When you spread out a handful of Storymatic Synapsis game cards on the table, something magical happens — strangers start creating worlds together. At our Cool, Comms, Collected storytelling workshop, this simple deck becomes a bridge between imagination and communication.

Here’s how it works: each group starts with one SPARK card that sets the tone — maybe it’s a young adult novel or a news headline. Then come two RIFF cards with the key words (like shadow and wolf), and two CONNECT cards that show how those words interact — something like looked like or smelled of. Put it all together, and your group might come up with a sentence like:

“The shadows looked like wolves.”

That’s your story seed. Next, three ASK cards guide your group through the who, why, and what next — questions like Who saw the wolves? or What happens when they step out of the shadows? Before you know it, people are collaborating, laughing, debating, and weaving a shared narrative.

But Synapsis isn’t just a storytelling game — it’s a communication exercise in disguise. It teaches you to listen, to build on others’ ideas, and to express your own creativity clearly. You learn that storytelling isn’t just for books or movies; it’s how we explain ourselves, connect with others, and find common ground.

And here’s the deeper part: storytelling isn’t just fun — it’s one of the oldest ways humans make sense of the world. Long before email and social media, people gathered around the fire, passing down experiences, teaching values, and forging identity. Deep in us is this impulse to share, interpret, connect. Synapsis helps us tap that ancient part again, especially in a room of mixed ages — from teens to retirees. It removes the pressure to “be perfect” and gives us a playful structure to experiment, to ramble, to discover.

Throughout the game, participants practice the spirit of “Yes, and…” — a classic principle from improv that means accepting what someone else offers and then adding to it. Instead of shutting down ideas with “no” or “but,” we learn to stay open and curious. It’s a small phrase with a big impact, shifting conversations from competition to collaboration.

One participant shared after the workshop,

“I realized storytelling isn’t just about imagination — it’s about understanding how my words land with others. It helped me speak with more confidence and listen with more curiosity.”

And that’s the real magic — discovering that everyone, no matter their age or background, has a story worth telling. Sometimes, all it takes is one spark, a few words, and the courage to say, “Yes, and…”

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Activity Spotlight: Try Synapsis at Home

Want to bring this creative spark into your living room, classroom, or office?
Here’s a quick way to play:

1. Draw one SPARK card (the source), two RIFF cards (the main words), and two CONNECT cards (the link between ideas).
2. Combine them into a single sentence — your story seed.
3. Use three ASK cards to explore what happens next.
4. Keep the “Yes, and…” rule in play — build on each other’s ideas instead of judging them.

You’ll be surprised by how much you learn about others — and yourself — when you give your imagination permission to play.