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Build complex worlds that probe the edges of the galaxy and delve into possible futures with this 60-card sci-fi writing prompt expansion for The Story Engine Deck. These sci-fi prompts are designed for science fiction writers and tabletop RPG storytellers, and will allow you to create stories and environments filled with aspiring astronauts, alien encounters, strange planets, time travel, and machine intelligence.
How Story Engine's Prompts Help With Sci Fi Writing & Gameplay
The Science Fiction Prompt Expansion can be used to create over 100,000 diverse writing prompts that go beyond the ordinary, and assist you in creating fascinating sci-fi storylines that push the boundaries of the genre. Whether you want to explore space story ideas, devise a society of virtual reality hackers, or examine the dangers of scientists playing god, this writing prompt expansion is the ideal tool for realizing your science fiction ideas.
The sci-fi genre enables creators to approach important and challenging themes from the present-day perspective, from systematic oppression, capitalism, and artificial intelligence to disease and digital loneliness. This deck of science fiction writing prompt cards will provide sci-fi inspiration for your own exploration of those themes, and spark wonder, sadness, imagination, fear, and hope for your audience!
This sci fi prompts deck includes:
- 12 Agents (futuristic characters)
- 12 Engines (motivations or goals)
- 12 Anchors (objects or settings)
- 12 Conflicts (obstacles or dangers)
- 12 Aspects (descriptions or details)
- A guide booklet to help you learn how to best use this prompt deck
Combine all five of these different card types to get inspiration, break free from writer's block, and kickstart your own amazing science fiction story ideas.
By combining all the five different card categories together, you have the potential to create 100,000+ prompts.
Dark, dystopian sci fi writing prompts like: A radical chemist wants to topple a government with an addictive, black-market truth serum, but it will start an explosive war.
Hopeful, epic sci fi writing prompts like: A gifted cadet wants to discover an uncharted, disappearing, and alien world, but they will lose their connection to humanity in their mission.
Strange, intriguing sci fi writing prompts like: An anomalous gamer wants to communicate with an alien planet through an experimental self-aware algorithm, but it will make them a fugitive on Earth.
How to start telling a speculative sci-fi story with this writing prompts deck
Click to learn more.
The best sci-fi ideas revolve around an inventive core premise that says something about the modern day through the lens of futuristic technology:
Use the five different types of cards to collect the writing prompts needed to find inspiration and get your creative juices flowing to write your next sci-fi story or tabletop RPG campaign:
- Writing prompt: A blacklisted gene splicer wants to change the future with an alien organism from a distant planet, but it will introduce a dangerous technology to their dimension.
- Writing prompt: A reckless CEO decides to change the past with an advanced time travel machine, but it will make their universe's timeline dangerously unstable.
- Writing prompt: An escaped science experiment wants to track down a set of coordinates to reach, but it will mean joining someone from the enemy to do so.
You can build out your story from your writing prompt into a tabletop RPG campaign, a novel or book premise, a short story, a screenplay concept, and more.
Why sci-fi story writers love it:
- Bespoke writing prompts designed specifically for creating inventive science fiction plot ideas and worlds for your readers.
- Instant ideas to banish writer’s block, find imagination, and dream up new stories for your next novel.
- Level up your writing skills and launch interstellar characters and conflicts.
- Hundreds of thousands of writing prompt combinations, so you never run out of ideas or new ways to write your epic saga.
- Combine with other Story Engine expansions to create unexpected genre mash-ups, or add sci-fi elements to an existing story.
Why sci-fi game masters use it:
- Prep playable stories and one-shots ready for your sessions or devise prompts at the table for on-the-fly storytelling.
- Generate new science fiction NPCs in seconds.
- Keep players guessing with unexpected sci-fi twists.
- A beautiful, functional, and elegant compact box of prompts that’s easy to carry and store - whether you’re playing at a friend’s house, a local cafe/store, or at a convention.
- Built to last, with cards printed on heavy 350gsm illustrated artpaper.
What deck users are saying
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"...built to fuel the creative fire within Dungeon Masters, writers and teachers"
—Forbes Magazine
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"I've found this to be very useful while writing."
—Jamie McKelvie, creator of The Wicked + The Divine
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"I use them for plotting and love them."
—Aliette de Bodard, Nebula Award-winning author
Complete the set
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"Starter" Story Prompts Expansion Set
Regular price $54.99Regular priceUnit price per$60.00Sale price $54.99Sale -
"Curio" Story Prompts Expansion Set
Regular price $54.99Regular priceUnit price per$60.00Sale price $54.99Sale
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The Story Engine Deck
"All-Story" Bundle
What makes sci-fi story ideas great?
Click to learn more.
Excellent sci-fi plot ideas, worlds and stories can transport people to far off futures or different realities, as well as tackle deep themes and topics, and consider how human life could evolve further - whether for good or ill. Sci-fi has the potential to create both optimistic and pessimistic ideas of the future, inspiring wonder or sadness. This is what makes it a genre with such great storytelling potential for both creators and their audiences, and is why this collection of sci-fi writing prompts is so fun and useful.
FAQ
How do I use The Story Engine Science Fiction Writing Prompts Expansion?
You can use this expansion to create ideas for your sci-fi novel or TTRPG campaign, which you can further develop into a full story. You do this by drawing one card from each of the five main categories - Agents, Engines, Anchors, Aspects, and Conflicts - and combining their different elements to form your story prompt.
How to start writing a science fiction story?
You can start writing your sci-fi story by devising some strong concepts or ideas to base your story on. Using The Story Engine Science Fiction Writing Prompts Expansion will help you conjure up a selection of imaginative ideas to flesh out into a complete narrative.
Why is sci-fi so hard to write? And how do you find good sci fi plot ideas?
Sci-fi can be a challenging genre to write thanks to the fact that it heavily relies on a strong and innovative core concept to succeed. You can find tons of good sci-fi plot ideas using the cards from The Story Engine Science Fiction Writing Prompts Expansion, which can create over 100,000 different ideas to choose from.
What are some good sci-fi story themes?
Good sci-fi story themes are often derived from important, current day topics that are then explored through the lens of speculative (not-yet-created) technology. For example, you could write a story about the need for human connection, by introducing a protagonist who pays the price of leaving their family and friends behind in the name of discovery.