Small Talk 1-7 players. (an advanced version of Well, y'see...)
Each player draws a card. The person who draws the lowest card shuffles the deck and deals out until every player has as many cards as there are players at the table (if there are 7 players, each player should start with 7 cards). The dealer then chooses a question (or makes up one themselves) for everyone to answer with a story.
More rules below the sample questions.
Sample Questions:
- Who'd I see you out with last night?
- Is that a new haircut?
- How was your vacation?
- What do you do for a living?
- How was work, today?
- How'd you get your nickname?
- (Ghost story) How'd you die?
- (Fairy tale) How'd you marry into royalty?
- If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who'd you invite?
Sample Answer formats:
- Well, y'see, I... ...and that's who you saw me with.
- Well, y'see, there was this... ...and I've looked like this ever since.
- Well, y'see, it went like this... ...and am I ever glad to be back home.
- Well y'see, I've been... ...and they've been paying me to do it ever since.
- Well, y'see, the day started when... ...and I tell you they do not pay me enough.
- Well, y'see... ...and that's why everyone calls me ________________.
- Well, y'see, there was this... ...and that, of course, I did not survive.
- Well, y'see, I used to be a.... ...and we lived happily ever after.
- Well y'see, this actually happened, once, and I had a chance to... ...and, well, that's how I broke the spacetime continuum.
I'm hoping it's obvious that your story goes between the ... and the ...
Once the question is chosen, each player chooses one of their cards and gives it to the player to the left of the dealer. That player now has a minute to look at the cards they've been given (you don't give yourself a card), and come up with a story that uses as many of the cards as possible. You get a point for each card you reference (play the card when you reference it so everyone can judge if it's appropriately referenced). Then, everyone picks a card from their hand and gives it to the next player to the left of the one who just went. The round should continue with everyone telling a story to answer the same question, and end with every player holding one card they'd decided not to give anyone.
I've opened reply options below in hopes some of you will add more sample questions which have come out of your games.