The North Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• A Game for 2 Players
  • Components
• Playing The North (Rules Card 1)
• Set Up (Rules Card 2)
• Ancient Cards (Rules Card 3)
• Facility Cards & Abilities (Rules Card 4)
• Node Cards (Rules Card 5)
• Turn Sequence Card (Rules Card 6)
• Other Cards & Scoring (Rules Card 7)
• Things to Remember (Rules Card 8)
• Turn Sequence Card: Front
• Turn Sequence Card: Back

A Game for 2 Players

Components

• 48 Ancient Cards
• 2 Node Cards
• 2 Reference Cards
• 2 Points Cards
• 1 Turn Sequence Card
• 4 Additional Rules Cards
• 1 Tower Array Expansion Rule Card
• 12 Tower Array Ancient Cards

Playing The North (Rules Card 1)

The North is a two player card game. Players will take turns Reprogramming (acquiring) the strange machines, known as Ancients, from The Wastes (middle of the play area) to form their decks. Those cards are played multiple ways to acquire more cards and gain abilities. Each card is worth various points at the end of the game, depending on how it is played.

Each player also has a Node that they will charge and discharge for various effects. Balancing gaining cards for their abilities and end game scoring, while causing the other player to lose points, is at the core of playing The North.

The North was designed around a minimal rule set. These rules cards serve as an overview of the game. The flow and actions available to the players are laid out in detail on the Turn Sequence and Reference cards.

Set Up (Rules Card 2)

Separate all cards by their type.

Remove all Value 0 Ancients from the deck. Shuffle these together and deal 4 to each player, forming each player's Deck. Players may look at their own cards. Each player places their Deck (Ancient side down) in their play area, forming their Zone.

Shuffle all remaining Value 0, I, and II Ancients together and place them in a Facility side up stack in the middle of the play area forming the Wastes Deck. Place the top 4 cards of the Wastes Deck beside of the Waste Deck, Ancient side up, forming The Wastes.

Each player takes a Node card, set to Level 1, and a Point Card and Reference Card. Set the Reference Card on the Point Card at 40. These cards go in the player's Zone.

Determine a First Player and give them the Turn Sequence Card and the game begins.

Ancient Cards (Rules Card 3)

All Ancient Cards feature these 4 things:

• Ancient's Value
• Ancient's Name
• Protocol Ability
• Spark Ability

Each Ancient has a Value of 0, I, or II.

An Ancient may be discarded from your hand to Reprogram an Ancient in The Wastes of a different Value. When an Ancient is Reprogrammed, it is moved to your Discard and you use its Spark Ability, in that order.

When an Ancient is played to your Zone, by any means, use its Protocol Ability.

Facility Cards & Abilities (Rules Card 4)

The back of each Ancient card is a Facility.

An Ancient may be played to your Zone as a Facility several ways. Like Ancients, each Facility has a Protocol Ability.

When a card in your Zone is flipped, the revealed side is treated as being played to your Zone.

Protocol and Spark abilities are mandatory and must be completed to the best of your ability. An Ancient or a Facility card can never be exchanged for a card of the same name.

Cards played to your Zone remain there until the end of the game, unless moved.

Node Cards (Rules Card 5)

Each player has a Node card.

The front side of your Node has 4 different levels. As your Node is Charged, it is rotated Clockwise to the next Level. Each side/lit light denotes the Node Level, with the top left corner denoting the Node's Current Level.

When your Node is Discharged, it is flipped and you gain a variety of effects, depending on the Level of your Node when Discharged.

The back of the Node card (Discharged Node) reads:

• For each Level when Discharged, the other player loses 1.
• If the Level was 3 or more, draw the top card of the Wastes deck.
• If the Level was 4, choose another DIRECTIVE as well.

Turn Sequence Card (Rules Card 6)

The majority of gameplay for The North can be found on the double sided Turn Sequence Card. This card outlines what the player can and must do during their turn, and is passed back and forth throughout the game between the players.

The Turn Sequence card begins the game with the First Player on the Front Side. Remember, the First Player is the First Player for the entire game!

The flow and order of the player's turn is indicated on the Turn Sequence card.

When a player uses their three Directives for the turn, they have four different options, and a single option cannot be selected more than twice during their turn. A player must use three Directives.

The Turn Sequence card also indicates the end game condition.

Other Cards & Scoring (Rules Card 7)

Each player has a double sided Points Card and a Reference Card.

The Reference Card is placed over the Points Card and is moved as the player loses points, to indicate the player's remaining points. Both players begin the game with 40 points.

The game ends at the end of the Second Player's turn if either condition is met: either player has 0 points and/or there are 4 or fewer cards in the Wastes Deck. When the game ends, players gain points.

Each player gains 1 point for each card in their Zone. Each player moves their hand and Discard to their Deck and gains points equal to the combined Value of all cards in their Deck. This is added to their Score.

The player with the most points wins. In the event of a tie, the player with the most cards in their Deck and Zone wins the tie.

Things to Remember (Rules Card 8)

Each player has a Discard, located next to their Deck.

Value 0 Ancients have no Value listed on their card.

Discarded cards always come from the player's hand. Unless otherwise stated, drawn cards come from the player's deck.

Cards in The Wastes are always set to the Ancient side. Players may not look at the other side of these cards unless they are prompted to do so.

Cards taken from The Wastes are not replenished from the Wastes Deck during the player's turn, unless otherwise stated.

Players may look at both sides of cards in their Zone and hand.

Optional Rule - Overloaded: During the player's turn, if the Protocol Ability of a card, or a card of the same name, would be used for the third time, its effect is ignored.

Turn Sequence Card: Front

• Shuffle your hand, Discard, and Deck to form your Deck. Your Deck is always Facility side up. Draw three cards from your Deck.
• Then, perform three DIRECTIVES below. You may select a single DIRECTIVE twice.
  • Discard one Ancient. Reprogram one Ancient of a different Value in The Wastes.
  • Discard one Ancient. Play the top card of the Wastes Deck to your Zone as a Facility.
  • Play one card from your hand to your Zone as an Ancient.
  • Announce your Node Power Level and Discharge your Node (flip it over).
• After choosing three DIRECTIVES, if your Node was Discharged, Reset it (flip it to the other side set to Level 1). Otherwise, Charge your Node.
• Flip this card over.

Turn Sequence Card: Back

• The other player loses 1 for each card in your hand.
• The other player moves one Ancient remaining in The Wastes to their Discard.
• Refill The Wastes from the top of the Wastes Deck until there are four Ancients in the Wastes.
• If you are the SECOND PLAYER: If there are four or fewer cards remaining in the Wastes Deck, and/or either player is at 0, the game ends.
• Otherwise, flip this card over and then pass it to the other player.