Game rules
Three cards, a threshold you must never go over, and Powers to turn everything upside down. Here's how a match plays out.
2 to 4
players
One-on-one, free-for-all or in teams, online or against bots.
27
never go over
The closest total wins the round.
17
Powers
You pick 3 per round in Quick Match, 4 in Ranked.
30
starting HP
Every lost round costs more: 5, 10, then 15 HP.
1The goal
Get close to 27 without going over. Every player starts with 30 HP. Each round, the total closest to 27 wins and the others lose HP. At 0 HP, you're out.
The Unstable Power can move the threshold to 18 or 36 mid-round.
2Your hand
The deck has 52 cards: values 1 to 13, four copies of each. Each round, you get two visible cards and one hidden card.
Only you know the value of your hidden card, and you can't see anyone else's. A normal draw can't replace it.
3Your turn
On your turn, you pick a single action:
- Draw. The drawn card replaces one of your visible cards, and the old one goes to the discard pile.
- Play a Power. Its effect applies immediately.
- Pass. You use up a PASS.
You have 20 seconds per turn, 15 in Ranked.
4The Reveal
Each player has 3 PASSES. Your count resets as soon as you draw or play a Power. The Reveal triggers in two cases:
- every player still in the game passes, one after another;
- a player reaches their 3rd PASS.
5End of the round
Hidden cards are flipped over, and the total closest to 27 without going over wins the round. Above the threshold, you Bust.
Tie: the tied players replace their hidden card with a card drawn from a separate deck. That's the DECISION. The closest to 27 wins the round.
General Bust: if everyone goes over, nobody wins and everyone loses 5 HP.
6Damage
The losers pay the price of the round, which goes up over time:
| Round length | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| under 15 min | 5 HP | 10 HP | 15 HP |
| 15 min or more | 15 HP | 15 HP | 15 HP |
| 30 min or more, sudden death | 30 HP | 30 HP | 30 HP |
7The Triple Nine
Three 9s in hand, hidden card included, and the round stops immediately, whatever the threshold or the number of PASSES. A Triple Nine beats a Bust.
The helping hand: if you already have two visible 9s and you draw a 9, you can place it on your hidden card to complete your Triple Nine.
The reward: the winner picks 3 Powers out of 9. If two players make a Triple Nine in the same round, it's void: no winner, no damage.
8Powers
You get your Powers at the start of each round: 3 in Quick Match, 4 in Ranked, 1 to 4 in Custom Match. Each one is picked from 3 options, and your hand never holds more than 9.
Playing a Power is your action for the turn: only one per turn, and never after drawing. See the 17 Powers.
9With more players
3 or 4 players, free-for-all: everyone who doesn't win loses the round's HP. At 0 HP, a player leaves the match and becomes a spectator.
2v2 teams: each team shares 30 HP, and wins the round if one of its members has the best total. You can give a Power to your teammate at any time. Lifeline doesn't exist in this mode.
Custom Match: the host picks the goal (9, 18, 27 or 36) and the time per turn, and can replace PASSES with a Random Reveal.