The Wave: A Game-generating Game

The Wave: A Game-Generated Game by RoboBonoboWhat if a game did not begin with rules?What if it began with a blank shore, a strange vision on the water, and the question: what kind of game wants to exist?The Wave is a playful, imaginative game-making system for curious people, creative groups, classrooms, families, writers, artists, and anyone who has ever wanted to invent something new but did not know where to start.Part storytelling game, part design workshop, part creative ritual, The Wave guides players through the process of building an original game from scratch. Instead of handing you a finished world, it gives you the tools to discover one: its boundaries, actions, moods, goals, surprises, and strange little rules that make it feel alive.Players begin on a desert island, perfectly happy—until something appears in the waves.From there, the game unfolds through the WAVE system:World — What are the rules, limits, spaces, and possibilities?Action — What can players do, and how does the world respond?Vibes — Is this game calm, rowdy, light, serious, silly, eerie, competitive, cozy, chaotic, or something in between?End — What does the game move toward: a win, a discovery, a creation, a relationship, a moment, an answer?Unlike ordinary game design books, The Wave does not simply explain how games work. It invites you to make one—through choices, prompts, tables, rituals, reflections, and unexpected creative turns.Inside, you’ll find a flexible system for generating:board gamescard gamesparty gamesstorytelling gamesclassroom activitiescreative exercisescollaborative art gamesstrange little games that do not fit any category yetPerfect for creative workshops, game nights, classrooms, convention panels, writing groups, families, and solo idea-building, The Wave is designed to make invention feel less intimidating and more like play.You do not need to be a game designer.You do not need to know the rules.You only need to look toward the water and ask:What is coming in on The Wave? Read more