Netrunner

About this board game

Netrunner is a cyberpunk-themed collectible card game for 2 players, with games lasting about 45 minutes. One player takes the role of the Corp, seeking victory by completing Agendas, while the other plays the Runner, attempting to infiltrate the Corp and liberate those Agendas.

Each side has a limited supply of actions and bits, the game’s money. Bits disappear when spent, while actions must be used to gain more, making the bit-per-action ratio an important consideration when judging a card’s power.

The Runner does more than play cards: they physically move across a board created by the Corp’s facedown cards. This gives Netrunner the feel of a capture-the-flag contest, with the Runner navigating dataforts in search of valuable Agendas.

Cards are not the only path to success. A distinctive feature of Netrunner is the ability to “play with the rules” themselves, creating strategic possibilities that can be difficult to appreciate until you have experienced the game.

• Corp objective: complete Agendas.
• Runner objective: infiltrate the Corp and liberate Agendas.
• Core resources: manage limited actions and bits.
• Match structure: both players act as Corp and Runner in two submatches.

In a match, each player’s Runner attacks the opposing player’s Corp. The winner of a submatch earns 10 points, while the loser scores points equal to the number of Agenda points scored or liberated. The player with the higher total across both submatches wins the match.

Although traditionally a two-player duel, Netrunner also has formats for more players, including The Big Sell Out.