Exquisite Corpse Variations

Exquisite Corpse refers basically to any number of art games where the intent of the original artist is obscured but the work is continued by the next artist.  The intent of the original can be obscured to different extents.

Variant 1.
Set a Group Down (limit group sizes, 8 max?)
Give each person a piece of paper
Set a timer for an interval of anywhere between 30 seconds and 2 minutes (1 minute is ideal?)
Each person draws on the paper
when the timer is up, rotate the papers clockwise/counterclockwise.  Repeat the timer
When the papers rotate through the whole group, you are done
Each person tells a story based on what's going on in their drawing

Evaluation:  Having more control on how you want to contribute to the piece is a plus with this version.

Variant 2.  (Variant 1 but with a single large piece of paper)
Sit a group of four down, one to each side of the paper
Set a timer for an interval of anywhere between 30 seconds and 2 minutes (1 minute is ideal?)
Each person draws on their side of the paper.  At the start you may opt to decide whether or not one side is up, could be fun, could be frustrating.
when the timer is up, rotate the single paper sheet clockwise/counterclockwise.  Repeat the timer
Rotate x number of times or until the paper looks full
Each person picks out from among the images a chain that makes a story or interesting connection.

Evaluation:  You get real time on what other people are working on and this allows you to complement or counterpoint what they are working on if you choose.

Variant 3.
Sit a group down (limit group sizes to how many folds in the paper you make, probably?)
Give each person a piece of paper
 Fold your paper into sections so that you can only see one section at a time (Maybe in fourths?)
Set a timer for an interval of anywhere between 30 seconds and 2 minutes (1 minute is ideal?)
Each person draws on their section of paper
when the timer is up the artist fold the paper so that their drawing cannot be seen except for the edge.
rotate the papers clockwise/counterclockwise.  Repeat the timer
The new artist continues drawing from the lines on the last paper
When the papers rotate through the whole group, you are done
Each person tells a story based on what's going on in their drawing

Evaluation:  More truly random associations and juxtapositions arise, oh the pleasant surprises!


Variant 4.  "Picture Consequences" (Variant 3 but with a rule that it's a drawing of a person.)

Sit a group down (limit group sizes to how many folds in the paper you make, probably?)
Give each person a piece of paper
 Fold your paper into sections so that you can only see one section at a time (Maybe in fourths?)
Set a timer for an interval of anywhere between 30 seconds and 2 minutes (1 minute is ideal?)
Each person draws on their section of paper
when the timer is up the artist fold the paper so that their drawing cannot be seen except for the edge.
rotate the papers clockwise/counterclockwise.  Repeat the timer
The new artist continues drawing from the lines on the last paper
When the papers rotate through the whole group, you are done
As a last step, a player may label the drawing, still unseen, with someone's name.
Each person tells a story based on what's going on in their drawing

Evaluation:  The surprise factor is not as potent as in variant 3 but there is some coherency to what you're working on, maybe pleasant for a group that hasn't done exquisite corpse before?

Variant 5.  like the game Telephone, this is all about sequential mutation.

Sit a group down.
Cut or rip 8.5x11 pages into equal sizes, and give each person in the group the same number of papers as there are people in the group.
Have each person number their papers one through whatever number of people are in the group.
give each person an accordion strip, have them number the pages on one side left to right.
Each player is only allowed to look their own sheet and the number preceding it.
person 1 writes a sentence. rotate papers clockwise/counterclockwise.
person 2 draws to depict what's happening in the sentence.  rotate.
person 3, seeing only person 2's drawing, writes a sentence describing what's happening in the drawing.  rotate
person 4, seeing only person 3's sentence, draws to depict what's happening in the sentence.  rotate
follow the pattern.
When the end of the paper is reached, look at the whole strip and share with the group what hilarious mutations have occurred.

Evaluation:  This is probably the funniest, there's surprise and also pattern recognition when looking at the bizarre results.  What was on everybody's minds?