How to Play Neuroscape
Neuroscape is a strategic 2-player TCG set in a digital world of hackers, AI, and corporations. Build your deck, battle on the field, and outsmart your opponent.
1. Objective
Reduce your opponent's main integrity to zero. Each player starts with 10 integrity. When a player's integrity reaches 0, the game ends and the other player wins.
2. Card Types
Character
Operatives, AIs, hackers, and entities that fight on the field. Characters have ATK and DEF stats. Attach programs and gear to buff them. Most attacks are made by characters.
Program
Software tools and attacks. Programs can damage characters, draw cards, modify the field, or trigger powerful effects. Once played, they stay until destroyed or their effect ends.
Gear / Cyberware
Equipment and augmentations attached to characters. Gear stays attached (equipment style) or equips to a specific character. Provides stat boosts and passive effects.
Mainframe
Massive data systems that anchor your network. Mainframes provide passive effects and are the core of most decks. They often have high DEF but low or zero ATK. Max 10 per deck.
Basic RAM
Disposable processing power. Cheap and flexible — used for quick attacks, temporary buffs, discard effects, or resource generation. Max 5 copies in a deck.
3. Deck Building
Deck Size
Minimum 40 cards, maximum 60. No more than 3 copies of any specific card (except Basic RAM: up to 5).
Mainframes
Maximum 10 mainframes in a deck. They are powerful but slow — they anchor your strategy but leave you vulnerable early game.
Factions
Cards from multiple factions may be included. Mono-faction decks are often more synergistic. Some archetypes and effects require specific faction combinations.
Starting Hand
Draw 5 cards at game start. Determine who goes first randomly. First player skips their first draw phase (goes first but draws less).
4. Turn Structure
1
Start Phase
Draw 1 card from your deck. If you have no cards left to draw, you lose the game.
2
Action Phase
Play cards from hand. Attach gear, launch programs, move characters between nodes. You have action points equal to your intelligence stat (usually 2-3).
3
Combat Phase
Declare attackers and targets. Compare ATK to DEF. Deal damage for unblocked attacks. Block with characters. Some cards allow additional combat actions.
4
End Phase
Discard down to 6 cards if over the limit. Ready characters (return to full DEF). Pass turn to opponent.
5. Combat
During the Combat Phase, you may perform attacks. Here's how a basic attack works:
Declare Attack
Select a character with ATK > 0 to attack. Choose a target: opponent's character (to fight) or their integrity (direct damage).
Attacking a Character
Compare your ATK to the target's DEF. If ATK > DEF, the excess is dealt as damage to the target's integrity. If ATK ≤ DEF, no damage — the attack is absorbed.
Attacking Integrity
Target the opponent's integrity directly. Your full ATK is dealt to their integrity. Fast path to victory but leaves you exposed.
Blocking
The defending player may assign a character to block. The character's DEF reduces the damage. Some cards/attacks are unblockable.
6. Keywords
Whereas
"Whereas" cards establish a persistent condition on the field. They stay in play and often trigger other cards. Effects last until removed.
Therefore
"Therefore" cards fire once when their triggering condition is met. Single-use, immediate effects.
Until
"Until" effects last for a specified duration: until end of turn, until a character leaves the field, until a condition is met.
Swift
Swift cards can be played during either player's turn — reactive tools to interrupt your opponent.
7. Win Conditions
Integrity Damage
Reduce opponent's integrity from 10 to 0. Direct attacks, spell damage, and combat damage all contribute. Most common win.
Deck Out
If you cannot draw when required (deck is empty), you lose immediately. Mill strategies and aggression can force this.
Alternative Wins
Some cards have alternate win conditions: reaching specific board states, controlling certain mainframes, performing specific actions. Read card text carefully.
Conceding
A player may concede at any time. The opponent wins. No shame — sometimes the position is hopeless.
8. Quick Reference
Starting Integrity
10 per player
Action Points
Intelligence (usually 2)
Max Mainframes
10 per deck
Max Copies
3 per card (5 for Basic RAM)
First Player
Random — skips first draw