Start a room →