- Draw one card to inspire the setting. Take turns narrating detail, build on what is said. The setting card will remain face up on the table. During play, it’s also used for pacing. A player may place a marker on the card at any time. The third time means the game is over and it’s time to wrap up.
- Every player draws a character card, placing it face up in front of them. Take turns introducing your characters, in light of the setting card stories. Go with your gut; what does the card say?
- Take turns dealing three cards, face down. The Dealer uses the first card to establish how the scene begins, and who is present. She decides when it’s time to turn the next two. The second card represent a twist. The third the scene ending. Other players play their characters, narrate details and ask questions. The Dealer has final say, and a special responsibility for the scene. If the third setting card marker is placed during your scene, you help wrap up the game. The scene ending card may be used for inspiration.
(Ask questions, ask for ideas, reincorporate concepts, play secondary characters).
Playtesters: Magnus J, Mikael T, Ola L. Thanks: Astrid, Banana C. Originally posted to the 200 Word Challenge 2017.
Nørwegian Style 
Played this with one friend in a post apocalyptic setting and it was really good. The only thing we added was during the character creation: we both owned one special item/equipment that was useful in our story; so, we draw one “personal” card and one “item” card in phase 2. We also had a big (A3) paper where we made a map and wrote down important notes.
🙂
In the time I was enjoying translating the second edition of Archipelago, I was reading the short novel “The Castle of Crossed Destinies” (1973) by Italo Calvino, one of the most influential Italian writers.
The tarot-generated characters tells their tarot-generated stories and how their lives are interwoven. I’m sure this is not the first case in literature, there is the OuLiPo, a well-known literature scene in France, and the use itself of the tarots is made for storytelling.
That said, I had the idea to make a freeform RPG based on this. I ended up to enjoy my self-told stories just for fun.
🙂 It tells all the stories, if we look at it right.