Photograph:
https://www.atlas-games.com/onceuponatime/#core, Atlas Games
Once Upon a Time
Created by: Richard Lambert, Andrew Rilstone, and James Wallis
Contributors: Unknown
Published by: Atlas Games, 2015
Genre: Card Game, Party Game
Number of Players: 2-6 Players
Play Time: 30 minutes
Keywords
Storytelling, Fairytale, Cards, Story, Collaborative, Game, Storyteller, Classroom, Education, Narrative
Short Description
Once Upon a Time is a family-friendly game where the players create a story together using the cards. The game can be more mature based on the players in the game. One player, the Storyteller attempts to create a story using the cards. Other players try to interrupt the Storyteller and become the new Storyteller.
Once Upon a Time – How to Play
Themes
Fairy Tales, Humor, Fantasy
Types
Storytelling, Party, Thematic
Mechanics
Storytelling, Interrupting, Hand Management, Collaborative
Key Components
- Cards – The cards are used to tell a story in the game and there are two types: “Once Upon a Time” cards and “Happy Ever After” cards. Each player is dealt one “Happy Ever After” card and several “Once Upon a Time” cards.
Photograph: https://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG1030, Atlas Games
Annotated Bibliography
“Once upon a Time: The Storytelling Card Game.” BoardGameGeek, https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/123d4/once-upon-time-storytelling-card-game.
Board Game Geek describes the game Once Upon a Time. The game is played in around 30 minutes and is rated for ages 8 and up. The game came out in 1993 and has produced a couple different editions since that time. There can be 2-6 players total to play this game. The game creates a story with all of the players utilizing the cards. The cards include elements from different fairy tales. The story in the game is created by using the information on the cards. In the game, one of the players is the Storyteller and this player attempts to create a story using the details on the cards. The Storyteller attempts to lead the plot of the story to their ending. The role of the other players is to interrupt the Storyteller. The other players try to become the new Storyteller. The aim is to have one of the players get rid of all their cards and use their “Happy Ever After Card.” The intended audience for this source is anyone who needs to know how to play the game, Once Upon a Time. Therefore, this is a helpful resource is creating a library guide for this game.
Atlas Games. “Once upon a Time.” Atlas Games, https://www.atlas-games.com/onceuponatime/.
Atlas Games produced the game, Once Upon a Time. This source summarizes the game, Once Upon a Time. It is a card game. The game is a collaborative story telling game which are based on classic fairy tales. The source gives an overview of the game. The game is family friendly. The theme of the game can be for all ages or can be more mature depending on the players in the game. The game is to be played by telling a story using the elements from the cards. The goal is to try to point the conclusion of the story towards your ending. The card game has been given many different awards. The intended audience of this source is individuals wanting to know how to play this game. Although written for people learning to play this game, this is a great source in learning the rules of the game for the library guide.
Schatt, Donna, and Patrick Ryan. “Smart Storytelling.” Book Links, vol. 24, no. 4, Apr. 2015, pp. 33–38. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=f6h&AN=102449772&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Authors, Donna Schatt and Patrick Ryan discuss various storytelling tips in the classroom. The article points out that storytelling used to be a common practice, however the teaching model began to decrease when educational practices moved towards a industrial model. The research in this article that was being done showed various results that are beneficial. According to the reading, children and adults who were exposed to repeated storytelling sessions had more involvement in creating narrative. These individuals were also able to search well-constructed narratives in both reading choices and spoken-word choices. This is written for educators, both higher education and K-12. It is useful and valuable for the library guide to show how storytelling techniques can be helpful in the classroom setting.
Turner, Bret. “Building Classroom Community Through Storytelling: For One Elementary Teacher, Weaving a Tale with His Students Created Unexpected Connections.” Educational Leadership, vol. 76, no. 1, Sept. 2018, pp. 72–76. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=f6h&AN=131744397&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
This source explores the role that storytelling plays within a classroom environment. In order to help build community in the classroom, the source describes that storytelling helps to illustrate and develop academic skills. The article points out that the connect is literacy, recapping, summarizing, and predicting. The story told during storytelling is a means to prepare basic and advanced literacy strategies and skills. From the storytelling in the classroom, natural academic extensions occurred in various writing assignments to math and science related work. The article also discussed how storytelling has allowed opportunities for current events, which can be hard to share in the classroom. The article pointed out how as a class they could co-develop characters that were part of a shared narrative. This article is written for teachers teaching grades K-12. While it does apply to teachers, this remains a great resource showing how storytelling can offer games like Once Upon a Time can be beneficial.
Astiz, M.Fernanda. “Storytelling in the Higher Education Classroom: Why It Matters.” College Teaching, vol. 68, no. 4, Oct. 2020, pp. 187–88. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.uwgb.edu/10.1080/87567555.2020.1785382.
This source describes why storytelling matters, specifically in the context of a Higher Education Classroom. The author points out that narrating a story has benefits. The source discusses how storytelling opens various possibilities for engagement in interpretative processes and relational interactions. Additionally, the author points out that narrating a story provides humans a position to feel, empathize, and process experiences, their own and of others. The article, in short describes that if storytelling is grounded in thought, it can guide to questioning and foster critical thinking. Storytelling is still highly contested according to the reading in higher education. The reading points out that both information by professors as well as speakers on campus, readings in class, and campus activities all tell a story. Hence, telling your own story in the classroom shouldn’t be a reluctancy. This reading is aimed at college professors, aiming to integrate storytelling back into higher education. This is useful for writing the library guide because of it value of information on the benefits of storytelling.