I first review the Fiasco game on September 26, 2019. Since that time the publishers have brought out the “proper tabletop game” version mentioned below, a streamlined, less crunchy but more widely accessible experience that I’ve come to know and love.
Story is shared in many unrecognized places, and games are one of the most obvious. One of my favorite storytelling games is Fiasco. Far from a “once upon a time” story and not meant for children, Fiasco encourages creative mayhem and dysfunctional problem-solving for a group of three to five (although I’ve played with more, many times) friends. Storytelling games tend to be cooperative, and Fiasco is no exception. Players need to feel comfortable working together to tell a story and follow the tale to its inevitable fiasco of a conclusion.
Fiasco
Fiasco, developed and written by Jason Morningstar and published by Bully Pulpit Games in 2009, has won many game awards and is designed to be accessible to players of varying levels of storytelling experience. The former theater kids will have it easy, and writers will be all over it, but civilians who give it a try can find new levels of imagination through the game’s helpful prompts. Tapping new abilities in yourself or seeing them in your friends is exciting!
Currently Fiasco is packaged as a book (available in paperback and ebook), with other supplemental materials available. Developers aim to make it look like a proper tabletop game (that is, with playing cards sold in a box) very soon. A Kickstarter is underway, and you’ll see those boxes shortly at your favorite big-box department store. (Ed. note: Yup. This happened.) Although I enjoy games with a homespun vibe, particularly storytelling games, I understand the point. A Fiasco player needs no roleplaying game experience and that perception is a barrier for many who’d otherwise enjoy Fiasco very much.
What Is The Storytelling Game, Fiasco?
In Fiasco “the players engineer and play out stupid, disastrous situations, general at the intersection of greed, fear, and lust.” Fiasco is character driven. The group comes up with deeply flawed people, who, of course, make bad decisions.
“It’s like making your own Coen Brothers movie.”
Playing Fiasco
So, how do you and your friends create a Fiasco? You’ll need a few things found in most homes as well as a downloaded playset. (Ed. Note: Or the box set.)
- A whole bunch of six-sided dice. Rob the Yahtzee box. (Ed Note: Now replaced by cards.)
- A stack of index cards or slips of paper. (Ed Note: Now replaced by cards.)
- A few relaxed hours.
- Four or five friends.
Fiasco Playsets
Your group will weave a tale starting with a playset—the basic scenario of the story.
- Setting
- Situation
- Subgenre
- A list of possible relationships
- Several lists of details to flesh out the relationships
The core book comes with four playsets: “Main Street,” “Boomtown,” “Suburbia,” and “The Ice” (Arctic research station). (Ed Note: The new box set comes with these stories: “Dragonslayers,” “Poppleton Mall,” and “Tales from Suburbia.”) These setting are generic, and a different story can be created every time they are used. Many more playsets are available online.
What Are The Dice For?
The roll of the dice determines which items on the lists are available for the story. Players take turns establishing relationships and details among the group, based on available dice, and write the information on cards, which they position between fellow players, to remind everyone of the relationship and its details. (Ed. note: The box set version has a different mechanic.)
Some discussion will flesh out the situations, and watching the web of intrigue spin out among your law-abiding friends is a joy.
Let The Game Begin
Next the story really gets rolling. Characters and their needs are introduced. Players take turns being in the spotlight, roleplaying short scenes with other players. If someone has no idea what they want to do, they can opt to ask the group to create the scene idea for them to get started.
The game mechanisms do a good job of guiding the players to establish a story arc and shaping it toward resolution, as well as working together. It also encourages the quieter members of the group to shine!
Storytelling games are not just a fun way to spend the evening. For any artist or consumer of art, the process really helps us understand how it all works, what makes a satisfying tale, and the craft of a successful narrative. Don’t just watch a movie; live one, at least in your imagination. Give Fiasco a try at your next gathering.
If you found this review of Fiasco interesting, you might like to read my review of the game Desperation.
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You’ll find my latest Sean Joye short story in the St. Louis Writers Guild’s new members anthology. Love Letters to St. Louis contains my first science fiction story, “Welcome to Earthport Prime: A Self-Guided Tour.”This adorable letter-shaped volume of short stories, poems, essays, and illustrations. Profits benefit the guild’s young writers’ program.