Incipit

Incipit, a captivating narrative game created by Italian YouTubers Nicola Palmieri and Mario Palladino, known as Redez and Synergo from Quei Due Sul Server (QDSS), is a unique party game designed to spark imagination and foster collaborative storytelling. Published by Asmodee Italia, this board game combines physical components with a digital app to deliver a dynamic, humorous, and endlessly creative experience. By providing players with the starting point of a story—its incipit—and using dice to guide the narrative, Incipit transforms players into co-authors of fantastic, ironic, or bizarre tales. This article explores the origins, mechanics, appeal, and cultural impact of Incipit, revealing why it’s a standout in the world of storytelling games.

Origins and Vision

Incipit, meaning “it begins” in Latin, draws inspiration from the literary concept of an incipit—the opening words or lines that set the tone for a story. Launched in 2021, the game was born from the creative minds of Palmieri and Palladino, who sought to move beyond their YouTube channel’s focus on video games and create a tabletop experience that encourages creativity and social interaction. Their goal was to craft a game that simplifies storytelling by providing the hardest part—the beginning—while letting players’ imaginations run wild. Distributed by Asmodee Italia, Incipit has gained traction for its innovative approach, earning praise on platforms like BoardGameGeek and DungeonDice.it for its ability to “unlock hidden creativity”.

Available in both physical and digital formats, Incipit includes a companion app for iOS and Android, which enhances gameplay with additional narrative prompts and game modes. The app also fosters a community where players can share, vote on, and create their own incipits, ensuring the game evolves with its players. This blend of analog and digital elements reflects Incipit’s modern take on storytelling games, making it accessible yet deeply engaging.

Gameplay Mechanics

Incipit is a cooperative game for two or more players, recommended for ages 14+, with games lasting 15–30 minutes. The core components include 12 dice, each featuring six archetypal or real-world images (72 total), and a rulebook with sample incipits. The Incipit App adds thousands of narrative prompts and alternative game modes like Insania and Tempus Fugit, enhancing replayability.

The game begins with one player, chosen randomly, selecting an incipit—either from the rulebook, the app, or one they create. Examples include: “Amedeo wins a massive lottery but dies immediately. His ghost refuses to leave until he spends his fortune” or “On a stormy night, a terrifying earthquake swallows a small farm”. The player to their right chooses and rolls one of the dice, using the resulting symbol (e.g., a crown, a tree, or a spaceship) to continue the story. Used dice are set aside, ensuring each of the 12 dice is used once. The player who rolls the final die must conclude the story, creating a satisfying arc.

The Incipit App introduces dynamic game modes:

• Insania Mode: The app generates a random event that players must incorporate into their story segment, adding unpredictability.
• Tempus Fugit Mode: A timer (15–90 seconds) limits how long players have to tell their part, creating pressure and hilarity. If a player can’t finish, the next continues from where they left off.
• Freemode: Players roll as many dice as desired and create custom rules, offering maximum flexibility.

With over 2 billion possible dice combinations, Incipit ensures every story is unique, ranging from epic fantasies to absurd comedies. The app also allows players to write and rate incipits, fostering a global community of storytellers.

Why Incipit Captivates

Incipit’s appeal lies in its simplicity and boundless creativity. By providing the incipit, it removes the daunting task of starting a story, making it accessible to players of all ages and experience levels. The dice serve as creative prompts, guiding but not restricting imagination. This balance ensures that both shy and outgoing players can contribute, whether crafting a touching drama or a laugh-out-loud farce.

The cooperative nature fosters social bonding, as players laugh at unexpected twists or applaud clever connections. The game’s short duration and flexible player count make it ideal for party settings, family gatherings, or classroom activities. The tactile joy of rolling dice and the digital integration via the Incipit App create a modern yet nostalgic experience, appealing to fans of storytelling games like Rory’s Story Cubes or Once Upon a Time.

The app’s community features—sharing and voting on incipits—add a social dimension, encouraging players to engage beyond the table. This interactivity, combined with the game’s portability (just dice and a smartphone), makes Incipit perfect for travel or impromptu sessions.

Educational and Social Benefits

Incipit is a powerful tool for education and social development. It enhances creative writing skills, encouraging players to think narratively and structure stories with a beginning, middle, and end. For children, it builds language skills, vocabulary, and confidence in self-expression. In classrooms, teachers use Incipit to teach storytelling, collaboration, and critical thinking, as players must connect their segments cohesively.

The game also promotes empathy and listening skills, as players build on each other’s ideas. For adults, it serves as a creative outlet, reducing stress and sparking inspiration—some even find ideas for novels or scripts, as noted on GameStop.it. In therapeutic settings, Incipit can Encourage self-expression and group bonding, particularly for those hesitant to share personal stories.

Cultural Impact and Community

Incipit has cultivated a niche but enthusiastic following. Online communities on YouTube, Reddit, and the Incipit App share stories and incipits, with players praising its ability to “liberate fantasy”. Its creators, Redez and Synergo, leverage their QDSS platform to promote the game, connecting with fans through social media and live events. The game’s Italian roots and global availability (in 12 languages) give it a unique cultural footprint, blending humor with universal storytelling appeal.

Reviews on sites like ilgiocointavolo.it highlight Incipit’s replayability and cooperative spirit, calling it “unlike other storytelling dice games” for its ready-made incipits. Its presence in board game cafés and schools underscores its versatility, while fan-created incipits on the app keep the game fresh.

Conclusion

Incipit is a celebration of imagination, blending the tactile charm of dice with the limitless possibilities of collaborative storytelling. Its innovative use of incipits, dynamic game modes, and vibrant community make it a standout in the party game genre. Whether you’re a child weaving a fairy tale or an adult crafting a sci-fi epic, Incipit invites everyone to become a storyteller. As Nicola and Mario’s creation continues to inspire, Incipit proves that every end is just another beginning for a new story.