critical failure
Complete system breakdown
Critical failure describes a catastrophic outcome, worse than ordinary failure.
In tabletop gaming, a critical failure occurs when dice produce the worst possible result—often a natural 1—causing not just a missed action but an additional penalty or comically disastrous consequence: I rolled a critical failure and my sword flew out of my hand.
The term has spread beyond gaming to describe any spectacular malfunction or breakdown: The product launch was a critical failure.
Compare critical hit, its fortunate opposite.
- catastrophicCausing complete destruction
- meltdownCatastrophic loss of control
- disasterSudden ruinous event
- breakdownFailure or decomposition
- collapseSudden structural failure
malfunction · fatal flaw · blunder · fiasco · debacle · crashed and burned · system crash · total loss · fumble · botched · fatal error · cascade · implosion · trainwreck · dice · FUBAR · irreversible · point of no return
- GURPSadvantages, disadvantages, attributes, skills, hit points
- disastersdisaster, earthquake, earthquakes, catastrophe, floods
- cult followingcult classic, cult film, cult hit, fandom, superfan
critical failurecritical success
Praised by professional reviewers
triumph · grand slam · home run · breakthrough · victory
critical, failure, critic, critics, critique, critiques, criticism, criticisms, criticize