Voltage

About this board game

Voltage is a two-player card game with a 15-minute play time, first released in 2006. Players compete to direct cards through a board divided into four colored areas, each containing a plastic terminal.

Every terminal has two possible orientations: plus or minus. Players play color-specific cards to the matching terminals, placing them on either their own side or their opponent’s side of the board. The result is a continually shifting contest over which values will matter when a circuit is complete.

On each turn, a player chooses one of three options:

• Play one card, then draw one card.
• Play two cards to two different colors.
• Draw two cards.

When a colored terminal has five cards played to it, that terminal is scored according to its orientation. With the plus side facing up, the player with the highest numerical value wins the point. With the minus side facing up, the player with the lowest numerical value wins instead.

The first player to score four points wins. This creates a compact tactical struggle in which card placement, numerical values, and the terminal’s orientation all shape the outcome. The setting evokes a crumbling power plant where rival engineers are trying to funnel high-voltage current in different directions, combining straightforward rules with a little luck and a clear race for victory.

In Voltage, every card can help complete a terminal—or improve the opposing side’s chances. Decide when to play, when to draw, and whether the scoring condition favors a high or low total before the circuit closes.