⏮️Before or after

Setup and Launch

Get a neutral suggestion from the audience — a place, an event, a relationship. Bring out a duo or trio. They play a base scene lasting 60–120 seconds: establish who, where, and what clearly, then build to one strong turning point. No time jumps before the first cut.

Explain the canon rule: everything established in the base scene stays true for the rest of the game. After each cut the audience picks a time direction. Agree on how they'll vote (shout, applause, show of hands) and what your cut signal is (host clap, light or music cue).

Flow

The cycle repeats until the story feels complete or lands on a natural resolution. The host keeps the timeline clear and the pace of cuts brisk.

1. Base scene. Let it reach its turning point, then cut sharply. Quickly name 1–2 canon facts out loud — names, location, the key action — so everyone is on the same page.

2. Time choice. Ask the audience: "Before or after?" Call their decision out loud so players and audience hear it: "Going earlier" or "Going later."

3. "Before" scene. Show the causes and setup behind the events. Fill in circumstances, plant details that pay off later — but never contradict what has already been established.

4. "After" scene. Play out consequences and raise the stakes. Lean on callbacks to details the audience already knows. The fun here is seeing how far the ripples go.

5. Editing and pace. Keep each chunk to 45–90 seconds. If bits start repeating or energy dips — sharp cut, new time vote. Don't let a segment overstay its welcome.

6. Reset. When a storyline is spent, grab a fresh suggestion from the audience and launch the next base scene with a new pair or group.