Introducing Word Factory: a social wordplay game

How would you like to play a game which is free, you can play anywhere, can be ridiculously funny, and is super easy to play? Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Word Factory.

How to play

• You need at least 3 people.
• One person thinks of any word but doesn’t say it. “I’ve got a word, who’s got a word?”
• The second person thinks of another word but doesn’t say it. “Yeah! I’ve got a word too.”
• Both wait until they have their words, then say them out loud. “Delicious!” “Rockstar!”
• Finally, a third person (the “definer”) has to define a new word that somehow combines the two words, e.g. “Rockalicious!”, and use it in a sentence.

Some rules

• The source words have to be more than one syllable.
• If you have a word, WAIT until someone else has one in mind before you say yours. That way the word generation is independent.
• Pick a definer when people are choosing words.
• After the definer takes a shot, other people can jump in with alternate words and/or definitions. “Actually, ________ is…”
• If the words just don’t work after 20–30 seconds, toss them back and try again with new ones.

Tips

• It can be more fun if you use somewhat provocative words.
• It can be more fun if you’re drinking at the same time.
• Try verbs, adverbs, nouns, etc.
• It’s totally ok to just put both words next to each other, creating a new term.
• Be meta: You can use Word Factory output as the source words too.
• Word Factory is a great game to play when you’re waiting in line. Or drinking with friends. Or anytime really.

How to rope your friends into playing

• To start playing, think of a word on your own.
• Then point at one of your friends and say “Can you tell me a word with more than one syllable?”
• Then point at a third person and tell them to define a new combination word.

Some examples

Here are some words that came out of real Word Factory games.

• autopia — Automatic utopia. When life is firing on all cylinders without you doing anything.
• chastisnuggle — Awkward moment when two people on a date aren’t sure how far to take things.
• nonversation — That time when two people are forced to talk socially but have nothing to say except meaningless banter.
• hornocrite — Someone who criticizes you for questionable sexual behavior, but does the same thing themselves.
• burgatrauma — Eating burgers till you feel sick.

I’d love to hear new words and your definitions. Comment on this post with your gems! If you play enough, you might actually start using the words in real life…

Origins

Word Factory is a spinoff of another game I invented called the Metagame. The Metagame is a game of minigames, each one created by the players on the spot. I’ll do another post on that if I get enough interest.