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With Christmas just around the corner there will be many parent scratching their heads for present and stocking filler ideas. Perhaps something that is slightly different. Something that might be a little creative and less ephemeral than the norm. However, we all know that Christmas is an expensive time of year. Finding quality presents under £10 can be a challenge. Well, if this sounds like you, have you considered Rory’s Story Cubes?
What are Rory's Story Cubes?
Rory’s Story Cubes may not be a game as such, but these dice really encourage imaginative play. Generally they get very little attention, but they do actually deserve more. So what are Rory’s Story Cubes?
Rory’s Story Cubes are dice, but instead of having the standard six numbers, each side of these has a little picture on it. The idea being that you roll your set of dice and the roller has to make up a story based around the symbols that appear. These can be as long or as short as the roller chooses. Ultimately they get the brain cogs working and promotes using imagination – even for a grown up!
Rory’s Story Cubes come with a recommended age of 6+ but my youngest was creating pretty ropey tales by the age of four. He was having a whale of a time and occasionally the story told was unintentionally hilarious. Older kids will enjoy creating a good yarn for a younger sibling. However, I can’t see them getting much use once the youngest is past age eight. Coincidently Board Game Geek offers a community age of 4+ too so my child is far from a prodigy it seems. I am surprised how often I have found my kids quietly playing with these. It is always nice to see and something I encourage as I love to hear the imagination of children and see into their magical little worlds.
Types of Rory's Story Cubes
Rory’s Story Cubes come in a variety of themes, the original set has a real mixture of symbols from a tortoise to a padlock to a castellated tower. Other sets are now available too which can be combined or played as their own set. Some sets are more themed and include Voyages, Mystery and Astro.
What is particularly good is that all these base sets have an RRP under £10. They can be topped up with three dice expansions, such as Fright and Powers which are under £5!
There are a few branded sets available too, such as Scooby Doo and Batman for keen young fans. If you are happy to stretch the budget over the £15 limit there are even some Max sized dice which are a bit bigger for those with less mobility or low vision.
Whichever set you get you are ultimately getting a handful of dice to encourage storytelling. You might think the average Zatu price of £8 for a set is too much for what you get. However, they are really good if you encourage, and join in with, the dice rolling at a young age like my family have. They also have the added advantage of getting children used to rolling lots of dice… great foundations for future gaming!
Final thoughts
Rory’s Story Cubes, like puppy dogs, are not just for Christmas. They would make an excellent present for when your child gets invited to the class birthday party. They could even be included in deluxe party bags. Or alternatively, the prizes for party games such as the centre of a pass-the-parcel. If you want to find out more about Rory’s Story Cubes check out Robert Wilde’s Zatu Review where they scored 85% last year.