Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest ones. That’s definitely the case with Rory’s Story Cubes (€9.99), a “visual storytelling game” made by Belfast-based company The Creativity Hub. Suitable for all ages, the small black box contains nine cubes with iconic images, from fish, sheep and rainbows to clocks, keyholes and fires.
The idea is to roll the cubes and create a tale based on the nine face-up images. It really is an almost infinite story generator: the makers reckon there’s in excess of 10 million possible combinations. In a world of all-singing, all-dancing, whizz-bang technology, it’s somehow reassuring to come across this elegant toy, which works as a spark for the imagination rather than an end in itself. But if you do feel like you need a cutting-edge version of the game, there’s an iPhone version of Rory’s Story Cubes now available.
Stockists include the best independent toy shops, such as Nimble Fingers in Stillorgan, Airfield Farm in Dundrum, Dublin 14, or Pinocchio in Cork. For a full list, see www.storycubes.com
