How to Play Consequences

Last Updated: May 29, 2021 Approved

Consequences is a fun game for all ages that can be played just about anywhere, as long as you have 2 pieces of scrap paper and at least one friend to play with. Create 2 fill-in-the-blank stories with 1 other player, then take turns filling in the blanks together. Cover up your answers as you pass the papers back and forth—once the stories are complete, read through whatever you come up with. In the game of Consequences, the only limit is your own imagination!^{[1]
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Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Making the Story Templates

1
Write “[ ] met [ ] at [ ].” A traditional game of Consequences starts off in this format, using brackets to show where the blanks are that the other player will fill in. Label the blanks something like “boys name,” “girls name,” and “location.”^{[2]
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- You can also play around with different sentence structures, if you’d like! For example, you can write something like: “[ ] and [ ] went to the [ ] on Friday.”
- Put each blank on a separate line so your answers are easier to hide once the game starts.
2
Draft a dialogue tag to start the second sentence. Start a new sentence that will build off the original one. Instead of making a fill-in-the-blank sentence, give the other player a chance to write a line of dialogue. As you did before, use brackets and labels to help the other player know what goes where.^{[3]
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- For instance, you can write something like: “He said: [ ].”
- You can also play around with other types of dialogue tags, like “yelled,” “laughed,” or “screamed.”
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3
Add another dialogue tag that responds to the second sentence. Give the other character in your “Consequences” story a chance to reply to the first line of dialogue. To make the template consistent, use the same blanked-out format with brackets that you’ve been using already.^{[4]
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- For example, you can write something like: “She said: [ ].”
- You can also try something like: “She shrieked” or “She growled” to make the story more interesting.
4
Provide just the pronoun of the first character for the fourth sentence. Write a new blanked-out sentence that gives the first character a chance to do something random and hilarious. Jot down the pronoun of the character, then leave the rest of the sentence in brackets so the other player can fill it in.^{[5]
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- Your paper will look something like: “He [ ].”
- You can provide an actionable verb in the sentence, but this will make the game more predictable.
5
Start the sixth sentence with only the second character’s pronoun. Give the second character an opportunity to do something equally crazy and random. As you did before, write out the pronoun of the second character, then include brackets so the other player can fill in the rest of the sentence.^{[6]
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- Your sentence will look something like this: “She [ ].”
6
Write out “The consequence was” but leave the answer blank. Tie your whole story together as best as you can. This blanked out sentence gives a random resolution to an equally random and hilarious narrative.^{[7]
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- For reference, your sentence should look like this: “The consequence was [ ].”
7
Create a fill-in-the-blank template for each player. Encourage any other players to create an identical template. This game is typically played with 2 people, but can be played with a group, as well. Before you start the game, double-check that the number of blanked-out words and phrases can be divided up evenly between all the players.^{[8]
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- For instance, if you had 4 total players, your story template could have 8, 12, 16, 20, or 24 blanks. During the game, you’d slide your story templates clockwise or counterclockwise until each player has a completely filled-in story.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Filling in the Stories

1
Make up a character’s name to start off the story. Think of a creative, funny answer or name you can put into the first blank. Try to come up with something really unpredictable, as this will make the final story even more hilarious.^{[9]
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- For instance, you can put something like “my dad” or “my math teacher” as the first character in the story.
- You can also try to jazz up the story with famous people or fictional characters, like your favorite YouTuber or TV show character.
2
Cover your answer and switch papers with the other player. Take the top section of your paper and fold it down so the first sentence is totally covered. Slide your folded paper to the other player so they can’t see your answer, and invite them to do the same. Keep the papers folded until the stories are completely finished!^{[10]
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- If you’re playing in a larger group, continue sliding the papers to the right or left.
3
Write down a name for the second character. Look at the prompt on the folded paper and think of a second character to include. As you did before, try to think of something that’s really random, which will make the story extra hilarious.^{[11]
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- For example, you can fill in the answer with something like “my dog,” or “aliens from Mars.”
- You can make the story interesting by choosing the name of a friend or peer that every player knows.
4
Hide your answers and alternate papers again. Pull the folded section of paper down a little more so it hides your latest answer. Once the other player does the same thing, switch papers so you can continue filling out the story.^{[12]
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- If you’re playing in a larger group, continue folding and sliding the papers in 1 direction.
5
Fill out the dialogue tags and switch papers. Think of a clever or random thing for either 1 of the story characters to say. Enclose your sentence with quotation marks, then fold over your latest sentence and switch papers with the other player. Repeat this process again, but write dialogue for the second character. As you did before, fold over your answers and switch papers with the other player again.^{[13]
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- For instance, you can write something like: “He said: ‘I can’t believe you used my toothbrush to clean the toilet.’”
- You can also write something like: “She said: ‘There was nothing to eat at home, so I had a can of cat food for lunch.’”
6
Explain what one character does then swap papers and fill in the next blank. Think of a clever, funny sentence to describe what the first character does. This sentence can be long or short—just try to make it as unique and humorous as possible. Once you’ve written your sentence, cover up your answer and switch papers with the other player. At this point, fill in the seventh sentence on the other player’s paper before folding and switching papers again.^{[14]
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- For example, you can write something like: “He jumped around the neighborhood in a po-go stick.”
- You can also try something like: “She showed up late to her own surprise birthday party.”
7
End the story with the final “consequence” sentence. Think about something drastic or funny that will really end the Consequences story on a funny note. Keep in mind that the “consequence” doesn’t have to be something serious—it can be something light-hearted or funny, depending on what you’re in the mood for. Once you’ve filled out the last sentence, you’re ready to share your finished story!^{[15]
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- Write something like: “The consequence was: they had to eat pineapple pizza for the rest of the year.”
- You can also write something like: “The consequence was: they had to go to the prom in matching scuba suits.”
8
Read the stories aloud to see what you came up with. Unfold your papers and go through the completed stories 1 at a time. Keep in mind that there are no winners and losers in Consequences. Once you’ve read through all the stories, you can play another round!^{[16]
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Community Q&A

Question

How old is this game?

Community Answer

Consequences is an old parlor game in a similar vein to the surrealist game Exquisite Corpse and Mad Libs.