Icarus: A Storytelling Game About How Great Civilizations Fall

Icarus is a collaborative storytelling game that explores the rise and inevitable fall of great civilizations. Designed for 2 to 5 players, this GM-less game allows participants to build and witness the decline of a city-nation at the peak of its power. The game combines narrative development with a physical representation of instability through dice stacking, creating a unique and immersive experience.

Key Features

• Collaborative Storytelling: Players collectively create the history and downfall of the city-nation known as Icarus, making each session unique.
• GM-less Play: No game master is required; all players contribute equally to the unfolding narrative.
• Physical Representation of Collapse: The construction of a dice tower symbolizes the city's monument. As the tower grows, it becomes more unstable, mirroring the civilization's fragility.
• World-Building Elements: The game serves as a comprehensive tool for creating rich settings, making it an excellent companion to other tabletop role-playing games.

Game Components

• 20 Custom Icarus Dice: Used to build the monument, representing the city's ambition and impending downfall.
• 12 Pillars of Society Cards: Define the core aspects of the civilization, such as culture, economy, and governance.
• 5 Motive Cards: Provide characters with personal goals that drive the narrative forward.
• 12 'The Cracks In Our Facade' Cards: Introduce initial challenges and flaws within the society.
• 12 'The Rifts Between Us' Cards: Escalate conflicts and divisions among the populace.
• 12 'The Final Hours' Cards: Depict the events leading to the civilization's ultimate collapse.
• 1 Bitter End Card: Marks the definitive end of the civilization.
• 50-Sheet Aspect Pad: Allows players to note significant elements and track the progression of the story.

Gameplay Overview

• Setting the Scene: Players collaboratively define the city-nation of Icarus at its zenith, establishing its strengths, values, and the monumental structure being erected to showcase its glory.
• Character Creation: Each player develops a character with specific motives, influencing their actions and decisions throughout the game.
• Story Development: Through drawing and interpreting various cards, players introduce events, challenges, and societal changes, guiding the narrative toward its climax.
• Monument Construction: Players stack dice to represent the building monument. The growing instability of the dice tower symbolizes the civilization's increasing vulnerability.
• Collapse: When the dice tower falls, it signifies the downfall of Icarus, concluding the game.

Why Play Icarus?

• Engaging Narrative Experience: Offers a deep, immersive storytelling session where players shape the rise and fall of a civilization.
• Innovative Mechanics: The dice-stacking element adds a tangible sense of tension and unpredictability.
• Versatile Application: Serves as a standalone game or a world-building tool to enrich other role-playing campaigns.

Icarus provides a thought-provoking exploration of societal dynamics and the factors leading to the decline of great civilizations. Its blend of collaborative storytelling and physical gameplay mechanics offers a distinctive experience for those interested in narrative-driven games.