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Last active May 15, 2026 23:31
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async-frankenpigeon.md

asynchronous frankenpigeon

A conlanging game for perhaps 3-5 players, suitable for a shared editable document.

  • All players edit a shared document.
  • At the top of the document is the "word bank": for each player, there is a list of between 0 and 5 words. For example, it might look like:
Alice Bob Carol
vara zenzi sip
kog bogglo
dip kakarime
ja chul shtu
e sip
  • Players may add words to other player's lists whenever they want, up to the limit of 5 words in each list. They may not add to their own list.

  • A player may take a turn whenever their word list has the full 5 words in it.

  • To take a turn, a player writes an utterance into the document.

  • The utterance is in a made-up language that grows as the game goes on: the player can use words from their own list, plus any words they've already heard from other players. Using proper nouns (such as players' names) is always allowed.

  • Whenever Alice puts a word on Bob's list, two decisions occur collaboratively. Alice decides the form of the word, and Bob decides its initial meaning. However, neither of these decisions are final. The word's form may change (all players are allowed to abbreviate, decline, conjugate, and compound it) and its meaning may change through its use in other utterances.

  • The utterance can be as short as a single word, or it could be as long as a handful of sentences. The first few moves of the game are likely to be extremely simple.

  • The player should delete words from their wordlist when they use them in an utterance. Now that the word is in at least one utterance, it is free for anyone to use.

  • To express the meaning of an utterance, the player can insert drawings, photographs, clip-art etc., into the document, or use emoji, but not English words.

  • "Viossa rules apply": translation to or from English is forbidden for in-game communication. It is absolutely allowed in a player's own notes. Differences in spelling of the same word from player to player is not discouraged.

  • The game ends when someone can express something like "The game ends now", "We are done playing", "Shall we stop?"

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