Storytelling is a major part of almost all tabletop games. And, it is a part of every game. Some games are because they have a backstory to set up the game. Others are based on creating a story within the parameters of the game as it is being played. This is because storytelling has been around as long as man. And there is evidence that games have been around almost as long as there have been stories. I’m sure that many were playing games with their stories. One important way we have brought our playing of games and storytelling together is with pictures.Shindig Machine (from Travesty Games) is a card game for storytellers. What sets this game apart from many tabletop games is the story is not already in the process of being told, or limited to the boundaries set into the game board.
Shindig Machine is a deck of 108 picture cards. The cards are original black and white art work covering a wide range of topics. There isn't an age listed and some cards have elements of horror. I don't think there is anything offensive, but I do know some who play games with younger players who would probably want to go through and cull the deck before playing with their children. Removing a few cards won't affect game play.
There are rules for 14 different games included with the cards. The games range from easy to complex. This wide variety of games gives a lot of replay-ability and makes learning different ones easier. In our short experience we were also coming up with our own variations of the games the developers give along with some ideas for new games we wanted to play. The developer told me that it was designed to spark creativity and it does.The basic concept for using Shindig Machine is to turn over a card and tell the story you see. The next person plays a card and adds to what has already developed. This keeps going until you’ve finished your story. Winning is decided who gave the best part, or in our case we didn’t worry about who won the round, or game, or story.
Other ideas use the cards to respond to a certain type of question. Each person is dealt a hand and are limited to responding by what they can tell from the cards they hold.
The games are designed for 3–8 players, of different time lengths. The first time I brought out the cards there were 3 of us at the table and we tried out 3 different games. The second time I brought out Shindig Machine there were more people and we kept it to the easier games. Both times everyone had fun and there was a lot of laughter.
Shindig Machine isn't about keeping score, but you can. The real fun we had was working through the stories being told, or creating the most outlandish name we could come up with (one game we played was Band Name). Of course, we also developed outlandish stories.
During the second playing we had a player who was getting serious about the story they were creating, which didn't work well. There is such a mix-up of pictures that it would be hard to keep it serious. In our first outing the complex game we played had a drug cartel battling demons to stop the apocalypse.Shindig Machine is a great filler or cabin game. Because of the storytelling style of the game, you can easily interrupt, and end and restart, when more people arrive. It also doesn't need setup and the cards come in an easy to carry box that fit in a suitcase, backpack, or cargo pants pocket.
This is the second game I’ve had the chance to review by Travesty Games, and a very different from Eschaton (review here). I had the opportunity of picking up the cards at last year’s Salt Lake Gaming Convention and then again at Salt Lake Comic Convention. I look forward to seeing what this creative company will come out with in the future.
If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.
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