Anyone can play a Social Matrix Game. The rules are extremely simple and try to follow what people do naturally when they communicate. Basically players just say what happens next. These "moves" add up to a complete story. When the players have solved the problem of the game, the game ends.
Games start with a scenario. Someone will input the scenario to the web page start the game. Any person viewing the page can play. A scenario consists of a title, a picture (optional), a short scenario description of the situation, and a problem the players need to solve to end the game.
There is no order of play. When a player gets an idea, they start typing in "Write a move". Moves can be up to around 100 words. When they are done, they hit "Submit move". This copies the move to "Assess a move" where the other players get to react to it before it becomes officially part of the game. The can do the following.
Challenge: This subject the move to a 50/50 die roll. If it fails then it gets a line through it. Each person in the game may call for a challenge so a move might need to survive many 50/50 rolls. If it passes, it happens. Once a move has been challenged it cannot be overwritten.
Replace it: This puts a line through the last move and allows the player to write what happened instead.
Respond: The player may write a one line reaction to the move.
Players get to express opinions about the move that do not affect the game. They get to say if they like or dislike, think it is strong (likely to happen), weak (unlikely to happen), or stupid (just shouldn't happen").
Submit assessed move: When you get an idea for the next move push this button. It ends assessment and makes the move an official part of the game. Then go and write the next move in "Write a move".
End the game: When you think the problem of the game has bee solved push this button. Each player gets a chance to write a short piece on what happened and what they learned. When that is done someone needs to push "Erase game" to clear the table so it is ready for the next game