DECK
30 cards.
PROTOTYPE V0.2 · PLAYTEST RULES
HOW TO
PLAY.
Build power across the city, contest its systems, preserve or dispute its records, and make your version of the future survive.
These rules are a public prototype. Numbers and card wording may change through playtesting, but the core identity is locked: no life total, multiple paths to victory, and power expressed through Authority, Influence, Infrastructure and Knowledge.
1 · WHAT YOU NEED
BUILD YOUR
ARCHIVE.
LEADER
1 Figure leader kept outside the deck.
OPENING HAND
Draw 5 cards. You may mulligan any number once.
HAND LIMIT
7 cards at the end of your turn.
2 · THE CITY
THREE ZONES.
ONE FUTURE.
COUNCIL DISTRICT
Authority and institutions. The controller's first Authority card each turn costs 1 less.
INDUSTRIAL SPINE
Transport, energy and machines. The controller's first System activation each turn does not Exhaust.
LOWER CITY
Population and information. The controller's first Influence or Record card each turn costs 1 less.
Board order: Council District ↔ Industrial Spine ↔ Lower City.
3 · RESOURCES
GROW EACH
TURN.
Each player begins with 2 maximum Resources. At the start of your turn, increase your maximum by 1 and refill to maximum, to a cap of 8.
TURN 12
TURN 23
TURN 34
TURN 45
CAP8
4 · TURN SEQUENCE
READY.
DRAW.
DEVELOP.
ACT.
CONTEST.
READY
Ready exhausted cards and clear temporary suppression that expires now.
DRAW
Draw one card. The first player skips this step on turn one.
DEVELOP
Play Figures, Places, Systems and Records by paying their costs.
ACT
Players alternate actions: move, activate abilities, play Events, use Systems, reveal or manipulate Records.
CONTEST
Calculate control in each zone.
END
Resolve end effects, declare victory conditions, then discard to 7 cards.
5 · CONTROL
POWER IS
NOT DAMAGE.
There is no player life total. Zone control is determined by active Authority + Influence + Infrastructure in that zone. Knowledge normally does not contribute directly to control.
FIGURES
May move once per turn to an adjacent zone unless an effect says otherwise.
PLACES
One Place per player per zone.
SYSTEMS
Up to two Systems per player per zone.
RECORDS
Normally enter your Archive row rather than a city zone.
6 · STATUS
SUPPRESS.
DISPUTE.
RECOVER.
EXHAUSTED
An Exhausted card has been used. It cannot move or activate another Exhaust ability until it readies. It still contributes control unless another effect says otherwise.
SUPPRESSED
A Suppressed card contributes 0 power and cannot activate abilities. Suppression normally ends at the start of its controller's next turn.
VERIFIED RECORD
Contributes Knowledge normally and counts toward Archive Victory.
DISPUTED RECORD
Remains in the Archive but contributes no Knowledge until verified again.
7 · WINNING
THREE PATHS.
ONE DECLARATION.
CONTROL
Control all 3 city zones.
LEGITIMACY
Reach 8 combined Authority + Influence, with at least 3 Authority and 3 Influence.
ARCHIVE
Reach 8 Knowledge and control at least 3 Verified Records.
DECLARE, THEN HOLD.
Meeting a victory condition does not win immediately. Declare it at the end of your turn. Your opponent gets one full turn to break the condition. If you still satisfy it at the start of your next turn, you win.
8 · MOVEMENT & INTERACTION
DISPLACE.
DISRUPT.
EXPOSE.
Sleeper Archive avoids conventional combat damage. Effects instead move, suppress, exhaust, discredit, dispute, disable or expose cards.
THE MOVING WAYS — Once per turn, one of your Figures may move an additional zone.
CENSORSHIP ORDER — Choose one opposing Record. It becomes Disputed until the start of your next turn.
GENERAL STRIKE — Choose a zone. Systems there produce no effects until your next turn.
9 · OPTIONAL FORMAT
THE
STAKE.
Standard play never risks ownership. The Stake is an optional collector format between players who explicitly agree before setup.
THE STAKE
Each player selects one eligible physical card from their collection and places it face down outside the deck. Both cards are revealed and accepted before play. The winner claims both staked cards.
AGREEMENT
Both players must choose Stake play before the match begins.
DECLINE
Either player may reject the proposed stake before setup.
OUTSIDE THE DECK
The staked card has no gameplay effect unless a future format specifically says otherwise.
EVENT RULES
Organisers may restrict eligible cards, set value or rarity limits, or disable Stake play entirely.
Venue rules and local law may limit or prohibit Stake play. Standard matches remain the default format.
PROTOTYPE V0.2
TEST THE
SYSTEM.
The next milestone is a 24-card interaction pool and repeated Order vs People playtests. Rules will change only when play reveals a reason to change them.