Hardback

About this board game

Hardback is a deck-building word game for 1–5 players, with games lasting about 90 minutes. As an aspiring 19th-century novelist, you build a deck of letters, string together words, and race to reach 60 fame points.

Each letter card can bring powers to your deck, while specializing in particular genres lets you exploit powerful card combinations. Genre colors matter: match them to gain bonus abilities on your cards and shape a strategy that suits your developing literary style.

Hardback also puts your nerve to the test with its Ink system. Push your luck to draw extra cards, but be careful—drawing more cards is only useful if you can still assemble a word. There are no wild cards in your deck; instead, any card can be wild.

• Deck building: Develop a letter deck with varied powers.
• Genre synergy: Match colors to activate bonus abilities.
• Timeless Classics: These letter cards remain in play until an opponent uses them.
• Multiple modes: Try the competitive race, variant rules, or cooperative play.

The competitive mode supports 2–5 players and challenges everyone to reach 60 fame points first. The base game also includes Literary Awards, Adverts, Player Powers, and Events, giving groups different ways to experience the contest.

For solo or cooperative play, 1–4 players can join forces against one of four simulated opponents. Each opponent is proficient in a different deck genre, creating a distinct challenge as you work together. With its combination of word play, deck development, genre abilities, and risk-taking, Hardback turns the pursuit of a masterpiece into a race for literary fame.