Red Wood Forest · A game to play together
The Shop of
Slightly Inconvenient Magic
Useful things. Peculiar instructions.
Help three customers to win together. Choose an item, work around its catch, and explain your plan.
01 · Choose
One customer.
One item.
Read the request. Choose one of the three items on its shelf.
02 · Plan
Keep the catch.
Suggest a solution in up to three steps. Use only the equipment and magic listed.
03 · Check
Earn a stamp.
Check the plan together. Help all three customers to complete the game.
Who’s this for, and what do we practise?
Adults and teens playing with friends, a partner, or a small group. An educator or facilitator can read the prompts aloud. No acting experience needed.
You’ll compare options, explain why a plan could work, and change it when somebody spots a problem. A trolley can carry blankets, but its noise matters when the customer needs quiet.
All actions are imaginary. Speak, write, or draw your plan. Anyone can pass, ask for help, or use a hint.
Roles, turns, and the shop rules
- Customer: reads the request and checks whether the plan meets it.
- Shopkeeper: reads the items and checks their rules.
- Assistants: the remaining players. Each can suggest one idea or pass. The customer chooses a plan, combining suggestions if helpful.
Everyone may suggest ideas, including the shopkeeper. Rotate roles after each customer. Choose your player order before starting; the board assigns numbered roles.
Use exactly one magical item per customer. You may move, tie, push, or carry the listed equipment. Don’t add new people, spells, or equipment, and don’t remove an item’s catch.
The shopkeeper cannot add surprise rules. If a plan needs an unspecified detail, revise it so that detail isn’t needed. Every customer has at least one solution using the printed information.
If a plan doesn’t fit, revise it or try another item. You can set a customer aside and return later. There’s no penalty for hints or another attempt.
There are three customer rounds. With four to six players, swap the speaking roles on your next game so everyone can try them.
Your shop’s stamp card
You have:
2. Tell us your plan.
Take turns offering one idea each. The customer picks a plan. Say it aloud or write up to three steps here.
We need a hint.
Show one possible solution.
Using this example still counts. Explain why it follows the rules before taking your stamp.
3. Check it together.
Tick each statement only when your group agrees. The page records your checks; it doesn’t judge your plan.
Choose an item and agree on all four checks to earn a stamp.
Your plan is kept here while you visit the other customers.
Three customers helped
You’ve won together.
The cake is delivered, the cloud is asleep, and the invitations are dry. Time to turn the sign to CLOSED.
Optional: give one item a one-sentence customer review.
“Cake arrived safely. Basket was rather forward about the frosting.”
Keep our plans or start again
Notes stay on this page only. Copy before leaving or reloading.
Clear all notes and stamps?
Play from the cards
The interactive board hasn’t loaded. You can still play aloud. Open a customer below, choose one item, and check your solution against the request and printed rules. Count one stamp per customer; three stamps wins.
A cake across the stream
Please get this cake to my friend on the other bank. Keep it dry, upright, and in one piece.
- The stream is 4 metres wide. Nobody can safely wade or jump across.
- The customer is on this bank. Their friend is on the other and can catch or unload anything that reaches them.
- Two mushrooms are beside the customer. There is no time limit.
You have: Cake on a flat board · small wheeled trolley · 10 metres of rope
The Ticklish Bridge
Unfolds across a gap up to 5 metres wide. Holds one person or a loaded trolley. Catch: Footsteps make it wobble. Wheels do not.
The Complimenting Basket
Carries the cake upright through the air to a visible place up to 10 metres away. Catch: Shouts one compliment when loaded. Takes off only after somebody says “thank you.”
The Sociable Boots
Carry their wearer across a gap up to 5 metres in one smooth stride. The wearer can carry the cake. Catch: Must greet every mushroom within sight before moving. Each greeting takes 10 seconds.
Hint
The cake needs to cross. The customer doesn’t necessarily need to cross with it.
One possible solution
- Load the cake into the Complimenting Basket.
- Let it compliment the icing, say “thank you,” and point to the friend.
- The basket carries it across upright. The friend takes the cake out.
Check your plan:
- The cake reaches the friend dry, upright, and whole.
- Our plan uses exactly one item from this shelf.
- We follow its ability and catch as printed.
- We use only the people, surroundings, and equipment listed.
Please don’t wake the cloud
Please deliver these three folded blankets to the cupboard. Keep them folded and let the cloud sleep.
- The open cupboard is 6 metres down the hallway. It is visible from the shop doorway.
- Every footstep or wheel on the hallway floor makes it creak.
- The cloud wakes at any speech, singing, humming, or creak inside the hallway. Sounds in the shop cannot be heard from there.
You have: 3 folded blankets · customer waiting in the shop
The Complimenting Basket
Holds all three blankets. Floats silently to a visible place up to 10 metres away and lands gently without unfolding them. Catch: Compliments each blanket when loaded. Takes off after “thank you.” Makes no sound after takeoff.
The Humming Trolley
Carries all three blankets without unfolding them. Moves when pushed. Catch: Its wheels hum while turning. Its weight also makes the hallway floor creak.
The Helpful Slippers
Let their wearer carry the blankets without making the floor creak. Catch: Sing loudly with every step.
Hint
Where can you load the item and give its starting instruction without waking the cloud?
One possible solution
- Load the blankets into the Complimenting Basket while it is in the shop.
- Wait for all three compliments. Say “thank you” in the shop and point to the open cupboard.
- The basket floats through the hallway silently and lands inside the cupboard with the folded blankets.
Check your plan:
- All three blankets reach the cupboard, still folded.
- No waking sound is made inside the hallway.
- We use one magical item and keep its printed ability and catch.
- We use only the people, surroundings, and equipment listed.
Invitations in the rain
I need to take these invitations to the gathering room. Keep them dry. I need both hands to hold the tray level.
- The gathering room is 8 metres away along a clear outdoor path. It is raining steadily. The customer must leave now.
- Nobody else can carry the tray. The invitations must stay on it.
- The customer and tray fit beneath any umbrella on this shelf. All three keep rain off whatever is beneath them while open.
You have: Tray of paper invitations, currently inside the shop · coat with a strong shoulder loop
The Applause Umbrella
Floats above its user, keeping them and the tray dry for the whole journey. Catch: Opens only after 3 claps. Stays open until asked to close.
The Shy Umbrella
Keeps its holder and the tray dry while open. Catch: Needs one hand to hold it. Closes whenever anybody looks at it.
The Clingy Umbrella
Its handle grips the coat’s shoulder loop securely, keeping the customer and tray dry with both hands free. Catch: Refuses to let go until someone says, “You did a lovely job.”
Hint
Prepare the item before picking up the tray. Which umbrellas leave both hands free during the walk?
One possible solution
- While the tray is still inside the shop, clap three times to open the Applause Umbrella.
- Once it is floating overhead, pick up the tray with both hands.
- Walk to the gathering room under the umbrella, keeping the tray level.
Check your plan:
- The invitations arrive dry and stay on the tray.
- The customer holds the tray with both hands throughout the walk.
- We use one magical item and keep its printed ability and catch.
- We use only the people, surroundings, and equipment listed.