Storium, like an online campfire or a digital sleepover, is a place where you and your friends can play through your own stories, creating and adapting as you go along. The premise is simple: access the web-based service through your PC, mobile or tablet to take part in a story. The narrator creates a world, a plotline and challenges for the players (characters) to overcome. It’s the act of writing a novel soaked in gameplay, absorbing concepts like players taking turns, using points and cards to overcome events. The depth of the tool however is incredible.
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The premise of the interactivity revolves around virtual playing cards that drive gameplay, creating and describing elements such as characters, attributes, and events to overcome. There are several ‘worlds’ available. These are sets of pre-made tools that fit within the world’s thematic style – ideas for narratives, pre-made characters, and backstory. You can also create an entirely new world of your own, if nothing catches your attention or fits your plans.
The Kickstarter is young, but it’s exceeded their funding goals within 24 hours and is doing well meeting its stretch goals. However it’s still worth adding to the pot. The extra goals added so far will allow for the creation of new worlds by some pretty respectable writers, and backers of $10 or more will have instant access to the beta version, which if you’re keen on the concept is well worth contributing for.
Incorporating elements of tabletop RPGs, text adventures and choose your own adventures books, Storium is at once both incredibly familiar and fantastically updated, and the play time is literally endless. As far as playing creative games with friends goes, it should be pretty darn fun.