Here's a game that's tons of fun and will sharpen your wits and hone your imagination. The 54 images were made by Rory O'Connor of Ireland, a trainer in creativity and creative problem-solving. They can be used to find answers or decisions in an indirect and ingenious way.

Originally Rory put the images on the faces of a Rubik's Cube, and players would turn the Cube to scramble the images, then choose one side to play with. Kate Jones of Kadon Enterprises suggested putting the 54 images on 9 separate cubes, to allow for fasters ways to generate more varied combinations, including conceptual puzzles. Rory readily agreed, having considered the 9-cubes idea himself. At a creativity conference held at Kadon headquarters in May 2004, a prototype was quickly made, and in 2005 Kadon launched the cubes version of Rory's Story Cubes.

Every jumbo 1" cube has 6 images or icons, with a total of 54 all-different hand-inlaid images that can be mixed in over 10 million ways. You will roll all 9 cubes to generate 9 random images and then use these to invent a story that starts with "Once upon a time..." and uses all 9 elements as part of your narrative.

Play it as a game for at least one player, or as a party game for three or more. Or try it as an improv game where each player contributes part of the story, picking up where the last one left off. Win points for speedy delivery, inventiveness, imagination, drama and humor.

Full instructions comes with several other ways to use the cubes to solve problems, break up writer's block, enhance your imagination and heighten your ability to find unifying themes among the diverse images. Interpret or get at the meanings of your answers faster. It's easy, fun, and mind-stretching.

As a puzzle these cubes will really give your imagination a work-out. You will practically feel both sides of your brain dancing. The challenge: Put the 9 cubes into a 3x3 square. Now inspect the cubes in any one row and turn them so their tops have something in common. Do this for each of the 3 rows. Explain your picks, or challenge another player to identify the element they share. More than one answer can be right, and there are thousands of possible combinations.

Rory's Story Cubes are recommended for all ages over 8, though it's fun to watch a younger child make combinations with the cubes and make up stories.