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Swede Racer

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Use my invite URL to register (this will give me kudos)
https://boardgaming.com/register/?invited_by=swederacer
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Fiasco

131 out of 138 gamers thought this was helpful

I hesitate to call Fiasco a “roleplaying game”. There’s definitely lots of roleplaying, but it’s only barely a game. It’s really more of a framework for collaborative impromptu storytelling, but that sounds pretty pretentious (and unwieldy) so never mind. Jason Morningstar covered the mechanics pretty thoroughly, so rather than rehash what he said, I’ll just add my own observations.

Infinite possibilities. The beauty of the setup phase is that it combines some randomness with player choices to create a unique experience every time you play. You can use the same playset a hundred times and tell a completely different story every time. And there are dozens of playsets available for free on the Bully Pulpit website (or you can create your own)!

Be prepared to lose. In most rpgs, the players are working together against some common foe. Obviously, backstabbing does occur sometimes and games like Paranoia rely on it, but for the most part, rpgs are cooperative. Fiasco relies on cooperation as well, but of a completely different sort. Players’ characters are usually not working together; everyone is ultimately out for themselves. But the players are all working together to create the most interesting, fun, and messed-up story that they can. You don’t go into a session of Fiasco expecting your character to come out on top. He almost certainly won’t, so it’s much more fun to fail in the most spectacular way possible.

Buckle up. Fiasco doesn’t use a GM. The players all work together to create their story and see it through to the end. The action is determined by the characters’ conflicting desires and anything can happen. That lack of structure can be nerve-wracking, but if you can get into it, it’s also exhilarating. Also, with no detailed rule system to help you determine whether you succeed or fail (or live or die), the players all have to trust each other to put the story above their own ego. It’s certainly not for all groups.

No muss, no fuss. Since there’s no backstory to write up, or stats to generate, Fiasco is a truly zero-preparation game. Just grab one of the many free playsets and go. The playsets don’t require any reading; they provide only the barest hint of a setting and situation. You’re in a remote Antarctic research station… action! You’re passengers on the Titanic, which has just hit an iceberg… take it away! It takes two to four hours to play through a session, so Fiasco is the perfect game for a busy group who just wants a fun, self-contained evening of play.

Gateway drug. Fiasco is a great game to play with non-roleplayers. There’s no massive rules manual to learn. It’s basically just a guideline for telling stories together.

In summary, Fiasco offers a fun, no-hassle roleplaying experience that’s unlike anything else out there. If your group values storytelling and roleplaying above crunchy mechanics and “winning,” then you should give it a try.

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