The Fountainhead of Youth – PART 1
“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning…” — Ecclesiastes 7:8
Game: Icarus
More Info: Review by Dicebreaker
Setup
To make the game work for solo, I decided to set up for a two-player game and use oracles to give each character their own personality. I will play them the same way a GM plays NPCs–as true to their personality as possible. My game will focus on the last days of a powerful city that spans the entire planet of Icarus. I decide to use a human-centric sci-fi setting, so I will primarily be using the oracles from the Ironsworn: Starforged preview edition.
The three Pillar cards I draw for setup: Health, Diplomacy, and Architecture. One must be assigned to the Monument (I choose Health) as inspiration for its purpose/significance.
The others are split between my two characters. One of the character’s Pillar cards must use the Weakness printed on the card. I decide to use the Weakness on the Diplomacy card to give Icarus an external threat.
Character 1: Curtis Kai, Chief Civil Engineer, takes the Architecture Pillar. His Motive is to PRESERVE THE CITY. I will use his Motive and his characteristics, “INSENSITIVE, LAW-ABIDING” to determine his actions in the game. He seems like a pretty straightforward character who will focus on his duties as an engineer and not worry too much about how it affects the citizens.
Character 2: Aurora Valenus, Military Attaché, takes the Diplomacy Pillar. She wants to PROTECT THE LEADERS, so I make her former military that has advanced to an ambassador role.
I decide her “AFFLICTED, ADDICTED, and GENEROUS” characteristics mean she has grown tired of diplomacy, copped a drug or alcohol habit, and is generous with her time, volunteering for extra work in fighting the biggest threat to Icarus: The Triini Empire.
The last part of setup is to draw two cards from Story Deck. I decide to answer these questions in a way that will bring our two characters together. Here is the final board:
The game will start as our characters meet to survey the damage to the Monument caused by the protests. And this will introduce arguably the most interesting aspect of the game: the tower of dice that represents the Monument and, by extension, the civilization itself…
Nice! I’d never heard of this system, interested to see how it plays out. Seems to take some cues from games like Microscope, and Follow, by Ben Robbins.
As I played, I also saw the similarities with Microscope, which I tried out but couldn’t get into. Icarus feels like a guided, linear version of that game.
Great start!! I will read the chapter ASAP!!
This guy’s other game “Alice is Missing” just won a bucketload of Ennies. I’ve played it and it’s brilliant. Wouldn’t work for solo, but as it’s played over text messages (and designed to be played ONLY over text messages, though setup is usually face to face or zoom or whatever) it’s pretty easy to play with anyone over the internet.
I did not know that. I’ve seen Alice is Missing on THE HOTNESS list over on RPG Geek frequently, but never checked it out before. I just read through a PbF (Play By Forum) game of it and it reminded me of another PbF game I had read of “The Wait” by Travis D. Hill.
And speaking of “play by text,” Travis has an even more similar game, “Chain Mail.”
Here’s the publisher blurb about it:
“In Chain Mail, you and your group are joining forces to create the best genre story possible. Remember those wonderful story-telling experiences where you go around the circle contributing a few sentences to an ever-growing, changing, and evolving story? That’s Chain Mail. But it’s happening the old fashioned way: via old fashioned, on paper, stamped and everything mail. However, there are a few things to help guide you on the path.”