Null State: Terminal 01 — Game Rules

When systems collapse, morality is a liability: only control and notoriety remain. Build custom memory stacks, drop malicious rootkits under high-value server nodes, and hijack rival hacks in real time. Claim your fame on the public blockchain, or get purged from the system.

Components

Operator Advisory // Card Sleeves:
A quick note on card sleeves: don't bother. Worn-out edges and mysterious scuffs just add flavor to the grid. If every card is marked, no card is marked. But whatever, we are Gen X. Do what you want.

Setup

Set up the central gameboard and prepare operator terminals in 9 steps:

1. Board & Card Decks

   • Place the Gameboard in the center of the play area.
   • Separate the decks: Data cards, Location cards, and the three Market decks (Black Hat, Grey Hat, White Hat).
   • Place each deck on its designated gameboard space. Place the data card deck off to the side.

2. Market Displays (Face-Up Rows)

   • Shuffle each 24-card Market Deck and place it on its board slot.
   • Turn the top 2 cards of each Market Deck face up into its designated board bay ([ CARD SLOT 01 ] underneath and [ CARD SLOT 02 ] in front, 6 face-up market cards total).
   • Refill Rule: Whenever a face-up card is traded or discarded, immediately flip a replacement card face up so 2 cards remain available per hat type.
   
   

   
   
   BLACK HAT (ATTACK)
   

   
   

   
   
   GREY HAT (TACTICS)
   

   
   

   
   
   WHITE HAT (DEFENSE)
   

   
   

   
   
   BOARD BAYS (SLOTS 1 & 2)
   

   
   

3. Network Scan Die

   • Roll 1d6 for the Network Scan Die.
   • Place the die directly on the gameboard on the Network Scan location showing the rolled value (1–6).

4. Starting Market Tracks & Difficulty Selection

   • Players choose which starting value each of the six market tracks (AI Intel, Government, Financial, Personal, Market Intel, Dark Web) begins on based on desired thematic difficulty:

   Difficulty Mode	Track Range	Starting Market Tier	Trade Script Cost	Description
   Safe Mode (Low Difficulty)	1–3	Depressed Tier	2 Scripts	Beginner friendly; low market volatility and cheap upgrades.
   Surging Grid (Medium Difficulty)	1–7	Depressed to Surging	2–4 Scripts	Standard tactical balance with escalating market pressure.
   Max Chaos (High Difficulty)	1–10	Full Market Spectrum	2–6 Scripts	Cutthroat economic warfare across the full pricing curve.

   (Players may negotiate initial values or roll dice within the chosen difficulty range).
   - SYSM Dominance Track: Each player places a marker at position 1.

5. Location Grid & Player Setup Scaling

   Parameter / Component	1–2 Players	3–4 Players	Notes & Constraints
   Location Grid Deck	3 Location Cards	6 Location Cards	Reveal 1 location initially; +1 revealed each round
   Control Cube Cap	6 Cubes max	9 Cubes max	Active in-play limit per player
   Starting Data Hand	5 Cards	5 Cards	Dealt from main Data Deck
   Hand Size Limit	7 Cards	7 Cards	Excess triggers immediate Data Purge
   Memory Stacks	3 Active Stacks	3 Active Stacks	Max 7 cards per stack
   Blockchain Asset Cap	20 Cards max	20 Cards max	Permanent end-game scoring cards

6. Operator Identity Cards

   • Shuffle the Player Identity cards.
   • Deal 1 card face up to each player. This provides your alias, backstory, and once-per-game Special Power.

7. Control Cubes Pool

   • Each player takes control cubes of their chosen color up to their active limit (6 cubes for 1–2P, 9 cubes for 3–4P).

8. Starting Hand & Boot-Up Program

   • Deal 5 Data cards to each player as their starting hand.
   • Place 1 free Data card from the supply into one of each player’s 3 memory Stacks (face up). Each stack holds a maximum of 7 cards.

9. Ready Terminal Status

   • Designate the first player randomly. Play begins with Player 1 and proceeds clockwise around the table.

Player cards and special powers

Each player operates an asymmetric Player Identity Console (alias, backstory, and a Special Power). Your special power breaks or bends one normal rule for you only and can be activated once per game.

Hand limit (Data Purge)

Your maximum hand size is 7 data cards. If at any time you have more than 7 data cards in hand (e.g. after Scan, after drawing a Hack reward, or from any card effect), you must discard down to 7 immediately. This represents a Data Purge.

Turn order

Players take turns in order (Player 1, 2, …). On your turn you may perform one of the following actions:

On your turn — available actions

Players take turns in clockwise order (Player 1, 2, 3, 4). On your turn, you must perform exactly one of the following 9 tactical actions:

1. Scan (Network Draw)

   • Draw data cards from the main draw deck equal to the current face value shown on the Network Scan Die (1–6).
   • Data Purge: If this draw causes you to exceed 7 data cards in hand, you must immediately discard down to 7.

2. Disrupt (Market & Die Shift)

   • Play data cards from hand and spend their printed Scripts to adjust economic indicators:
     • Shift any of the 6 Market Tracks (1–10) up or down — 1 step per spent Script.
     • Rotate/adjust the Network Scan Die (1–6) up or down — 1 step per spent Script.
     • SYSM Dominance Progression: Each time you alter market tracks through Disrupt, advance your player marker +1 space on the SYSM Dominance Track.
   • Discard all played cards after adjusting.

3. Program (Memory Assembly)

   • Compile executable scripts into your memory hardware:
     • Play 1 data card from your hand face up into one of your 3 Memory Stacks (each stack holds max 7 cards).
     • OR replace a card already sitting in an active stack (send the replaced card to the discard pile).

4. Discard Stack (Cache Reset)

   • Flush a compromised, outdated, or misconfigured memory stack. Discard all cards from one of your active Stacks to the data discard pile to open a clean stack slot for new operations. (Consumes your entire turn action).

5. Trade (Market Acquisition)

   • Purchase 1 of the 2 face-up market cards OR choose to draw the top face-down card blind from any of the three Market Decks (Black Hat, Grey Hat, White Hat). The cost in Scripts from hand is set dynamically by its driving Market Track:

   Hat Market Bay	Driving Sector Tracks	Depressed Tier (1–3)	Surging Tier (4–7)	Peak Tier (8–10)
   Black Hat (Attack // Disrupt)	Dark Web & Government	2 Scripts	4 Scripts	6 Scripts
   Grey Hat (Hybrid // Tactics)	Market Intel & Personal	2 Scripts	4 Scripts	6 Scripts
   White Hat (Defense // Protocols)	AI Intel & Financial	2 Scripts	4 Scripts	6 Scripts

   • Type Matching Rule: All data cards played to pay the Trade Script cost must all be of the same data type (e.g. all Government, all Market Intel, all Financial, all Personal, all AI Intel, or all Dark Web).
   • If a face-up card was taken, immediately flip a replacement card face up from that deck so 2 cards remain visible. Discard excess if hand exceeds 7 (Data Purge).

6. Hack (Node Infiltration)

   • Infiltrate a revealed target location by playing one completed Stack from your console:
     • Prerequisite: You must have available control cubes in your pool (under your active limit: max 6 for 1–2P, 9 for 3–4P).
     • Requirement: Your Stack's total Scripts must meet the location's printed requirements, plus +1 extra matching Script per rival control cube already present on the card.
     • Execution & Rewards:
       • Place 1 control cube on an open reward spot (or next to the card if all spots are filled) and claim that spot's printed reward.
       • Full Control: If you currently have strictly more control cubes on the location than any other rival, you hold Full Control and claim the location's printed Fame.
     • Discard the executed Stack to the data discard pile after resolving.

7. Harden (Security Fortification)

   • Fortify your security foothold on a location where you already have at least 1 control cube:
     • Discard 1 data card matching each of the location's required data types directly from an active Stack.
     • Place +1 additional control cube onto the location to cement Full Control or defend against rival takeovers.

8. Blockchain (Asset Commitment)

   • Commit proprietary data onto the immutable public ledger for end-game scoring:
     • Place 1 data card from your hand face up into your public Blockchain Pile (max 20 cards).
     • These cards remain permanently locked and will multiply your end-game score based on final Market Track tiers (2 / 4 / 6 points per 10 SYSM).

9. Deploy Glitch (Agents of Chaos)

   • Unleash a volatile corrupted data payload from your hand:
     • Play 1 Corrupted Data Card from your hand and immediately resolve its printed CHAOS effect (symmetrical glitches affecting all players, wiping stacks, resetting market tracks, or disabling hardware).
     • Discard the corrupted card to the data discard pile after resolution. (Consumes your entire turn action).

Corrupted Data Cards (Pioneer Edition & Booster Expansions)

[PIONEER EDITION INCLUSION]: The physical Pioneer Edition base game box comes pre-packaged with 18 Corrupted Cards (Pack 01: Protocol Fracture) included alongside the 110 functional data script cards (128 Data Cards total). Players can play with them out of the box for high-stakes emergent chaos, or easily set them aside for a pure Clean Protocol (110 pure data cards, 0 corrupted cards) tournament experience.

Booster Pack 02 (Zero-Day Outbreak) is available separately as an 18-card expansion pack to add high-tier malware and AI anomalies or swap cards into your core deck.

Corrupted Data Cards represent defective sector blocks, physical cable cuts, liquid hardware catastrophes, and zero-day malware shuffled into the Data Deck to inject high-volatility chaos into the network economy.

1. In Hand & Limitations

• 0 SYSM Value: Corrupted cards provide 0 SYSM and cannot be stored in your Blockchain pile.
• 0 Fragment Scripts: They cannot be used as input fragments in a Hack, cannot pay for Trade costs, and cannot be discarded for a Disrupt action.
• Hand Limit: They count against your 7-card Hand Limit. During a Data Purge, you may discard them freely.

2. How to Play: Action 9 — Deploy Glitch

On your turn, you may spend your action to Deploy Glitch:
1. Choose one Corrupted Data Card from your hand.
2. Read and resolve the printed CHAOS effect immediately. These are symmetrical, double-edged glitches that disrupt all players, crash/surge the global market tracks, clear active Stacks, or randomize dice.
3. Place the Corrupted Data Card into the general data discard pile.

Strategic Note: Because Corrupted Cards provide 0 SYSM and affect everyone at the table (including yourself), deploying a glitch is a high-stakes tactical gambit to break a stalemate, reset surging market tracks, or wipe out an opponent's dangerous Hack stack.

3. Example Corrupted Data Cards

OPTICAL LINK DEAD

RJ45 DISLODGED

FELINE FATAL

4. Modular Booster Pack Setup

Players can tune the network's volatility and chaos level during setup by choosing which Corrupted Data Card profile to shuffle into the 110-card functional Data Deck:

Quick Setup Procedure:
1. Retrieve the 110 functional Data Cards (the core operational card pool).
2. Select your preferred Corrupted Card profile from the matrix above (e.g. all 18 Pack 01 cards for the Pioneer Edition default experience).
3. Riffle shuffle both sets together thoroughly to form the unified Data Deck.
4. Deal 5 starting cards to each operator's hand (Hand Limit: 7). Place the remaining deck in the center data staging bay.

Board reference & Dynamic Markets

Markets (Dynamic Economy & Multipliers 1–10)

The 6 economic market tracks govern real-time trade costs and end-game crypto multiplier payouts:

System Constraints & Board Elements

End of game — victory and conditions

End game trigger

The final round begins when all locations for your player count are revealed and each has been Hacked at least once. Complete the current round so all players have equal turns.

Victory Scoring

The player with the highest total score wins:

Final Score = Location Fame + Blockchain Market Multipliers + SYSM Dominance Bonus

End-Game Scoring Example

At game end, Alice calculates her final score:
- Fame from Controlled Locations: 14 Fame
- Blockchain Market Multipliers:
- Market Intel (Track at 8 = Tier 8–10, 6 pts / 10 SYSM): 60 SYSM → 36 pts
- Dark Web (Track at 5 = Tier 4–7, 4 pts / 10 SYSM): 30 SYSM → 12 pts
- SYSM Dominance Leader Bonus: +10 pts
- Total Final Score: 14 + 36 + 12 + 10 = 72 Points

Zero Day Run (Short Game Variant)

For a fast-paced, high-intensity match (approx. 20–30 mins):

1. Reduced Location Pool: Use 3 locations for 1–2 players, or 4 locations for 3–4 players.
2. Accelerated Setup: Each player starts with 2 Data Cards pre-programmed into Stack 1 during setup.
3. Tight Blockchain Cap: Maximum Blockchain capacity is reduced to 10 cards.

Quick Reference & Action Matrix

System Constraints & Hard Limits

• Hand Limit: Strictly 7 data cards max across all phases (excess triggers immediate Data Purge).
• Memory Stacks: Maximum 3 memory stacks, holding up to 7 programmed data cards each.
• Blockchain Cap: Maximum 20 banked data cards in your public ledger for end-game scoring.
• Control Cubes: Maximum 6 cubes (1–2 players) or 9 cubes (3–4 players) active across all target locations.

Market Track Economics

Player interaction (Table Talk, Deals, and Favors)

As hackers competing across the digital underground, player negotiation is an active part of the game.

Table Talk, Deals, and Favors

Players may talk, negotiate, and offer or accept deals or favors at any time, including during another player's turn. Deals can involve data cards, market cards, or promises (for example: "do not Hack that location and I will leave that market card for you"). If a deal involving cards is accepted, the exchange happens immediately and does not use an action. The standard hand limit applies after any card exchange. Promises about future actions are non-binding by rule and rely entirely on table trust. (In addition to the standard Trade action with the market, this allows open player-to-player card trades anytime by mutual agreement.) Alliances and truces are similarly non-binding agreements between operators.

Optional Variant: Gentleman's Agreement

If your table wishes to formalize alliances, you may mutually agree before the match to use the Gentleman's Agreement:
- When you Hack a location where an ally holds full control, you may not claim the Fame for that Hack (you still place your control cube and claim the spot reward). This prevents immediate betrayal for Fame while still permitting competitive infiltration.

Credits & Acknowledgments

• Game Design & Architecture: Ov3rlrd Aka Daniel M Simser
• Additional System Design: Ov3rlrd Aka Daniel M Simser
• Playtesters: Sarah Simser, Grace Simser, Theodore Simser, Jacob Simser, Della Sebring (for the chaos she brought)
• Production & Publishing: Fuzzy Robotics LLC // Null State: Terminal 01
  (For Solo AI rules against automated syndicate rivals, refer to SOLO_RULES.md)