15 Cards

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15 index cards with various images on them are ordered to create a narrative. Players then go through the cards musically improvising what they see.

Preparation

Find 15 different images. Each one is a separate card. These 15 cards make up one full deck.
As you’re choosing the images think of some kind of narrative you can put them in.
You will need one deck per player.
The best way to print them out is on index cards of four cards per page. So, if you have 4 players, you're printing out 15 pages.
After you have all 15 images printed then it’s time to put them in order, remember to have them tell some kind of story - from beginning to end.
Cards are placed face up with card #1 first.
Create identical stacks for each player. Same images and same order.

Setup

Hand out the card stacks to each player.
Have the players place the stacks where they can easily reach and see them.
Make sure the players don’t look past the first card yet!

Gameplay instructions

Everyone starts on the first card, it will be the same card for each player.
Look at the image on the card and interpret that image to music. Improvise the image.
Play that card for less than one minute then move to the next card. Repeat.
All players are free to change their cards independently. They don’t have to change at the same time. But they should listen to what the other players are playing and try to keep the whole thing musical.
As the players change cards they can choose to change their playing to match the new card quickly or slowly.

You can choose a player to start the game solo on the first card and the other players can join in before the first card is finished.

Game end

The game is over when every player finishes playing the final card.


Example

Card #1: Image of an open field / #2: wind / #3: a moving train / #4: an air pump / #5: wind / #6: small group of people talking / #7: a man falling from a skyscraper / #8: a giant hand reaching down from the clouds /#9: lightening / #10: tornado / #11: Godzilla / #12: war torn town / #13: birds singing / #14: wind / #15: open field

Variants

Add a few different cards in the stacks to change things up. For example, all the cards are identical between stacks except card #10. This card is different for every player. When playing with friends it's best to make a card something special to a player. A photo of each player’s mother perhaps! Or two players get something they like and one player gets something s/he hates. When they reach that part in the game two players will most likely play something consonant while the one player plays something dissonant.

With participants into arts, you can make the setup to be part of the game and include drawing or even photography (if you have a printer).

Game Designer

Marcus Staniec (notrightmusic)



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