Indie Game FoldingStory: Not a Traditional Video Game

Most people have participated in some form of group storytelling. Whether it was passing notes during class in elementary school or taking turns with a group of friends, playing the storytelling game with others is entertaining and makes for hilarious results. FoldingStory is a simple browser-based game that lets players engage in a series of quick 10-line storytelling activities without having to waste any paper.

Playing FoldingStory is simple. Just sign up for free, and you’ll have access to dozens of live stories. Choose a story, and the first line will be written for you. You have four minutes to come up with a good follow-up line to submit, and then you’ll have to wait to see how the story ends. Once the tale is completed, FoldingStory emails you, letting you know that the collaborative fiction is finished.

The most entertaining aspect of FoldingStory is the results. Though some users aren’t particularly funny, plenty are, and reading a completed story from start to finish can be a very comical experience. The game’s site builds a community of users and allows players to add one another for quick access to stories. You can also rate players’ lines and see how you stack up on the site’s leaderboard.

FoldingStory isn’t a traditional video game. In a way, you could argue that it isn’t a video game at all. But because of its growing community, emphasis on multiplayer collaboration, and inclusion of a leaderboard, it certainly feels like one.

If you’re a fan of games like B.U.T.T.O.N. and like playing something different from time to time, be sure to check out FoldingStory. It’s free, and because all you need to do is submit your part of the story and wait for an email, it’s certainly not a waste of time. You can easily submit a few lines and go about your daily routine or play other games without having to worry about being glued to the computer screen. That, and play is free, making FoldingStory a game worth checking out.