You will need: a coin, clear glasses of water for each player, red, yellow and blue food coloring in a bag.
Each player gives three details of the setting: Two tragic, one positive.
Draw a dye from the bag. Choose an archetype and replace the dye. If player's draw the same color use an unselected option. Create a character based on this archetype.
Red = The Hero, The Everyman, The Caregiver
Blue = The Ruler, The Magician, The Explorer
Yellow = The Outlaw, The Innocent, The Jester
Look left. You love this character. Why?
Look right. You hate this character. Why?
The player with the most recent breakup goes first. Who is your scene partner? Flip a coin.
Heads = Character you love
Tails = Character you hate.
Draw a dye. Put one drop into your scene partner’s water, then replace it in the bag. The color is your scene prompt. Mutually initiate the scene. After the scene, pass the bag clockwise.
Red: Passion
Orange: Betrayal
Yellow: Meeting
Green: Misfortune
Blue: Argument
Purple: Heartbreak
Brown: Violence
Black: The End
When a player’s water turns Black the game ends. Have each character end their story based on their current color.
Thanks to Eli Kurtz and Cameron Evesque Davis and Alyson Mierzejewski for their playtesting help. Also thanks to William Shakespeare for the inspiration of tragic love among archetypal characters. The plays too I guess. They are brilliant. Thanks, Will!