First Last Best Worst

Looking for a new way to pass the time at home?
Running out of things to talk about?
Ready for some family FUN?

​I've got ya.

Recently, I finished a great book on storytelling that shared a technique used to help writers come up with story ideas.

Now I've made a game out of it and am sharing it with YOU!

STEP 1 - Think up some topics like pet, party, song, gift, house, chore, trouble, accident, swimsuit, hug, kiss, and most embarrassing moment. Write each topic on separate index cards making a deck of topics. (The more the better!)

​STEP 2 - Grab 4 more index cards and write first on one. Write last on the next card. Write best on the third one. Write worst on the last card.

​DIRECTIONS:
Place the deck of topics upside down.
Place the First Last Best Worst cards face up and spread out.
Pick someone to go first. "Next birthday" gets to go first in our house and then we continue in a clockwise rotation.

The first player takes a topic card. Then, the same player picks up one of the First Last Best Worst cards and tells the story that matches these two words.

For example, Adam picks "pet" and "first." He then tells the group about his first pet. Players can talk as long as they like and tell as much (or little) as they choose. Other players may ask questions or request more entertaining details. Let the conversation flow. Have fun! This is a game of storytelling.

The goal of the game is connection, conversation, talking, listening and sharing.

When Adam is done he keeps both cards.

The next person picks a card from the deck of topics and one of those 3 remaining Last Best Worst cards.

For example, Greg picks "party." Now, he has three choices. He can tell us about the last party, best party, or worst party he attended. Let's say he tells us about the best party he ever experienced - probably our wedding reception!   

When Greg is done he keeps both cards.

Can you see what is happening?

The topics keep changing and the story telling options are getting limited. The next person must tell a last or worst story on whatever topic is picked.

Yep.

Inevitably someone is going to end up with something like "kiss" and "worst" as the only option.

Get ready to hear about that time when grandma kissed Derek leaving behind a big red kiss print on his cheek and no one told him! Unaware, he went around the rest of the day with loud, obnoxious kiss prints stuck to his face! Just ask him. That was the WORST!

Once all of the First Last Best Worst cards are used, the players put them all back on the table and play continues.
The same is true of the topic cards. Replace and shuffle them up. Add more! ​

This game has no rules.

​It can be tweaked and played in a number of ways.
Just play.
Make it your own.
And, be sure to tell me how it goes.

See you on the socials!

---

---