Emoji Story

How to Play

Setup

1. Choose your format: virtual (chat, shared doc/whiteboard, or slide) or in-person (paper, sticky notes, or a whiteboard).
2. Explain the core rule: participants tell a short personal story using only emojis—no words, letters, or numbers. The group will then guess the meaning, and the creator will reveal the intended story.
3. Pick a prompt. Examples: morning routine, dream vacation, weekend recap, how I got into my career, a favorite hobby, a memorable trip, or a recent win. You can allow free choice or pick one theme for everyone.
4. Timebox creation: give 2–3 minutes for each person to craft a sequence of 6–12 emojis. Encourage clarity and creativity.
5. Decide reveal/guess flow: all post simultaneously and guess in turn, or present one at a time. For large groups, use breakout rooms of 5–8 people.
6. Optional: light scoring (e.g., 1 point to each correct guesser and 1 to the creator if at least half the group guesses correctly) to add friendly competition.

How to Play

1. Everyone creates their emoji story based on the prompt without using any words. Example: ☕️📱🚗🏢💻🍔💻🚗🏠😴.
2. Post stories simultaneously (virtual: hit Enter together; in-person: reveal boards at once) to avoid anchoring.
3. Guessing round: invite the group to interpret one story at a time. Ask for concise guesses (10–15 seconds each). Multiple guesses are welcome.
4. Reveal: the creator explains the intended meaning, optionally mapping emoji-by-emoji. A brief sentence or two is allowed here.
5. Rotate until everyone’s story has been guessed and revealed.
6. Quick debrief (1–2 minutes): call out fun patterns, surprising interpretations, or clever emoji choices.

Rules

1. Initial story must be emojis only—no words, letters, or numbers. GIFs and stickers are not allowed.
2. Aim for 6–12 emojis for clarity and pace.
3. Keep content respectful and work-appropriate; avoid sensitive or exclusionary topics.
4. No hints or clarifying gestures during guessing; reactions are fine.
5. Respect time limits: 2–3 minutes to create, 30–60 seconds per story to guess and reveal.
6. The creator’s intent is the official answer when interpretations differ.

Tips

• Encourage sequencing and repetition to show order or duration (e.g., 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️ for a long run).
• Use connectors like ➡️ or 🔁 to show progression or loops.
• If your platform allows, use reaction emojis to vote on guesses before the reveal.
• Share a quick emoji-picker shortcut (e.g., Windows key + . or Mac Control + Command + Space).
• For large groups, split into breakout rooms, then have each room showcase a favorite story to the whole group.
• Accessibility: allow participants to pair up or submit privately if they prefer; read out emojis during reveal for screen-reader users.

Variations

• Theme Roulette: spin a wheel to select the prompt each round.
• Two Truths and a Fib (Emoji Edition): each person posts three emoji stories—two true, one false. Guess the fib.
• Speed Round: 60 seconds to create, 15 seconds to guess per story.
• Collaborative Chain: one person starts with 2–3 emojis; each teammate adds 1–2 to continue the narrative.
• Scored League: track points over multiple meetings and celebrate creative MVPs.