Play Icarus to Learn to Love Failure in D&D

Playing games other than D&D

We learn by re-contextualizing information. In school, we might read a text, watch a video about the same topic, and then apply our knowledge in an experiment. The same learning principle applies for DMing or playing D&D. Playing a similar but different game gives us a fresh perspective on core aspects of our game.

The storytelling game Icarus can lend a whole new perspective to what it means to fail in a roleplaying game. With the mindset of a game of Icarus, we can learn to see the roleplaying opportunity of defeat in our D&D games. We can learn to love failure.

If you’d like to read another article about a different game check out this article on Fiasco.

What is Icarus?

Icarus is a collaborative storytelling game during which players narrate the downfall of a mighty civilization. Failure is built into the core concept of the game. When we sit down to play the game, we know that our imagined civilization is going to collapse. After all, it’s on the cover of the game: “ICARUS – A storytelling game about how great civilizations fall.”

During a game of Icarus, we first build our civilization (which is always called Icarus). Together, we define aspects like economics, social structure, religion, and so on. After a while we have a good idea of what drives our civilization. And just as we grow attached to our civilization the game begins, and we tear it all down.

Turn by turn, through randomly drawn cards, rolls of the dice, and actions of the players, we narrate the downfall of this civilization. And we discover that failure can actually be great fun.

Icarus shows us the dramatic potential of failure

Failure creates tension. It raises the stakes. It creates drama. By building failure into the core assumption of the game (everyone knows the game ends when the civilization inevitably falls), Icarus makes it easy for players to embrace defeat. We laugh, howl, and cringe as we narrate the moments of chaos that lead up to the destruction of Icarus.

As players, we navigate our characters through the drama created by failure. Both as D&D players, and as DMs, we can take some cues from Icarus in this regard.

Failure as an opportunity in D&D

By playing Icarus we can reframe our attitude towards failure in D&D. Instinctively, we might want to avoid failure. After all, we want to see the characters succeed. But playing Icarus can change our mindset.

Failure is roleplaying gold. We can “fail forward” by having failure not be the end of the story. Instead of shutting down a scene after a failed ability check, we can introduce a new complication, or let the character succeed at a cost. Use failure as a toll that drives the story forward.

When our characters actually fail, we can embrace the moment of weakness to explore new facets of the character. How does this failure change the character? How does it change the party? Failure feels intuitively bad. But it’s actually full of dramatic potential.

Playing Icarus drills this appreciation of failure into us. Failure is foundational to the game. Embracing failure’s potential for drama and storytelling is a skill worth picking up to improve our D&D games.