JOKESTICK

The birthday present that's about them.

Bring the in-jokes out.

JOY

Whose birthday is it, and what are they known for?

Jokestick turns your group's stories into a video game they play on their phones. Nothing you type here leaves your browser. See a whole game

The birthday present that's actually about them.

Not a mug. A video game where they're the main character and everyone they love is in it, doing the thing they always do. Twenty minutes of your stories, three days of our work, and a group chat that doesn't stop.

Then the trailer drops in the group chat. No explanation.

A Hollywood voice, their nicknames read out like a cast list. Two days later, the game. Then the chat doesn't stop for an hour, and nobody can work out how you knew about the tongs.

A made-up chat about a made-up group. Yours will be worse.

Make one for your lot

Every game gets a trailer.

A proper movie-trailer voice. Your group's story, told like it's the film of the year. This one's for the Joneses, a family we made up for Christmas Eve at Auntie Val's.

Sound up. The voice is the point.

What actually happened.

Trevor's school mates, the night their reunion game landed in the group chat. Our first game, so yes, they're friends of ours. Word for word.

  • Ah this is killing me 🤠

    one of the lads, a school reunion game

  • Crying here, that is great

    one of the lads, a school reunion game

  • It's quality

    one of the lads, a school reunion game

  • Gets better and better

    one of the lads, a school reunion game

  • Trev that is class

    one of the lads, a school reunion game

  • Was crying

    one of the lads, a school reunion game

Birthday games we keep making.

In your game they're your people, doing the exact thing they always do. Each story becomes a level.

  1. LEVEL 1

    The birthday dance

    A rhythm game in their kitchen, graded S to D. They get a D. They think it's an S.

  2. LEVEL 2

    The holiday story they tell every year

    Keep everyone awake while they tell it. Again. In full.

  3. LEVEL 3

    The one who never says what they want for their birthday

    Whack them every time they pop up. "Oh, anything."

Big Phil Turns 50 is a made-up family. Yours is the real thing. Two minutes, sound up, any phone.

How it works

  1. Tell Joy the stories

    About twenty minutes on your own phone. Talk or type. Nobody else finds out.

  2. We build the game

    Every story becomes a level, a stat or a running joke. One of us plays it all and reads every line before it gets to you.

  3. The trailer goes first

    A trailer with a proper movie-trailer voice, telling your group's story. Drop it in the chat a day or two before. Let them stew.

  4. Then the game

    Drop the link with no explanation, or open it at the table. Any phone, no app. Watch their faces.

  5. Take the credit

    Somebody has to have made it. That's you. Enjoy that for the rest of the year.

Pick your edition

Same box, different sizes. Pick by how many of you there are.

One price, everything in. No account, no app. One of us plays every chapter and reads every line before it reaches you, and if we got a fact wrong, we fix it.

Make their birthday game.

Tell us roughly how many people are in it and when the do is, and we'll email you a private link to Joy. Nothing to pay yet.

The person being teased should laugh hardest. No health, money troubles or secrets told in confidence. Anyone in a game can have it taken down.

Joy, winking.

Optional. It tells us how long we've got.

Which edition?

We'll only use your email for your game. How we look after it.

Questions

Can it be for a milestone birthday?

That's most of them. 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th: the game becomes a tour of the decades, and every chapter is a story from one of them.

Do they need to download anything?

No. It's a link. It opens in the browser on any phone, tablet or computer. Best played sideways, with the sound up.

How long does it take?

Twenty minutes with Joy, then up to three days for us to build it, play it and read every line. Order a week before the do and you're comfortable. Less than four days is tight, and we'll say so before you pay.

What if I can't remember the stories?

That's Joy's job. Most people start with "he's always late" and stop there. Joy asks how late, what the excuse was and what the group chat said, and that's where the jokes are. You can stop and come back whenever you like.

Will anyone find out before I send it?

Not from us. Only you talk to Joy, on your own private link. Nobody sees anything until you send it.

Can I see it first?

Yes. It comes to you first and you choose when to send it. Got a fact wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.

Do I need to send photos?

No. You describe everyone and we build them from that: the hair, the glasses, the coat they never take off. You can use a photo if you'd rather. It's read once and deleted straight away.

What won't you put in a game?

Anything that would hurt rather than make them laugh. No health, sex, crime, money troubles or secrets told in confidence, no exes, and nobody under 18 is the butt of a joke. If we leave something out, we'll tell you and offer a gentler version.

What happens to my stories?

They're used to make your game, then deleted 30 days after we deliver it. The privacy notice has the detail.

Big Phil Turns 50, a sample game

Make one