Story Showdown
Two six-word stories enter. Choose the one that stays with you. Your choice gives the winner one ordinary like and the other story one ordinary dislike, directly shaping the same rankings used everywhere on the site.
Edited by Doug Weller · Editorial standards
Which one stays with you?
Finding two fresh contenders…
Keyboard: press 1 or 2, or use Tab then Enter.
How Story Showdown works
- Read both stories.Scores stay hidden so popularity cannot make the choice for you.
- Choose one winner.The winner receives a normal like. The other receives a normal dislike.
- Get a fresh pairing.You will not be asked to judge a story you have already voted on.
Why compare stories head to head?
A single story can be difficult to judge in isolation. A direct comparison asks a simpler question: which set of six words made the stronger impression? That quick instinct supplies the same positive and negative judgments used by the Rising, Top and Divisive rankings.
Pairings favor stories with fewer reader judgments, giving overlooked work a fair chance to be seen. Scores are revealed only after a choice. You can also skip any pairing without affecting either story.