Radlands

2021

Immerse yourself in Radlands, a competitive card game where survival hinges on strategic water management. Protect your camps, utilize powerful synergies, and outlast your rivals!

40
minutes

2 - 2
player(s)

14+

Medium

About the game

Radlands is a strategic and immersive post-apocalyptic-themed board game that invites you to dive into a world of survival, resource management, and fierce competition.

The game is set in a dystopian future where the world is devastated by nuclear wars and scarce resources. Players take on the roles of faction leaders, striving to survive and outlast each other in the harsh, radioactive wastelands, hence the name ‘Radlands’.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Radlands is a unique post-apocalyptic card game with a variety of components that contribute to gameplay. Each component plays a particular role in the game. Here are the components and their respective functions:

1. Deck of Cards:

Description: The deck consists of 120 cards depicting various characters, structures, events, and resources.
Function: These cards are the main tool for gameplay. Players use these cards to build their bases, protect their resources, and attack their opponents.

2. 6 Water Tokens:

Description: These are small, blue tokens with a water droplet design.
Function: Water tokens are used as a resource in the game. They are used to play cards from your hand and are a primary target of opponent’s attacks.

3. 3 Camp Cards:

Description: These are larger cards that represent your home base.
Function: Camp cards are the player’s main source of water tokens and are the primary target of enemy attacks. If all three are destroyed, the player loses the game.

4. 4 Player Reference Cards:

Description: These are cards with a summary of the game rules and turn structure.
Function: These cards are a handy reference for players to consult during gameplay, ensuring everyone understands the game mechanics and flow.

5. Rulebook:

Description: This is a booklet containing detailed rules and instructions for the game.
Function: The rulebook provides comprehensive instructions for setting up and playing the game, as well as explanations of card abilities and game terms.

6. Game Box:

Description: This is a sturdy box with artwork related to the game’s theme.
Function: The game box is used to store all the game components when not in use, keeping them safe and organized.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Radlands is a competitive, post-apocalyptic card game designed for two players. The game revolves around managing your resources and devising strategies to outsmart your opponent. The following guide will take you through the steps on how to set up and get started with Radlands.

Step 1: Card Sorting

Begin by sorting out the decks. Each player should have their own deck of 30 cards. These decks are identical and consist of People, Events, and Gear cards. Each player should shuffle their deck and place it to their right side.

Step 2: Camp Setup

Each player will set up their camp by drawing the top three cards from their deck. These cards are placed face up in front of the player, forming their starting camp. The camp is a critical component of the game as it houses the player’s resources, represented by water drops.

Step 3: Resource Allocation

Each player is given 3 water drops which serve as the initial resources. These water drops are placed on their Camp cards, with each card holding one water drop. The remaining water drops should be placed within reach of both players, forming the water pool.

Step 4: Determine First Player

The game includes a first player marker. You can determine who goes first by any method you prefer, such as rolling a die or flipping a coin. The player who goes first gets the first player marker.

Step 5: Hand Draw

Each player draws five cards from their deck to form their starting hand. Players should keep their hand secret from their opponent. This forms the basis of the strategic element of the game as players try to anticipate and counter their opponent’s moves.

Step 6: Random Elements

Radlands includes various random elements, primarily through the deck of cards. As each player draws cards from their deck, they will encounter People, Events, and Gear cards that can influence the outcome of the game. The randomness of these draws adds an element of unpredictability and excitement to the game.

Now that the game is set up, players can begin their struggle for survival in the wastelands of Radlands. Remember, the key to success in Radlands is efficient resource management and strategic planning. Good luck!

Game flow Round and round we go

Radlands is a tactical card game, where players vie for survival in a post-apocalyptic world. The game is played in rounds until one player is left with no camps (home bases), at which point the other player is declared the winner.

The game primarily consists of three phases, namely Draw Phase, Action Phase, and Discard Phase. Let’s discuss each phase in detail.

Draw Phase:

During the Draw Phase, players draw cards from their deck until they have six cards in their hand. If it’s the first round of the game, players draw the top three cards from their deck.
In case a player’s deck is empty, they shuffle their discard pile to form a new deck and continue drawing.

Action Phase:

In the Action Phase, players can perform a range of actions that can be broadly categorized into two types: Play a Card and Activate a Card.
Play a Card: To play a card, a player chooses a card from their hand and places it in their play area. Each card has a cost, which is the number of cards the player must discard from their hand.
Activate a Card: To activate a card, a player uses the ability of a card already in their play area. The abilities vary from card to card. Some abilities are free, while others require a player to discard cards.
The player may perform as many actions as they want and can afford during their turn. Once they are finished, the turn passes to the other player.

Discard Phase:

After the Action Phase, comes the Discard Phase. In this phase, if a player has more than six cards in their hand, they must discard down to six.

The game continues in this order, with players drawing cards, performing actions, and discarding excess cards, until one player’s camps are all destroyed, declaring the other player as the victor of the Radlands.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Radlands is a strategic and competitive post-apocalyptic board game where players manage their own camps and utilize their resources to outwit their opponents. Here is a detailed breakdown of what happens during a player’s turn in ‘Radlands’ and the actions they can take:

1. Draw Phase:

At the start of each turn, the player draws two cards from their deck. These cards can be a mix of People, Events, or Gear cards which can be used to fortify their camp or attack the opponent’s camp.

2. Main Phase:

During the main phase, the player can perform any of the following actions:

Play a Card: The player can play a People, Gear, or Event card from their hand. Playing a People or Gear card requires a water resource, which can be gained from certain cards or actions. Event cards typically have no cost.
Activate a Card: The player can activate a card they have already played in previous turns. The effect varies depending on the card, but it could allow the player to draw additional cards, gain resources, or attack the opponent’s camp.
Trash a Card: The player can choose to trash a card from their hand or their camp. Trashing a People or Gear card from the camp returns a water resource to the player, while trashing a card from the hand does not give any benefit. However, trashing can be a strategic move to cycle through the deck faster or remove less useful cards.
Pass: The player can choose to pass their turn. This is usually done if the player cannot or does not want to perform any other action.

Players can perform these actions in any order and repeat any action as many times as they want, as long as they have the necessary resources.

3. End Phase:

At the end of the turn, the player checks their camp for any end-of-turn effects or conditions that need to be resolved. Once these are resolved, the turn passes to the opponent.

It’s crucial to make strategic choices during the game as the goal is to destroy the opponent’s camp. Players must balance their resources, protect their own camp, and find the right moment to strike the opponent’s camp. The ability to understand the strength and weakness of each card in your deck and how to optimize their use is key to winning the game.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Radlands is a competitive card game that pits players against each other in a post-apocalyptic world. The game continues until one player meets one of the victory conditions, at which point the game ends immediately. Here are the ways a game of Radlands can end:

Player Elimination: If a player loses all of their camps, they are immediately eliminated from the game. If this happens, the remaining player is declared the winner.
Deck Exhaustion: If a player cannot draw a card from their deck when required, they lose the game. The other player is then declared the winner.

There are no additional actions players need to take before the final scoring. Unlike many other board games, Radlands does not have a scoring phase at the end of the game. Instead, the game ends immediately when one of the victory conditions is met.

It’s worth noting that the game also has a sudden death rule. If both players would lose the game at the same time (for example, if both players run out of cards in their deck at the same time), the game continues on a turn-by-turn basis. The first player who can’t draw a card loses. This creates a tense endgame scenario where every draw and every card play could be the deciding factor.

Lastly, remember that Radlands is a game of survival and resource management. The key to victory lies not just in destroying your opponent’s camps, but also in managing your own resources wisely. If you can outlast your opponent, you will be victorious.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

‘Radlands’ is a fiercely competitive card game where players duke it out in a post-apocalyptic setting. The ultimate goal of the game is to destroy the opponent’s camp before your own is destroyed. As such, the scoring system is primarily based on the successful destruction of your opponent’s camps.

The game doesn’t utilize a traditional point-based scoring system. Instead, the winner is determined by the last player standing, i.e., the player who manages to keep at least one of their camps intact while eliminating all of their opponent’s camps.

Here’s a breakdown of the scoring system:

Destroying an opponent’s camp: The primary way to win in ‘Radlands’ is to destroy all three of your opponent’s camps. Each player starts the game with three camps. Destroying a camp doesn’t award you points, but it significantly increases your chances of winning the game as it brings you one step closer to eliminating your opponent.
Keeping your camps intact: Conversely, you should also focus on protecting your own camps. The game ends when a player has no camps left, so maintaining your camps is equally as important as attacking your opponent’s.
Eliminating your opponent: The game is won by the player who successfully destroys all of their opponent’s camps while at least one of their own camps remains. There are no points awarded or tracked during the game—it’s purely a battle of survival.

Now, let’s move on to the tie-breaking rules:

In the unlikely event of a tie, where both players lose their last camp at the same time, the game’s tie-breaking rules come into effect. ‘Radlands’ tie-breaking system is defined as follows:

The player who initiated the final round (i.e., the active player) is declared the loser. If you force a situation where both players lose their last camp, you lose the game.
If both players lose their last camp due to a card effect that wasn’t initiated by either player, the game is declared a draw.

Remember, the key to winning ‘Radlands’ is a combination of a strong offense to destroy your opponent’s camps, and a solid defense to protect your own.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Radlands is a two-player card game where the aim is to destroy your opponent’s camp. Here are some rare or special rules and exceptions which are significant in the game:

1. Card’s Special Actions: Radlands features several cards with special abilities. These can be activated only when the card is in play and the specific conditions are met. For example, the ‘Cult Leader’ card can only be played if there is an ‘Infiltrator’ card in the opponent’s camp.

2. Discarding Cards: If a player doesn’t have enough cards in their hand to draw up to three at the end of their turn, they must shuffle their discard pile into their deck and then continue drawing. If a player still doesn’t have enough cards to draw three even after shuffling, they simply draw as many as they can.

3. Use of Water: Water is a key resource in the game. However, it can’t be used to pay for the cost of cards or abilities during the opponent’s turn. It’s important to manage the water resources wisely.

4. Card Placement: When playing a card, it must be placed in one of the three camp slots. If all slots are filled, a card must be replaced and sent to the discard pile.

5. Dealing Damage: Damage dealt to cards isn’t cumulative. If a card isn’t destroyed in one attack, its health is reset back to full at the end of the turn.

Clarifications:

When a card says “destroy a card,” it can target any card in play, including those in the player’s own camp.
If a card ability allows a player to draw cards, those cards are drawn immediately and can be used during the same turn.
When a card is destroyed, any attached cards are also sent to the discard pile.