Learn the Game

HOW TO PLAY

Rug'd is a resource-driven strategy card game. Learn the zones, master the economy, and drain your opponent's Capital to zero.

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Contents

THE OBJECTIVE

Each player starts with 25 Capital — your life total. The goal is simple: reduce your opponent's Capital to zero before they do the same to you. Capital can be gained back through LP exchange and card effects, so protecting your economy is just as important as attacking theirs.

YOUR DECK

Every Rug'd deck contains exactly 69 cards — 25 Token Cards and 44 Action Cards. Token Cards never enter your hand or deck; they start in the Generator Zone and are bridged into play during the game.

Action Cards are the cards that populate your hand — Sentients, Soulbounds, and Catalysts. These 44 cards are shuffled into your draw pile and drawn throughout the game. You may include up to 4 copies of any single Action Card.

Token Cards

Action Cards

Max Copies per Card

Opening Hand

The Chip: Before the game begins, each player places 1 Action Card face-down in the Staking Zone. This is The Chip — it generates 2x LP on the first turn and determines who goes first (lowest Token Cost goes first).

CARD TYPES

There are four types of cards in Rug'd. Each plays a distinct role in your strategy.

Sentient

Your primary combatants. Sentients attack, defend, and use abilities in the Arena. They are the core of your battle strategy.

Catalyst

One-time effect cards that disrupt, boost, or manipulate the game state. Classified by timing — some play on your turn, others on your opponent's.

Soulbound

Permanent upgrades attached to Sentients. They enhance stats and grant abilities, but are destroyed when the Sentient they're attached to falls.

Token

The economic fuel of your deck. Tokens pay for Action Cards and generate LP when staked. Every deck runs exactly 25.

THE ZONES

The battlefield is divided into six zones. Mastering how cards move between zones is the key to controlling the game.

Generator (TGE)

Where your 25 Token Cards begin the game. Tokens must be bridged to your Wallet by paying 2 LP each.

Wallet Zone

Your central staging area. Cards are minted here from your hand before moving to the Arena or Staking Zone.

Staking Zone

Passive income zone. Cards here generate LP each turn but cannot attack, defend, or use abilities.

Arena

The active combat zone. Each player has their own Battlefront — a staging area where deployed Sentients battle. The two Battlefronts together make up the Arena. Sentients attack, defend, and use abilities here.

404 Zone

Temporary graveyard. Destroyed cards go here and can be recovered by certain card effects.

Null Address

Permanent exile. Cards sent here are gone forever — no recovery possible.

TURN STRUCTURE

Each turn moves through five phases in order. You cannot skip phases or change the sequence.

Start Phase

Pay 1 LP to unlock all locked cards. Resolve any start-of-turn effects.

Draw Phase

Draw 1 card from your deck. Some effects allow additional draws at LP cost.

Main Phase

Mint cards from hand into your Wallet, bridge Tokens from the Generator, move cards between zones, Deploy cards to the Arena, activate Catalyst effects, and use abilities.

Combat Phase

Declare attacks with unlocked Sentients. Opponent declares blocks. Resolve damage. Attackers become locked.

End Phase

A second action window after Combat resolves — you may still mint cards, move cards between zones, deploy cards to the Arena, and activate abilities. Then resolve end-of-turn effects, check hand size (10 card max), and pass turn to your opponent.

LIQUIDITY POINTS (LP)

LP is the economic engine of Rug'd. You generate LP by staking cards in the Staking Zone. Each card generates LP per turn equal to its Staking Value — shown as the upside-down triangle (▽) in the card's stat cluster. Token Cards generate 1 LP per turn by default. LP carries over between turns with no cap. Running low on LP means running low on options.

ActionCost

Bridge a Token Card2 LP

Deploy a card to ArenaCard's Deploy Cost

Unlock all locked cards1 LP

Recover Capital (5 LP → 1 Cap)5–10 LP

Activate card abilitiesVaries

Capital Recovery: Once per turn you may exchange LP for Capital. The rate scales — 5 LP gets you 1 Capital, up to 10 LP for 6 Capital. The more you spend at once, the better the return.

COMBAT

Combat happens during your Combat Phase. Unlocked Sentients in your Arena can declare attacks. Your opponent may block with their own Sentients. Unblocked attacks deal damage directly to your opponent's Capital.

ATK > DEF

Defender is destroyed. Attacker survives.

ATK < DEF

Attacker is destroyed. Defender survives.

ATK = DEF

Both Sentients are destroyed.

Unblocked Attack

Damage goes directly to opponent's Capital.

Locking: After a Sentient attacks or uses an ability, it becomes Locked (rotated 45°). Locked cards must be unlocked at the start of your next turn by paying 1 LP total — not per card. Newly deployed Sentients cannot act until the following turn unless they have the RAM ability.

WIN CONDITION

Reduce your opponent's Capital to zero. There are no alternate win conditions in the base game — victory is always achieved through Capital depletion — AKA rugging your opponent!

Bailout System: If both players reach 0 Capital simultaneously, a Bailout is triggered. Both players receive 5 Capital and play continues. Subsequent ties grant 3, then 1 Capital each time — escalating pressure until one player pulls ahead.

READY TO PLAY?

Join the closed playtest and start building your deck.