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Fiasco

Boxed Set
A GM-less game of ambitious plans and poor impulse control
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modern
GM-LessOne-Shot FriendlyRules-LightNarrativeCollaborativeDramaFiction-FirstLow-Prep
Languages: English, French, German, Spanish
Diced6
System FamilyStandalone
Cost$$
LicenseProprietary
PublisherBully Pulpit Games
Year2020
Complexity Very Low
Accessibility High
Community Medium

Core Mechanic

No GM. Setup uses cards (or dice in Classic edition) to establish relationships, needs, locations, and objects between characters. Scenes alternate between Establish and Resolve — other players either frame the scene or choose its outcome. The Tilt at the midpoint introduces chaos. The Aftermath tallies white and black dice to determine each character's fate.

Best For

One-shots where players collaboratively build and then dismantle a story of desperate people with big ambitions — inspired by Coen Brothers films and crime-gone-wrong cinema.

Highlights

Zero prep, no GM required, playsets define different settings and genres for each session, Diana Jones Award winner, plays in 2–3 hours

Considerations

Heavily dependent on player chemistry and group dynamic, Tilt can derail carefully established narrative threads, new players often struggle with self-directed scene framing, outcome quality varies significantly between groups