How to Play Consequences (Fold-Over Story Game)

Consequences is a hilarious writing game where players secretly add parts to a shared story, folding the paper after each turn so only a tiny clue is visible for the next player. At the end, you unfold the papers and read the complete — and often ridiculous — stories aloud.

It’s fast, requires almost no setup, and works just as well for family game night as it does for classrooms, road trips, or parties.

Related Game: If you like Consequences, check out Exquisite Corpse (Fold-Over Drawing Game), the drawing-based version that uses the same fold-and-pass mechanic.

Objective

Collaboratively create funny, unpredictable stories that are revealed only at the end of the game.

Number of Players

3+ players (works well with 4–8).

Game Length

About 5–15 minutes per round, depending on the number of story parts.

Age Range

Ages 7+ (younger kids can play with simpler prompts).

What You Need

• One sheet of paper per player
• Pens or pencils
• A flat surface for writing

How to Play Consequences in 7 Simple Steps

1. Gather your players and supplies
Each player gets their own sheet of paper and something to write with.

2. Choose your storytelling style
There are two main ways to play:

• Open-Ended Storytelling – Players write a full sentence or two, then fold the paper to hide their writing but leave the last few words visible. This gives the next player a tiny clue about the context so they can try to continue the story — but with minimal information.
• Guided Prompts – Everyone follows a set story structure, filling in short phrases for each prompt. The classic Consequences sequence is:
  1. A man’s name
  2. A woman’s name
  3. Where they met
  4. What he said to her
  5. What she said to him
  6. What happened next
  7. The consequence (ending)

Tip: Guided prompts can follow many different structures, not just the classic “boy meets girl” format. You can create themed or story-beat versions such as:

• Pixar-Style Story Beats: “Once upon a time… / And every day… / Until one day… / Because of that… / Because of that… / Until finally…”
• Hero’s Quest: “The hero’s name… / Their ordinary world… / The call to adventure… / The challenge they faced… / How they overcame it… / What they learned.”
• Genre Templates: Mystery, sci-fi, holiday tales, fairy tales — anything works as long as everyone agrees on the beats before starting.

3. Everyone writes the first part
If using open-ended play, start your story with a sentence or two. If using guided prompts, fill in the first prompt.

4. Fold to hide your answer
Fold the paper so your writing is hidden. For open-ended play, leave only the last few words visible. For guided prompts, write the next prompt as a “clue” for the next player.

5. Pass to the left
Everyone passes their folded paper to the person on their left.

6. Continue the process
The next player reads the visible clue (or words) and writes their section, folds, and passes again. Continue until all parts are filled.

7. Reveal and read
Unfold the papers and take turns reading each story aloud.

Rules Summary

• No peeking at earlier sections — only use the clue provided.
• Follow the agreed story structure.
• Game ends when all sections are complete and the stories are read aloud.

Why We Like It for Families

• Everyone is active every round — no long waiting times.
• The reveal moment is always funny, whether the stories make perfect sense or no sense at all.
• It’s endlessly replayable because the results are always different.

Tips for Funnier Stories

• Use unexpected character pairings.
• Get oddly specific with details (“at the world’s largest rubber band ball”).
• Throw in plot twists that flip the story.
• Use inside jokes or callbacks to other stories in the round.

Variations

Alternate Story Structures (Guided Prompt Examples)

Classic Boy Meets Girl:

1. A man’s name
2. A woman’s name
3. Where they met
4. What he said to her
5. What she said to him
6. What happened next
7. The consequence (ending)

Pixar-Style Beats:

1. Once upon a time…
2. And every day…
3. Until one day…
4. Because of that…
5. Because of that…
6. Until finally…

Hero’s Quest:

1. The hero’s name…
2. Their ordinary world…
3. The call to adventure…
4. The challenge they faced…
5. How they overcame it…
6. What they learned.

Mysterious Encounter:

1. Character’s name…
2. Where they were…
3. What strange thing they saw…
4. What they decided to do…
5. What happened next…
6. How it ended.

Themed Consequences

Holiday stories, fairy tales, superheroes, school life, or any theme your group likes.

Fewer Prompts (Quick Play)

Short on time? Use 4–5 prompts instead of 6–7.

Single-Sheet Version

The traditional version uses just one sheet passed around the group. It’s slower but can be fun for smaller groups or when you want everyone to contribute to the exact same story.

Related Game – Exquisite Corpse

If you like the writing version, try Exquisite Corpse, where you create a shared drawing instead of a story.