Failure mode is a racing game. As such, your
objective is simply to move the farthest past the goal space at the end of the track.
But it has two twists:
The first is how you select the actions:
You play a card from your hand onto an actions row – then match either side of the card with a card on the row, and then a second, and match it with either end of the selection.
After you select all the actions (and extras), you use each of them, and with them you activate modules on your ship – those let you move, or attack other players.
The second twist is that every turn, after you select your actions, from players' attacks, or when you crash into obstacles, you must draw a number of failure tokens from your bag. These cubes will cause damage, and potentially destroy some or all the modules of your ship.
Can you manage the risk to keep your ship together, or will you push it to the limit and drag the pieces across the finish line?
Gameplay:
Every turn:
Select your actions playing a catd from your hand.
Draw new damage from your bag.
Use selected actions to move and attack.
Discard 1 card, and draw back to 5.
Apply all damage, potentially destroying some or all your modules.
Optionally, build a new module, for a risk cost.
Refresh / refill modules market.
—description from the designer