On the Edge

About this board game

On the Edge is a card game for 2–5 players that plays in about 45 minutes and is based on the Over the Edge RPG setting. First released in 1994, it stands apart through its character-grid battles, unusual card types, and race to generate influence.

Characters are your soldiers, arranged in a grid no more than three rows deep. You can normally attack or defend only with the first untapped character in each row, making positioning an important part of play. Some characters also generate Pull, a resource used to bring cards into play or generate the influence needed to win.

Resources generate Pull for playing cards, although Pull from Resources cannot be used to generate influence. Protecting characters that produce Pull is therefore essential, while the layout of your rows helps separate attackers, defenders, and support characters.

• Whammies: Instants that can be played at any time.
• Gear: Items assigned to Characters.
• Conditions: Effects assigned to Characters that can help or hinder them.
• Environmental cards: Effects that influence the game as a whole.
• Secrets: Effects that usually concern cards from specific conspiracies.

A common formation places big hitters in the front row, strong defenders in the second row, and Pull generators in the last row. The first player to generate the predetermined amount of influence wins.

With its distinctive mechanics and very strange card art, On the Edge offers a style that some players may love and others may despise. It was an early game to join the collectible-card wave while developing an identity notably different from Magic in both play and flavor.