RUEN

Papers

A short-form game where the audience writes phrases on slips of paper before the show. Two performers pocket three slips each, play an open scene, and at any moment pull one out to read aloud as their character's own line — then justify and weave it into the story. Also known as Paper Chase or Pockets.

Players

2–8

Difficulty

Beginner

Full description

Setup and Launch

Before the show, ask the audience to write short, conversational phrases on separate slips of paper — anything goes. Collect them in a visible container (hat, bowl, bag). When the game starts, get a location or profession from the audience. Two performers each draw three slips, fold them without reading, and tuck them into a pocket.

Also known as Paper Chase, Pockets, or Sentences — same core game, different names.

Play

  1. Scene start. Set the circumstances (location or profession). The performers begin a normal scene, building a relationship and establishing stakes before touching any slips.

  2. First slip. When the moment feels right, one performer pulls a slip from their pocket, reads it aloud as their character's own words, and immediately justifies it within what's already been established. The partner yes-ands the new reality and helps weave it into the scene.

For example: two characters are in an ox-drawn cart debating math. A performer draws a slip that says "Goats." Instead of adding a random goat attack, they fold it into the narrative — "Only old goats argue about Fourier transforms" — keeping the scene's thread alive.

  1. Development. Performers alternate between their own lines and slips, keeping the story's logic and emotional arc intact. Draw slips as needed — don't front-load them all at once, don't hoard them for a big finish. Share initiative evenly.

  2. Finish. End the scene when the slips are used up or the story reaches a clear turn or resolution. The next pair takes the stage with fresh circumstances and new slips.

Key rules

  • Don't peek: slips stay folded in your pocket and come out only at the moment you speak. This keeps the surprise genuine — for you, your partner, and the audience.

  • Say it as your character, not as yourself. No meta-commentary, no air quotes, no "my grandma always said" deflection. Read the slip and immediately own and justify it within the scene's reality.

  • Scene first, slip second: stay locked on your partner and the relationship. Listen, react, build — then reach for a slip when the scene can absorb it, not as an escape hatch from a quiet moment.

  • Pace your slips: don't burn them all in the first minute and don't stockpile them for a finale. Spread them out, share initiative, let each slip land and breathe before drawing the next.

  • Never cancel what's established: every slip adds to the scene's reality through yes-and. Thread the new line into the existing narrative rather than bolting on something unrelated.

Context

🧺 Cart