As writers, each one of us can benefit from a boost of creative energy. Luckily, playing games improves brain function, builds creativity, and improves problem-solving skills—all of which are important for our writing process. Whether you’ve hit a creative roadblock, or you simply want to engage your imagination more, these writing games are a fun way to help you think in new ways.

Games for 1 Player

The games in this list can be played individually, although you can always modify them to play alongside your friends as well.

Haiku Remix Game

To play this game, pick a favorite poem and condense it into the haiku syllable structure. (There should be 5 syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the last line.) This mind game challenges you to make each word choice absolutely essential.

Better…Or More Better?

Have you ever been really disappointed in the way a book, movie, musical, or television series ended? (We’re looking at you, Game of Thrones.) Take this opportunity to brainstorm an alternative ending to the story. You can choose to write or simply outline the ending to your liking.

Story Cubes

This game has nine six-sided cubes with unique icons on each cube side. To play, you roll the nine cubes and begin by saying “once upon a time.” From there, you must incorporate each of the nine cube icons into your story. There’s over 10 million combinations in the cube set, so each roll should offer unique prompts to help you engage your imagination. This game is very child-friendly and easy to play, so you can even easily make this into a family game.

Book Spine Poetry

All you need for this game is a bookshelf full of books and your creative spirit. To play, arrange a pile of books so that the titles create a poem. To successfully complete this challenge, you have to restrict your vocabulary to that of titles in your library. These limitations will force you think in new and creative ways.

Re-Write Trite Figures of Speech

Find new, creative comparisons for overused similes like “white as snow.” If you want more simile challenges, rewrite the The Paris Review’s “List of Truly Awful Similes.”

Games for 2 or More Players

The following games offer fun opportunities to meet up with your writer friends online or in person.

M.A.S.H. Your Characters

Do you remember playing M.A.S.H. with your junior high clique to predict everyone’s futures? If you’re new to this game, check out the instructions here. To modify this old game, create a M.A.S.H. sheet for one of the characters in your work-in-progress. Then, write a scene inspired by the M.A.S.H. results.

Once Upon a Time

In this game, a designated storyteller draws prompt cards to jumpstart their fairy tale story. The remaining players will attempt to interrupt the storyteller and take over the story by using their own cards. The player who uses all of their cards first wins. This game is a good way to practice your plot writing skills as you bring in flashbacks, plot twists, and backstories to fit all of your card prompts into the fairy tale.

Storium

Storium is an online storytelling game. To begin, a host must start a game and invite others to join online. At least one player must volunteer to be a narrator, who drives the plot forward with the help of story card prompts. Each player in the game controls a specific character that navigates challenges posed by the narrator. The online format helps keep everyone organized as the story grows in complexity and creativity.

Joking Hazard

If you appreciate Cards Against Humanity, this game is for you. The goal of the game is to create the funniest three panel comic strip using the playing cards. The first panel card is random, the judge chooses a second card, and the remaining players must complete the story with the card they believe will make the judge laugh. The game challenges you to use a number of comedic devices as you compete against your friends. This game is not for children, so definitely don’t recommend it for a family game night!

Create a Villain

You’ll need a basket filled to the brim with slips of paper containing different adjectives for this game. To play, each participant must draw two adjectives from the basket and create a villain that matches the adjective description. After five minutes, players can share their villain creations and vote on their favorites. This game is a fun activity to jumpstart your creative writing group meetings.

JabberJot

In this card game, each player receives three pictures, three words and a theme. Using these elements, each player must write a story before the 90-second timer rings. At the end, a designated judge reads each story out loud and chooses the winner. This fast-paced game is a good way to practice thinking on your feet under a tight deadline.