Blade Runner 2049: Nexus Protocol
Blade Runner 2049: Nexus Protocol Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
07 Case File Cards: 1 card for each player including Deckard. These cards are where you keep your Case File. Case File Cards have a unique card back.
21 Evidence Cards: Each player has 3 Evidence cards including Deckard. They will be used to find the Replicant among you.
03 Dead End Cards: These 3 cards will be used in the amount dictated by the number of players you are playing with. Dead End cards have the Evidence card back so as to keep them secret when facedown.
12 Witness Cards: There are 12 witness cards. They are double sided (Neutral and Intimidated). The Neutral side has a tan border, a white circular light at the bottom and is themed in blue. The Intimidated side has a dark red border, an exclamation at the bottom and is themed in red.
The large number on the left side of the card indicates where it is placed in the row of Witness Cards. It is also used when deciding player turn order and the next Witness to flip to its Intimidated side.
Critical Witness: The witness cards 1-3 are Critical Witnesses. They will be the first 3 cards in the Witness Row of every game played. They can also be identified by the eye symbol at the top right of the card.
06 Standees: Each player has a standee of the matching color. Insert the standee into 1 of the 6 plastic round bases that were included. These are used to interrogate Witnesses and visualize turn order.
35 Evidence Tags: 5 Evidence Tags per player color (plus Deckard). These are placed to denote that a card is NOT THIS RUNNER.
Setup
01. Each player picks a color. Take all Evidence cards, Evidence Tags, Case File Cards, and Standees of the chosen colors as well as the white (Deckard) ones. Return the rest to the box. (Examples are for a 4 player setup.)
02. Each player puts their Case File Card in front of them. Place Deckard's Case File Marker in the middle of the table. Pile the Evidence Tags in easy reach of everyone to the side.
03. Take 1 Evidence card from each player and 1 of Deckard's. Set these in a pile nearby.
04. Shuffle the rest of the Evidence Cards together. This set should have 2 of each player color plus 2 of Deckard's.
05. Take the pile you made in step 3, shuffle it (to make Deck A). Put 1 card from it facedown on top of the deck you shuffled in step 4 (Deck B). Then, deal each player 1 card from Deck A. This is an Innocence card and is not part of their Case File. Your Innocence card shows a Runner that is not the Replicant. You may look at your Innocence card at any time, but may not show it to any other player.
To keep it secure and secret, place it facedown underneath your Case File Card. The area in front your Case File Card is your Case File. You can have up to 3 Evidence cards in your Case File.
The card underneath your Case File Card is an Innocence card and cannot be looked at by anyone but you! It also does not count as part of your Case File.
06. Take the 3 Dead End cards, shuffle them (If it's a 3-player game, do not use any of them). In a 4-player game, put 1 on top of the deck of Evidence cards (Deck B). In a 5-player game, put 2 on top of this deck. In a 6-player game, put all 3. Unused Dead Ends, if any, are put back in the box.
- 3 Players: No Dead End Cards
- 4 Players: 1 Dead End Card
- 5 Players: 2 Dead End Cards
- 6 Players: 3 Dead End Cards
07. Shuffle the deck of Evidence cards (Deck B) and deal them out facedown in a grid above Deckard's Case File Card until all cards in Deck B are used.
The area above Deckard's Case File Card is Deckard's Case File. It can have any number of Evidence cards in it.
08. Take the Witness cards. Place the "1", "2", and "3" cards ("Critical Witnesses") Neutral side up to begin the Witness row. Shuffle the rest and randomly select additional Witnesses until the total number equals the number of players plus 1. Add the selected Witnesses to the row faceup (Neutral side) in sequential order. Return the rest to the box.
09. Decide on a first player. Place their Standee above (not on) the "1" Witness. Then, going clockwise around the table, place each player's Standee above the next higher numbered Witness.
As you do this, if a player's Standee is placed above Witness "4", or higher, they immediately look at one of Deckard's Evidence cards (pick it up, look at it, put it back facedown, then place an Evidence Tag on it as per the Look effect in the Gameplay Detail Section).
Witness Cards
The Witness cards printed in this rulebook are shown below. Each card's Neutral side text is given first; the Intimidated side is given where the rulebook prints it.
- 1 – Informant (Critical Witness). Neutral side: Look at 1 Evidence card. Do not place an Evidence Tag on it. Intimidated side: Look at 1 Evidence card. You may Trade one of your Evidence cards for it.
- 2 – Bystander (Critical Witness). Neutral side: Look at 2 Evidence cards.
- 3 – Security Officer (Critical Witness). Neutral side: Reveal 1 Evidence card and Take it.
- 9 – Liaison. Neutral side: Look at 2 Evidence cards. After resolving Dead Ends, you must Trade for or Take each Evidence card you revealed while performing this action.
- 11 – Detained Replicant. Neutral side: Look at 2 Evidence cards. Do not place Evidence Tags on either.
Source note: the rulebook prints the Neutral side text of Witnesses 1, 2, 3, 9 and 11 (the five Witnesses shown in the setup example), and the Intimidated side of Witness 1 only. The Intimidated sides of Witnesses 2, 3, 9 and 11, and the cards for the other Witnesses in the 12-card deck, are not printed in this rulebook and are not reproduced here.
Gameplay Detail
01. Interrogate Witnesses
Each round players go in order of the lowest numbered Witness that their Standee is above. (Based on the previous diagram, the Blue Player would go first). Each player places their Standee on any Witness that does not have a Standee already on it to interrogate them (by resolving their text). This continues until all Players have a Standee on a Witness card and have interrogated a Witness. The following are a few key effects and rules to know:
Look: Choose a facedown Evidence card and look at it. Then, place it back facedown and put an Evidence Tag on it. You must pick an Evidence Tag that correctly indicates a color that the Evidence card is not and is not already on the card. So if you look at a card and it is blue, that has a yellow Evidence Tag on it already, you can put a green, orange, pink or white Evidence Tag on it. Note: You only use Evidence Tags that match the colors of the players in the game.
If you place a third Evidence Tag on a card, instead, remove all Evidence Tags from it and Reveal it.
Example: 3 Evidence Tags are on this facedown Evidence Card. Therefore those tags get removed and the Evidence Card is now flipped faceup and remains that way for the rest of the game.
Reveal: Choose a facedown Evidence card and flip it faceup. If it is a Dead End, immediately resolve the effect described on it, then remove it from the game. When a card is flipped faceup, it remains that way for the rest of the game.
Take: Choose an Evidence card and move it to your Case File. If you already have 3 Evidence cards, a Take effect does nothing. (The Innocence card you were dealt during setup is not in your Case File.)
Give: Add an Evidence card to any Case File that is not your own. You may only Give a card to a player that has room for it (they have less than 3 Evidence cards) or to Deckard (who has no limit).
Trade: Choose one of your Evidence cards and exchange it with the Evidence card you are Trading.
When Taking, Giving, or Trading cards, do not change their status: faceup cards remain faceup and facedown cards remain facedown.
02. Check for Game End
If all Witnesses are Intimidated, or 3 Evidence cards of the same color are revealed (faceup) the game ends immediately. Return all Innocence cards to the game box, then reveal all remaining Evidence cards and determine the winner. (See "Winning" pg 10.)
03. Intimidate Witness
If the game is not over, move each player's Standee so that it is above (not on) the Witness they interrogated. Then flip the lowest numbered unflipped Witness to its Intimidated side. Then, play another round.
Winning
The Runner with all 3 of the Evidence cards showing their character is the Replicant.
At the end of the game, if a player has 2 Evidence cards in their Case File that belong to the Replicant and they are not the Replicant, then they win. If no Runner (including Deckard) has 2 or 3 of the Replicant's Evidence cards in their Case File, the Replicant escapes and wins.
In any other situation, Deckard wins (such as if a player has 2 of their Evidence cards in their Case File and they are the Replicant, or if Deckard is the Replicant and has 2 of his Evidence cards in his Case File, etc).
Game End Examples
Example 1: Yellow is the Replicant and Green has won having two of Yellow's Evidence cards in their Case File.
Example 2: Blue wins as the Replicant, having eluded the Blade Runners.
The rulebook's example card layouts are diagrams; only their captions are transcribed here.
Round Overview
- Interrogate Witness: Players go in order of the lowest numbered Witness that their Standee is above. Each player places their Standee on any Witness that does not have a Standee already on it to interrogate them. This continues until all Players have a Standee on a Witness card and have interrogated a Witness.
- Check for Game End: If all Witnesses are Intimidated, or 3 Evidence cards of the same color are revealed (faceup) the game ends immediately. Return all Innocence cards to the game box, then reveal all remaining Evidence cards and determine the winner. (See "Winning" pg 10.)
- Intimidate Witness: If the game is not over, move each player's Standee so that it is above (not on) the Witness they Interrogated. Then flip the lowest numbered unflipped Witness to its Intimidated side. Then, play another round.