Goal

Be the first to reach 10 victory points (VP) on your own turn. Homestead = 1 VP, Stronghold = 2 VP, Longest Trail = 2 VP, Warden of the Wastes = 2 VP, each hidden Relic card = 1 VP. Once Act III has begun, if the board ever fully heals (no scorched land remains), the game ends immediately and the highest VP wins — the world is whole, and civilization is judged.

Your turn

1) Roll two dice. Every tile with that number produces for adjacent buildings. 2) Then in any order: trade, build, play one Legacy card, Bribe the raiders (once), Reclaim land (once). 3) End your turn.

Building & costs

• Trail (road): 1 Timber + 1 Scrap. Must connect to your network.
• Homestead: 1 Timber + 1 Scrap + 1 Rations + 1 Fuel. On an empty corner, connected to your trail, and at least 2 corners away from any building.
• Stronghold: 3 Steel + 2 Rations. Upgrades your homestead; produces double.
• Legacy card: 1 Steel + 1 Rations + 1 Fuel.

The living board — half tiles

Every tile has two halves. Each half is a resource or scorched (dead). A homestead collects ½ card per healthy half when the tile's number rolls (a stronghold collects double). Halves can heal into different resources, creating mixed tiles that pay ½ of each. Your bank tracks half-cards automatically — you can only spend, trade, or lose whole cards.

Salvage & protection

When an event scorches a half next to your building, you immediately salvage ½ card of what was destroyed (1 full card per stronghold). Destruction events will never reduce any player to zero total production — the storm re-targets.

Rolling a 7 — raiders & world events

On a 7: nobody produces. Anyone holding more than 7 cards discards half. The roller moves the raider band to any tile (it stops producing) and steals 1 random card from a player there. Then a World Event is drawn — the land burns or heals, often in blast zones or fronts spanning several tiles. Finally the numbers rotate.

Ring rotation

After every event, all number tokens shift one step: the outer ring turns one way, the inner ring the other. It's fully predictable — use the ⚙ Next spin preview to plan. Hot numbers cool off; dead corners come alive.

The three acts

The world's mood follows the leader's progress. Act I — The Burning (leader ≤ 4 VP): events mostly destroy. Act II — The Turning (5–7 VP): balanced chaos. Act III — The Bloom (8+ VP): healing takes over and the board races toward wholeness. The more scorched the board, the more the world leans toward healing (and vice versa).

Reclaim (once per turn)

Pay any 3 cards to heal one scorched half next to any of your buildings. The new resource is random — the land decides.

Bribe the raiders (once per turn)

Pay any 2 cards to the warlord to move the raider band anywhere and steal 1 random card from a player there.

Trading

On your turn, trade at the open table: 📢 Offer cards you'll part with (optionally naming what you want) and every player tells you what they'd pay, or 🙋 Ask for cards you need and every player quotes their price. You see all responses side by side and take the best deal — or walk away. Trade with the bank at 4:1, or better via Trading Posts your buildings touch (3:1 generic, 2:1 for a specific resource). Only whole cards trade.

Legacy cards

Bought face-down; playable from your next turn, max one per turn. Militia — move the raiders and steal (counts toward Warden). Relic — a hidden 1 VP, revealed when you win. Embargo — name a resource; all players give you every whole card of it. Supply Cache — take any 2 cards. Trailblazing — build 2 free trails.

Titles

Longest Trail: first unbroken trail of 5+ (2 VP; stolen only by a strictly longer one). Warden of the Wastes: first to play 3 Militia (2 VP; same stealing rule). Opposing buildings break trails.

Privacy at the table

In hotseat games the device blacks out between human turns — hands, Legacy cards, and half-card fractions are only ever shown to their owner. Steal results name the card only to the thief and victim.

World events reference

• Emberstorm — a blast: half of the epicenter tile and half of each neighbor burns.
• Fire Front — a whole row across the board loses a half each.
• Ashfall — 3 random halves burn anywhere.
• Blight — the two most productive tiles each lose a half.
• Raider Razing — every tile around the raiders burns a half; the raiders then wander.
• Sinkhole — one tile is swallowed whole (Act I only).
• Verdant Cascade — the epicenter fully heals; each neighbor heals a half.
• Spring Rains — 4 scorched halves heal.
• Pioneers Return — 2 halves heal beside the trailing player's buildings.
• Wildbloom — every tile with exactly one scorched half completes itself.
• River Rebirth — a row across the board heals a half each.
• Sanctuary — the raiders' tile fully heals and they retreat to the Ashland.
• Tremor — the rings turn an extra step.
• Reversal — the gears change direction for the rest of the game.
• Supply Caravan — everyone gains a card of their choice.
• Wandering Traders — bank trades improve until the next event.