Fiasco Online
Fiasco is a collaborative storytelling RPG where players create cinematic tales of ambition and disaster. No GM needed, just friends.
About This Game
Fiasco is an award-winning tabletop RPG designed for collaborative improv storytelling. Inspired by Coen Brothers films and other tales of small-time capers gone horribly wrong, Fiasco guides players through creating interconnected characters with powerful motivations and watching their plans unravel in spectacular fashion.
The game uses "playsets" — themed scenario packs that provide the setting and relationship elements. Players collaboratively build a web of relationships, needs, locations, and objects, then play out scenes where these elements collide. There is no game master; everyone shares narrative authority equally. The result is a two-hour movie's worth of drama, comedy, and disaster.
Fiasco can be played online through platforms like Roll20 or via video calls with shared digital playsets. The structured format — with its defined acts, scene types, and resolution mechanics — makes it one of the most accessible story games for online play. Each session produces a unique, complete narrative that the group created together, making it an unforgettable improv experience.
How to Play
Choose a playset
Select a themed scenario pack that defines the setting — suburban neighborhood, Wild West town, Antarctic research station, etc.
Build relationships
Collaboratively establish relationships, needs, locations, and objects that connect all the characters.
Play Act One
Take turns setting up or resolving scenes for your character. Each scene ends with a positive or negative outcome.
The Tilt
A dramatic twist is introduced halfway through that sends the story careening in a new direction.
Play Act Two and the Aftermath
Continue scenes with rising stakes, then determine each character's fate in the aftermath.
Tips & Strategy
- Embrace failure — Fiasco is about things going wrong. Characters should make terrible decisions.
- Build strong relationships during setup. The tighter the connections, the better the drama.
- Play your character into trouble, not out of it. The fun is in the disaster.
- Use "cut to" and "meanwhile" to keep scenes moving and maintain cinematic pacing.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- No game master needed — everyone shares narrative control equally
- Produces complete, satisfying stories in a single session
- Hundreds of free playsets available for different settings and genres
- Structured format makes it accessible for improv newcomers
Cons
- Requires 3-5 players who are comfortable with improvisation
- Sessions run 2-3 hours, which is a significant time commitment
- The rules can feel complex on a first read-through
- Quality depends heavily on player investment in the story
Game Details
- Players
- 3-5 players(recommended: 4)
- Duration
- 2-3 hours
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Price
- Freemium
- Platforms
- Web
Screenshots
