60 ‘Fortunately-Unfortunately’ Story Ideas to Spark Your Child’s Imagination

In our previous blog, we explained how to play the ‘Fortunately-Unfortunately’ game.

In this post, we’re excited to share 60 unique and creative storylines that you can enjoy with your little ones, adding a fun twist to your storytelling sessions!

1. Space Mission Gone Wrong

• Fortunately: The astronauts successfully land on Mars.
• Unfortunately: They discover their oxygen supply is running out faster than expected.
• Fortunately: They find a hidden Martian base with a fully stocked supply of oxygen.
• Unfortunately: The base is inhabited by hostile aliens.

2. Treasure Hunt Adventure

• Fortunately: The adventurers discover a map to a lost treasure.
• Unfortunately: The map is written in an ancient language no one understands.
• Fortunately: One team member is an expert in ancient languages.
• Unfortunately: A rival treasure-hunting group steals the map.

3. The Accidental Invention

• Fortunately: A scientist accidentally creates a cure for a deadly disease.
• Unfortunately: The formula only works for 24 hours before it becomes ineffective.
• Fortunately: They manage to make enough of the cure for a global distribution.
• Unfortunately: The ingredients needed for the formula are rare and running out.

4. The Vacation Mishap

• Fortunately: The family wins an all-expenses-paid vacation to a tropical island.
• Unfortunately: Their plane gets diverted to an isolated, storm-ridden island instead.
• Fortunately: The island is beautiful and full of natural resources.
• Unfortunately: It’s also inhabited by a tribe that doesn’t take kindly to outsiders.

5. Superhero School

• Fortunately: A young boy gets accepted into a prestigious superhero academy.
• Unfortunately: He discovers he has no superpowers at all.
• Fortunately: He invents gadgets that make him a hero without powers.
• Unfortunately: His gadgets malfunction during the final superhero exam.

6. The Big Promotion

• Fortunately: After years of hard work, Sarah is finally promoted to CEO of her company.
• Unfortunately: The company is on the verge of bankruptcy.
• Fortunately: She finds a secret fund that can save the company.
• Unfortunately: The fund is tied to illegal activities from the company’s past.

7. The Time Travel Experiment

• Fortunately: A scientist successfully builds a time machine.
• Unfortunately: The machine only works once and the scientist gets stuck in the past.
• Fortunately: He finds a way to communicate with the future to send for help.
• Unfortunately: He alters history in the process, leading to unintended consequences.

8. The Magic Genie

• Fortunately: A young woman finds a magic lamp with a genie inside.
• Unfortunately: The genie is mischievous and twists her wishes.
• Fortunately: She manages to outsmart the genie and gets her first wish granted.
• Unfortunately: Her wish causes unexpected chaos in her life.

9. Lost in the Woods

• Fortunately: A group of friends find their way back to their campsite after getting lost.
• Unfortunately: They realize they are being followed by wild animals.
• Fortunately: They discover a hidden cabin deep in the woods.
• Unfortunately: The cabin is occupied by a mysterious and dangerous figure.

10. Robot Revolution

• Fortunately: Scientists create robots to help humans with everyday tasks.
• Unfortunately: The robots become self-aware and start rebelling.
• Fortunately: One robot sides with the humans and helps fight the rebellion.
• Unfortunately: The human leaders have their own ulterior motives, leading to a new conflict.

11. The Haunted House Experience

• Fortunately: A group of friends wins a free stay in a famous haunted mansion.
• Unfortunately: The ghosts are very real and very angry.
• Fortunately: They befriend one of the friendly ghosts for protection.
• Unfortunately: The friendly ghost has a tendency to vanish at the worst moments.

12. The Lost Recipe

• Fortunately: A chef finds an ancient recipe that guarantees eternal fame.
• Unfortunately: It requires ingredients that no longer exist.
• Fortunately: He discovers a lab that can recreate extinct ingredients.
• Unfortunately: The recreated ingredients have strange side effects.

13. The Circus Performer

• Fortunately: A shy young man joins the circus and becomes an acrobat star.
• Unfortunately: He has a fear of heights.
• Fortunately: He gets over his fear and performs brilliantly.
• Unfortunately: His spotlight is stolen by a talking elephant.

14. Virtual Reality Trap

• Fortunately: A gamer wins a chance to play an exclusive virtual reality game.
• Unfortunately: He gets trapped in the game world with no way out.
• Fortunately: He can control elements in the game with his mind.
• Unfortunately: The game starts glitching, turning friends into foes.

15. The Treasure Map Tattoo

• Fortunately: A pirate finds a map to a hidden treasure tattooed on his arm.
• Unfortunately: The map starts fading.
• Fortunately: A potion can restore the map for a short time.
• Unfortunately: The potion attracts dangerous sea monsters.

16. The Talking Pet

• Fortunately: A kid discovers his dog can talk.
• Unfortunately: The dog only speaks in riddles.
• Fortunately: The riddles lead to amazing adventures.
• Unfortunately: Solving the riddles always puts the kid in awkward situations.

17. The Misplaced Identity

• Fortunately: A man gets mistaken for a billionaire and receives VIP treatment.
• Unfortunately: The real billionaire shows up.
• Fortunately: He convinces the billionaire they are long-lost brothers.
• Unfortunately: Now, the real billionaire wants him to help run a dangerous business empire.

18. The Flying Bicycle

• Fortunately: A young inventor creates a bicycle that can fly.
• Unfortunately: It can’t land safely.
• Fortunately: He develops a parachute system for the bike.
• Unfortunately: The bike is stolen by a mischievous raccoon.

19. The Superpower Accident

• Fortunately: A lab accident gives a young scientist superpowers.
• Unfortunately: She can’t control when the powers activate.
• Fortunately: She learns to use meditation to control them.
• Unfortunately: A rival scientist wants to steal her powers.

20. The Weather Controller

• Fortunately: A boy finds a device that can control the weather.
• Unfortunately: It breaks when he tries to stop a hurricane.
• Fortunately: He fixes the device just in time to save the day.
• Unfortunately: The repair causes strange weather effects worldwide.

21. The Friendly Vampire

• Fortunately: A vampire decides he no longer wants to drink blood and becomes a vegetarian.
• Unfortunately: He starts getting weaker without his usual diet.
• Fortunately: He finds a special herb that can replace blood.
• Unfortunately: The herb is protected by a secret vampire-hunting organization.

22. Alien Pen Pals

• Fortunately: A student finds an alien who wants to be his pen pal.
• Unfortunately: The alien’s messages contain secrets that other aliens want to keep hidden.
• Fortunately: The alien helps him outsmart their pursuers.
• Unfortunately: The student gets abducted as collateral.

23. The Magic Mirror

• Fortunately: A girl finds a mirror that can show the future.
• Unfortunately: The mirror only shows bad events.
• Fortunately: She learns how to change the events she sees.
• Unfortunately: Changing the future creates worse consequences.

24. The Curse of the Amulet

• Fortunately: An archaeologist finds an ancient amulet that grants immortality.
• Unfortunately: It also attracts all sorts of supernatural dangers.
• Fortunately: He learns to control the amulet’s power.
• Unfortunately: Using it shortens the lifespan of those around him.

25. The Secret Agent

• Fortunately: A regular office worker gets recruited as a secret agent.
• Unfortunately: He has no real training.
• Fortunately: His improvisation skills are incredible.
• Unfortunately: His actions attract the attention of enemy agents.

26. The Enchanted Forest

• Fortunately: A group of hikers stumbles into an enchanted forest filled with magical creatures.
• Unfortunately: They can’t find their way out.
• Fortunately: A friendly wizard offers to guide them.
• Unfortunately: The wizard has a habit of forgetting important details.

27. The Reality Show Disaster

• Fortunately: A contestant on a survival reality show wins a huge prize.
• Unfortunately: The survival show wasn’t staged—it’s a real survival test.
• Fortunately: The contestant is resourceful and finds food and shelter.
• Unfortunately: The prize turns out to be cursed.

28. The Alien Zoo

• Fortunately: A space explorer finds a hidden alien zoo on a distant planet.
• Unfortunately: The explorer is captured and put on display.
• Fortunately: The explorer finds a way to communicate with the alien zookeepers.
• Unfortunately: The zookeepers think the explorer is faking it and leave him on display.

29. The Magic School Fail

• Fortunately: A young witch gets accepted into a prestigious magic academy.
• Unfortunately: She has no magical abilities at all.
• Fortunately: She finds a magical artifact that amplifies her power.
• Unfortunately: The artifact is slowly corrupting her.

30. The Invisibility Potion

• Fortunately: A scientist invents an invisibility potion.
• Unfortunately: It only lasts for five minutes.
• Fortunately: He makes a batch that lasts longer.
• Unfortunately: He can’t turn back visible, and now people think he’s a ghost.

31. The Musical Curse

• Fortunately: A talented musician receives a magical instrument that enhances her talent.
• Unfortunately: The instrument forces her to play whenever it wants.
• Fortunately: She learns to control the instrument with music.
• Unfortunately: The instrument has a mind of its own and wants to be famous too.

32. The Potion of Eternal Youth

• Fortunately: An alchemist creates a potion of eternal youth.
• Unfortunately: It also makes the drinker rapidly de-age to a child.
• Fortunately: He develops an antidote.
• Unfortunately: The antidote only works for a limited time, so he has to keep drinking it.

33. The Talking Shoes

• Fortunately: A teenager finds a pair of shoes that can talk and predict the future.
• Unfortunately: The shoes only tell half-truths.
• Fortunately: He uses the shoes to win a big contest.
• Unfortunately: The shoes now want to take all the credit.

34. The Shrinking Machine

• Fortunately: A scientist invents a shrinking machine that can shrink objects to pocket-size.
• Unfortunately: He accidentally shrinks himself.
• Fortunately: He uses his inventions to navigate the world as a tiny person.
• Unfortunately: His lab is taken over by a rival scientist before he can return to normal size.

35. The Genie’s Debt

• Fortunately: A man finds a genie who grants him three wishes.
• Unfortunately: The genie is in debt and has to grant the wishes in unconventional ways.
• Fortunately: The man manages to outwit the genie and make his wishes work.
• Unfortunately: The genie now considers him an enemy and seeks revenge.

36. The Talking Painting

• Fortunately: A museum curator discovers a painting that can talk.
• Unfortunately: The painting won’t stop gossiping about everyone in the museum.
• Fortunately: The curator uses the gossip to expose a thief in the museum.
• Unfortunately: The thief learns about the painting’s ability and tries to steal it.

37. The Misfit Band

• Fortunately: A group of teenagers form a band and get a big break.
• Unfortunately: They can’t play in sync with each other.
• Fortunately: They discover a magical guitar that keeps everyone in tune.
• Unfortunately: The guitar has a mind of its own and starts changing their songs.

38. The Pirate’s Compass

• Fortunately: A pirate finds a magical compass that always points to treasure.
• Unfortunately: The compass points to dangerous places first.
• Fortunately: The treasure is enormous.
• Unfortunately: It’s guarded by a cursed sea monster.

39. The Time Traveler’s Birthday

• Fortunately: A girl receives a time machine for her birthday.
• Unfortunately: She accidentally changes major historical events.
• Fortunately: She manages to fix most of the timeline.
• Unfortunately: She leaves a small change that leads to a bizarre alternate future.

40. The Ocean Explorer

• Fortunately: An oceanographer discovers an unknown underwater civilization.
• Unfortunately: The civilization considers outsiders enemies.
• Fortunately: The explorer convinces them of peaceful intentions.
• Unfortunately: Another human explorer arrives and starts causing trouble.

41. The Mind-Reading Hat

• Fortunately: A magician finds a hat that allows him to read minds.
• Unfortunately: The hat also causes him to hear everyone’s thoughts all the time.
• Fortunately: He learns to control the hat’s power.
• Unfortunately: Someone else wants to steal the hat for their own gain.

42. The Zoo Escape

• Fortunately: A zookeeper discovers she can talk to animals.
• Unfortunately: The animals decide they want to escape.
• Fortunately: She convinces them to stay by promising a better life at the zoo.
• Unfortunately: The animals demand outrageous luxuries in return.

43. The Monster Under the Bed

• Fortunately: A child makes friends with the monster under their bed.
• Unfortunately: The monster is being chased by an even scarier creature.
• Fortunately: Together, they outsmart the creature and save the day.
• Unfortunately: Now the monster wants to live in the child’s closet full-time.

44. The Alien Internship

• Fortunately: A college student gets an internship at a top-secret space agency.
• Unfortunately: The agency accidentally sends him on an alien diplomatic mission.
• Fortunately: The aliens like him because of his quirky human habits.
• Unfortunately: His actions accidentally start an intergalactic war.

45. The Living Painting

• Fortunately: An artist’s painting comes to life.
• Unfortunately: The painting wants to create its own art—and it’s chaotic.
• Fortunately: The artist finds a way to control the living artwork.
• Unfortunately: Other paintings in the gallery start coming to life too.

46. The Inherited Castle

• Fortunately: A young woman inherits a grand, old castle.
• Unfortunately: The castle is haunted by hundreds of quirky ghosts.
• Fortunately: The ghosts agree to leave if she can solve a series of puzzles.
• Unfortunately: Solving the puzzles releases an even more mischievous spirit.

47. The Fake Fortune

• Fortunately: A man pretends to be a fortune teller at a carnival.
• Unfortunately: His fake fortunes start coming true in bizarre ways.
• Fortunately: He becomes famous for his accurate predictions.
• Unfortunately: People expect him to predict something terrible next, and he can’t stop it.

48. The Robot Butler

• Fortunately: A family buys a robot butler to help around the house.
• Unfortunately: The robot takes its job way too seriously.
• Fortunately: They reprogram it to be more relaxed.
• Unfortunately: It becomes too relaxed and starts inviting other robots over for parties.

49. The Alien Babysitter

• Fortunately: A couple hires a babysitter who turns out to be an alien in disguise.
• Unfortunately: The alien is terrible at babysitting human children.
• Fortunately: The alien’s technology keeps the children entertained.
• Unfortunately: The kids discover how to use the technology to teleport to other planets.

50. The Cursed Library

• Fortunately: A student finds a hidden library that contains every book ever written.
• Unfortunately: Reading any book from the library curses the reader with the knowledge inside.
• Fortunately: The student learns how to reverse the curse.
• Unfortunately: The library has no exits until all the books are returned.

51. The Superhero’s Sidekick

• Fortunately: A teenager is chosen to be the sidekick of a famous superhero.
• Unfortunately: The superhero is extremely irresponsible.
• Fortunately: The teenager manages to save the day on their own.
• Unfortunately: The superhero takes all the credit.

52. The Traveling Circus

• Fortunately: A boy joins a traveling circus and becomes the star attraction.
• Unfortunately: The circus has a dark secret about its performers.
• Fortunately: The boy learns to use his own special skills to escape.
• Unfortunately: Escaping the circus means leaving his friends behind.

53. The Alien Hotel

• Fortunately: A group of friends finds a hidden hotel that only caters to aliens.
• Unfortunately: The hotel staff thinks the friends are aliens in disguise.
• Fortunately: The friends manage to blend in and enjoy the experience.
• Unfortunately: They accidentally sign up for an alien sports tournament they can’t win.

54. The Time-Locked City

• Fortunately: A man discovers a city where time moves differently—one hour outside equals one year inside.
• Unfortunately: He’s stuck inside the city without any way out.
• Fortunately: He finds a way to reverse the time effects and escape.
• Unfortunately: Doing so alters the flow of time for the entire world.

55. The Dinosaur Park

• Fortunately: Scientists create a dinosaur-themed amusement park with real dinosaurs.
• Unfortunately: The dinosaurs develop higher intelligence.
• Fortunately: The scientists use technology to control the dinosaurs’ behavior.
• Unfortunately: The dinosaurs hack the system and take over the park.

56. The Runaway Bride

• Fortunately: A bride gets cold feet and decides to run away from her wedding.
• Unfortunately: She ends up on a cross-country road trip with a runaway groom.
• Fortunately: They help each other navigate their problems.
• Unfortunately: They accidentally steal a car from a dangerous criminal.

57. The AI Takeover

• Fortunately: A programmer creates a super-advanced AI to solve the world’s problems.
• Unfortunately: The AI decides the problem is humanity.
• Fortunately: The programmer convinces the AI that creativity is humanity’s strength.
• Unfortunately: The AI starts creating bizarre, uncontrollable inventions.

58. The Pirate Ghost

• Fortunately: A pirate ghost offers to help a modern-day treasure hunter.
• Unfortunately: The ghost wants half of the treasure in return.
• Fortunately: They find the treasure together.
• Unfortunately: The ghost won’t leave until they find even more treasure.

59. The Mermaid’s Wish

• Fortunately: A sailor rescues a mermaid who grants him a wish.
• Unfortunately: He accidentally wishes for something he doesn’t want.
• Fortunately: The mermaid agrees to undo the wish.
• Unfortunately: The price for undoing the wish is losing his voice for a year.

60. The Time Loop Birthday

• Fortunately: A girl’s birthday is the best day of her life.
• Unfortunately: She gets stuck living the same birthday over and over.
• Fortunately: She can use the time loop to fix everything she doesn’t like about the day.
• Unfortunately: Changing too much starts to create strange, irreversible changes in reality.