Every idea starts at take zero.
A creative game for people who tell stories. Short rounds, idea cards, a dry guide called Zero and honest critics. You leave with an idea you made.
“Hi. I’m Zero. Let’s get past the obvious.”
- Opening Shot
- Clue Hunt
- The Cliché Jar
- Collision
- Pressure Cooker
- One Line
- The Screening Room
- It’s a Wrap
Where ideas get stuck.
Six things creators tell us. Take Zero has a round for each.
- 01Opening Shot · Clue Hunt
“I don’t know where to start.”
The blank page is loud. “What’s your passion?” makes it louder.
Forty seconds, no deleting, then small curiosities that lead to a seed you actually want.
- 02Cliché Jar · Collision
“My first idea is everybody’s first idea.”
The obvious idea arrives first, for everyone, and it feels like yours.
Drop the obvious ones in the jar on purpose. Then collide what’s left with something far away.
- 03Brief Rewrite · Find the Villain
“They gave me a brief and nothing else.”
The request is rarely the real need, and everyone answers it the same way.
Sieve out the fluff, name the real obstacle, find what the idea is against.
- 04Diagnosis · Plus It
“It’s fine. It’s also flat.”
Something is holding it back, and “make it better” doesn’t say what.
Rival diagnoses, you pick the one you can act on, then one weak link at a time.
- 05Moonshot ×10 · First Small Bet
“The ambition is huge. The first step isn’t.”
Big ambitions stay big when nothing says what to do this week.
Say it ×10, name the shakiest condition, and leave with one small bet for this week.
- 06The Screening Room
“Nobody tells me the truth.”
Friends are kind. Chatbots agree. Neither tells you what’s wrong.
Critics each test one thing and give one note and one plus. Never a score. You decide.
Where are you right now?
Pick one. Each starts where you are.
- 001
I have nothing
I want to make something of my own, but I have no idea what.
Opening ShotClue Hunt
- 002
I have a brief
Someone asked me to make something. I don’t have the idea yet.
Brief RewriteFind the Villain
- 003
I have a draft
I have an initial idea, but I don’t know how to make it better.
DiagnosisPlus It
- 004
I have a big idea
I have a big ambition. I need a direction and a first step.
Moonshot ×10First Small Bet
Three Acts, about eight minutes each
Or Quick: the essential rounds in about ten minutes. Every round ends with something kept.
Zero’s notes at the end of every Act
An expert read and an improved version. Take it, edit it or ignore it. The next Act builds on your choice.
Rest days never break the streak
Levels unlock new cards, not pressure. No leaderboards, no guilt, no streak threats.
Get past the obvious.
Drop the obvious ideas in the jar. Collide what’s left with something far away. Try the first half here.
“Tap the obvious ones. I’ll hold the lid.”
The Cliché Jar · 0 of 6
Not another AI
that answers for you.
Most AI tools hand you an answer. Take Zero asks the questions that get you past the first one.
Nell: “What’s the version only you could make?”
| An everyday AI app | Take Zero |
|---|---|
| You ask a question and get an answer. | You play a round and make a card. |
| The AI writes. You edit. | You write. The AI provokes. |
| Everything it says sounds good. | Honest notes: one diagnosis, one plus. Never a score. |
| You get the same obvious idea as everyone else. | The obvious goes in the jar first, on purpose. |
| It never tells you to stop. | About eight minutes an Act. Rest days built in. |
| You leave with a block of text. | You leave with an idea, a promise and one next step. |
Honest notes. Never a score.
Zero reads each Act and can offer a version of his own. The critics each test one thing and give one note and one plus. You decide what to keep.
NellOriginality
Has it been done? What is only yours?
“I’ve seen this forty times this year.”
Their plusThe gap only this work could fill
Made for people who tell stories.
Film & TV
Scripts, shorts, series
Writing
Novels, short stories, essays
Creators
Videos, podcasts, social
Marketing & brands
Campaigns, ads, brand stories, pitches
Not for you if you want an AI to write it for you, or want to be told your idea is great. Not a brain-training app.
Straight answers.
Pim has never read your notes. So we kept these plain.
- Does the AI write my idea?
- No. Zero provokes and the critics diagnose; you write every card. Zero’s version at the end of an Act is optional, and you can edit it or ignore it.
- Is it for beginners?
- It’s for anyone who tells stories. The four journeys start from where you are: nothing, a brief, a draft or a big idea.
- How long does it take?
- About eight minutes an Act, three Acts to a journey. Or Quick: the essential rounds in about ten minutes.
- Will it make me more creative?
- We don’t promise that. We promise practice on real story material, and an idea you made yourself at the end.
- Can I play it now?
- It’s an invite-only beta for now. If you have an invite, log in to your Efforma account and play: all four journeys. If not, leave your email below and you’ll hear once, when more people can start.
Your first take is waiting.
It takes about eight minutes. You don’t need an idea yet. Take Zero is an invite-only beta. Have an invite? Log in and play. If not, leave your email and you’ll hear once, when more people can start.
