Fortunately, Unfortunately is a story game: players build a story one sentence at a time, and each new sentence starts with “Fortunately” or “Unfortunately,” alternating, so the hero’s luck flips on every line. It needs nothing and no one has to look anywhere, so the driver can take a turn.
Here’s how the first minute of a real round sounds:
“A dog named Biscuit went on a road trip.” “Unfortunately, he was left behind at a gas station.” “Fortunately, a trucker offered him a ride.” “Unfortunately, the truck was full of cats.” “Fortunately, Biscuit had always wanted to meet a cat.”
The rules
- The first player opens the story in one plain sentence.
- The next player starts their sentence with “Unfortunately.”
- The next player starts with “Fortunately.” Keep alternating around the car.
- One sentence per turn. Your line has to follow from the one before it.
- After three laps, the player whose turn it is has to end the story, with either word.
Why it works better than a plain story chain
In an ordinary chain story, a quiet kid can freeze: the story could go anywhere. Here, the first word tells them the job. On an “unfortunately” turn, make things worse. On a “fortunately” turn, fix them. Having half of the decision made for them is what gets shy kids talking. For the open-ended version once they’re warmed up, move on to Story Chain.
12 opening lines
Opening lines matter, because a strong first sentence gives the whole car something to wreck. Use one of these:
- A family packed the car for the beach.
- A penguin decided to drive to Florida.
- Grandpa found a map in the glovebox.
- The car’s radio started talking back.
- A kid won a free trip anywhere in the world.
- The GPS said, “Turn left into the lake.”
- A cow got into the back seat at a rest stop.
- Mom bought the biggest pretzel in Ohio.
- The minivan grew wings.
- A dog learned to read road signs.
- The last gas station for 100 miles was closed.
- A dinosaur hitchhiked on Route 66.
Versions by age
Ages 5–6
An adult gives the “fortunately” and “unfortunately” at the start of each turn, and the kid finishes the sentence. Accept any sentence that makes sense. Short rounds: two laps.
Ages 7–10
Full rules. Let them pick the hero: the family dog, a sibling, the car. Put the hero in the back seat and it gets funny fast.
Teens and adults
Add constraints: every sentence must mention something visible outside the window, or the story has to end in the town you’re driving to. Adults playing without kids can try the speed version: three seconds per turn, and a pause means you’ve lost the round.
Tips for long drives
- The driver can take turns, but give the driver the easier word. Fixing the story is harder than wrecking it.
- Retell the best story at the next stop. Kids love hearing it back.
- Name the hero after something you just passed: a town, a truck, a cow.
When it stalls
If the story goes in circles, the “unfortunately” players are fixing the problems they made.
Add a rule: nothing can be undone, only made better or worse. If kids lose interest, jump to the ending early and start a new story with a new hero. For a game with a similar build-it-together feel and a list instead of a plot, try I Packed My Suitcase.
