The curious phenomenon of the story game

I love story games.

I love the fact that they exist. I love the fact that some people love them enough to create story tournaments. I love the huge variety of writing styles that can be found in story games. I love the odd pacing that the stories have, given that they're written within the constraints of a Button Men game. I love people being effusive about their stories and other people's stories.

But you've got to admit that they're an odd feature to have on a gaming site. After all, how many new players would have expected that Button Men Online was a place to write two-player interactive fiction? And how many new players would consider a mirror haruspex game (with its single 99-sider) to be something worth playing?

There are many things that encourage interactive story telling on the Button Men Online website:
  • the opt-in mechanic for accepting or rejecting games
  • asynchronous play at a relaxed pace
  • an underlying game mechanic that prompts you when it's your turn and ends the game at some foreseeable point in time
  • the possibility of a balanced game where each player has an equal chance of winning
  • in-game chat that is almost unlimited in length
  • a community of players small enough so that most players would be familiar with many other players
  • forums where players can arrange new story games and talk about current and completed story games
  • a long tradition of story games, including on the old site
On top of all of this, though, the very existence of story games says something great about our community. I have always experienced the community as welcoming, friendly, helpful, inclusive, and safe. For those who wish to remain anonymous, that option has always been available, but for those who are looking to connect with others who share at least an interest in gaming, there is every opportunity to try to engage in any number of different ways. And the story game has become one of those ways.

The reason that I resurrected Button Men Online was to bring the community of players back together again, the players that made me smile, the players who discussed progressive rock and fantasy fiction, the players whom I met in real life and with whom I attended conventions.

I love the fact that most of the old players came back, at least for a little while. I love the fact that new players keep turning up. And I love that fact that people continue to connect at Button Men Online. Even if they connect in odd ways, like in a story game.

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