Rory's Story Cubes
STORYTELLING DICE GAME (2005) invented by RORY O'CONNOR (Ireland), published by THE CREATIVITY HUB / ASMODEE. 1+ players (all ages) roll 9 CUSTOM DICE showing PICTOGRAMS (~54 unique icons per set: animals, objects, actions, emotions, etc.) + weave the 9 rolled images into a spontaneous NARRATIVE STORY. No winners/losers — pure creative + educational play. Widely used in ESL/language classrooms + speech therapy + creativity workshops. 5-15 min. Available in many themed sets: ORIGINAL, VOYAGES, ACTIONS, HARRY POTTER, BATMAN, JOURNEY. Sold 12+ MILLION SETS worldwide. Won Toy Award multiple years.
What is Rory's Story Cubes?
RORY'S STORY CUBES is a STORYTELLING DICE GAME (2005) invented by RORY O'CONNOR from Northern Ireland, originally self-published by THE CREATIVITY HUB (his company in Belfast). Later acquired for global distribution by ASMODEE (2011). Widely praised as a UNIVERSAL CREATIVITY + STORYTELLING TOOL that transcends language + age barriers — used everywhere from ESL/language-learning classrooms to CORPORATE creativity workshops, TABLETOP RPG improvisation, SPEECH-LANGUAGE therapy, EARLY-CHILDHOOD education, + casual family play. GAMEPLAY: 1+ players (single-player creative + multi-player collaborative). Each STORY CUBES SET contains 9 CUSTOM 6-SIDED DICE showing UNIQUE PICTOGRAMS on all 54 faces (9 dice × 6 sides). ORIGINAL SET has 54 distinct icons covering common concepts: animals (bee, sheep, fish), objects (key, house, cup), actions (running, sleeping), emotions (happy face), abstract (arrow, question mark), geometry (star), etc. BASIC PLAY: Roll all 9 dice. The player who rolled (or first player) begins telling a story that INCORPORATES ALL 9 pictograms in some way. Story continues until all icons are used. Alternate: pass the dice around a group + each person adds a sentence containing one icon at a time. NO WINNERS OR LOSERS — pure creative exercise. GAME LENGTH: 5-15 min per story. VARIANTS + EXTENSIONS: There are OVER 30 THEMED SETS + expansions: (1) ORIGINAL (2005 — 54 general icons). (2) VOYAGES (2011 — travel + places). (3) ACTIONS (2012 — verbs). (4) MIX BATMAN, MIX HARRY POTTER, MIX DOCTOR WHO, MIX STAR WARS, etc. — pop culture themed sets. (5) SCORE (2018 — scoring variant), FIGHT NIGHT, JOURNEY, PREHISTORIA, etc. Sets can be MIXED — combining 3+ sets creates 27+ dice + massive story potential. AWARDS + RECOGNITION: DR. TOY BEST CREATIVE PRODUCT (multiple years); PARENTS' CHOICE AWARD; MENSA MIND GAME AWARD (2010); MAJOR FUN AWARD. Sold OVER 12 MILLION SETS worldwide. Widely used in EDUCATION — many teachers use Story Cubes for CREATIVE WRITING PROMPTS, ESL VOCABULARY BUILDING, SPEECH THERAPY (improving narrative structure), + TABLETOP RPG IMPROVISATION (Dungeons & Dragons GMs use them for random encounters). MOBILE APP: RORY'S STORY CUBES APP (iOS/Android) — digital version with additional sets.
Quick facts
Category
Dice Games
Type
Individual
Players
1–20
Duration
~10 min
Where played
indoor
Field / court
Any flat surface
Country of origin
🇮🇪 Ireland
Estimated origin
2005 (self-published Belfast); 2011 Asmodee global distribution
Olympic
No
Popularity
major
How it works
Objective
Tell a coherent + creative story incorporating all 9 rolled pictograms. No traditional win.
Rules
Basic rules
Roll all 9 dice at once
Random pictograms generated.
First player begins storytelling incorporating pictograms
Story starts.
Use each icon somewhere in the story
All 9 must appear.
Group variant: pass around; each person adds one sentence/one icon
Collaborative.
No scoring in base game
Pure creativity.
Score / Fight Night variants add competitive rules
Optional structure.
Scoring
No winners/losers in base game; pure creative exercise. Score variant adds points.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Base game | No scoring — creative play |
| Score variant (2018) | Points per story element used |
| Educational use (classroom, therapy) | Learning outcomes |
Win condition · None in base game; alternate variants award for creativity or coherence.
Playing area
Called
Any flat surface
Dimensions
Portable — dice fit in small tin/pouch
9 dice + optional narrative surface; extremely portable.
Equipment
Original Story Cubes set ($10-15)
9 dice in tin, 54 icons
Voyages / Actions expansion sets ($10-15 each)
Themed dice sets
Themed sets (Harry Potter, Batman, Doctor Who, etc.)
Pop culture variants
Rory's Story Cubes mobile app
Digital play
Score / Fight Night / Journey / Prehistoria variants
Competitive + themed
Strategies
Roll first, then think — improvise in the moment
Creative flow.
Connect distant icons with imaginative bridges
The point is creative connection.
Mix multiple sets for richer story possibilities
27+ dice = huge variety.
Use for RPG improvisation + writing prompts
Applications beyond casual play.
Terminology
- Story Cubes
- The game name.
- Pictogram
- Icon on the die face.
- Original set
- First 9-dice set with 54 general icons.
- Themed set
- Expansion with specific-topic icons.
- Mixing sets
- Combining sets for richer variety.
- Creative rounds
- Group storytelling variant.
Major competitions
Dr. Toy Best Creative Product (multiple years)
annual · USA · since 1993
Parents' Choice Award
annual · USA · since 1978
Mensa Mind Game Award 2010
annual · USA · since 1990
Major Fun Award
periodic · USA · since 2000
Where it is played
Governing bodies
The Creativity Hub (original publisher)
Founded 2005 · Belfast, Northern Ireland
Asmodee (global distribution since 2011)
Founded 1995 · France
ESL + educational communities worldwide
Founded 2005 · Global
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Rory O'Connor (inventor, Northern Ireland)
- The Creativity Hub team (Belfast)
- ESL teachers + creativity workshop facilitators worldwide
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Buy Original set ($10-15)
Perfect starting point.
- 2
Roll + tell a 30-second story solo
Solo creative warmup.
intermediate
- 1
Try group play + themed sets
Deeper collaborative use.
Frequently asked
What are Rory's Story Cubes?+
STORYTELLING DICE GAME (2005) invented by RORY O'CONNOR (Ireland), published by THE CREATIVITY HUB / ASMODEE. 1+ players (all ages) roll 9 CUSTOM DICE showing PICTOGRAMS (~54 unique icons per set: animals, objects, actions, emotions, etc.) + weave the 9 rolled images into a spontaneous NARRATIVE STORY. No winners/losers — pure creative + educational play. Widely used in ESL/language classrooms + speech therapy + creativity workshops. 5-15 min. Available in many themed sets: ORIGINAL, VOYAGES, ACTIONS, HARRY POTTER, BATMAN, JOURNEY. Sold 12+ MILLION SETS worldwide. Won Toy Award multiple years.
Rory's Story Cubes — educational uses?+
Widely adopted in EDUCATION for multiple reasons. (1) ESL / LANGUAGE LEARNING — Universal pictograms let students build vocabulary + practice grammar via storytelling. (2) SPEECH-LANGUAGE THERAPY — Improve narrative structure + expressive language. (3) EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY — Prompt creative writing + oral language. (4) TABLETOP RPG IMPROVISATION — DMs use for random encounters + NPCs. (5) CORPORATE CREATIVITY WORKSHOPS — Prompt brainstorming + presentation practice. (6) FAMILY DINNER STORYTELLING — Kids + parents create shared stories. (7) HOMESCHOOLING — Writing prompts + creativity building. Very few games serve so many diverse educational purposes with such simple equipment. Highly recommended for teachers + parents.
Sources & provenance
- The Creativity Hub— Creativity Hub
- Wikipedia — Rory's Story Cubes— Wikipedia