v1.1
Shadows of the Deck
Player's Manual
Table of Contents

1 Game Overview

Your Mission: Navigate the shifting dreamscape and collect all 7 golden fragments before the Cruxflare consumes the dream.

Shadows of the Deck is a deck-building strategy game where you gradually improve your collection of cards to become more powerful over time. You start with basic cards and purchase better ones using orbs earned through play.

New to Deck-Building? Think of it like upgrading your toolkit. You begin with simple tools and work your way up to powerful equipment. Your deck represents your abilities in the dream world.

2 Deck-Building Basics

Core Concept

Unlike traditional card games where you build a deck before playing, in deck-building games you start with a weak deck and improve it during the game by purchasing new cards.

Deck Cycling

Your deck starts with 10 cards. When you run out of cards to draw, your discard pile (containing played and purchased cards) becomes your new deck. This means every card you buy will eventually return to your hand.

The Economic Engine

Focus cards generate orbs (currency). Better Focus cards generate more orbs, allowing you to buy even better cards. This creates a growing economic engine that powers your strategy.

3 Quick Start Guide

1
Play Focus Cards
Generate orbs to buy new cards
2
Buy Better Cards
Spend orbs in the market
3
Play Move Cards
Travel toward fragments
4
End Turn
Face the Cruxflare threat

Your Starting Resources

  • Deck: 7× Focus +1, 3× Move +1
  • Orbs: 3 to spend immediately
  • Position: Node 0 on the dream map
  • Hand Size: 5 cards per turn

4 Game Interface

HUD (Top Bar)

  • 🎯 Orbs: Your currency for purchasing cards
  • 💎 Fragments: Collected / 7 total needed to win
  • ⚡ Cruxflare: Countdown timer (you lose when this reaches 0)

Dream Map

  • Cyan dot: Your current position
  • 💎 Golden dots: Fragment locations to collect
  • 💫 Purple dots: Encounter zones (random events)
  • Empty nodes: Safe positions with no effects

Card Areas

  • Your Hand (Bottom): Cards you can currently play
  • Market (Middle): Cards available for purchase
  • Deck & Discard: Managed automatically by the game

5 Turn Structure

Action Phase

Play cards from your hand. Focus cards give orbs, Move cards advance your position, and special cards provide various effects. You can play cards in any order and combination.

Strategy Tip: Usually play all Focus cards first to see your total orbs, then decide on movement and other actions.

Market Phase

Spend orbs to purchase cards from the market. Purchased cards go to your discard pile and will be available in future hands. The market immediately refills when cards are bought.

Cruxflare Phase

A Cruxflare event occurs, usually with negative effects like adding dead cards to your deck, removing market options, or collapsing map nodes. This represents the dream's growing instability.

Draw Phase

Discard remaining cards and draw a new hand of 5 cards. If your deck runs out, shuffle your discard pile to form a new deck.

6 Card Reference

Basic Economy Cards

Card Effect Cost Notes
Focus +1 +1 orb Starting Your basic economy engine
Focus +2 +2 orbs 3 orbs Early upgrade priority
Focus +3 +3 orbs 5 orbs Mid-game economic power
Focus +4 +4 orbs 7 orbs High-efficiency generation
Focus +5 +5 orbs 8 orbs Maximum economic power

Movement Cards

Card Effect Cost Notes
Move +1 Move 1 space 2 orbs Basic movement option
Move +2 Move 2 spaces 4 orbs Efficient travel
Move +3 Move 3 spaces 6 orbs Long-range movement
Astral Drift Move 4 spaces 7 orbs Maximum single movement

Safe Movement Cards

Card Effect Cost Notes
Swift Step Move 1 safely 3 orbs Skip encounters
Void Step Move 2 safely 4 orbs Safe medium movement
Shadow Walk Move 3 safely 6 orbs Safe long movement

Defensive & Utility Cards

Card Effect Cost When to Buy
Shadow Blocker Block next Cruxflare 4 orbs When countdown is low
Dream Sight Preview next Cruxflare 4 orbs For planning ahead
Fragment 2pts Next fragment = 2 points 5 orbs Late game efficiency
Ethereal Leap Teleport to next fragment 5 orbs Emergency fragment collection
Dream Echo Replay last card played 6 orbs Combo amplification

7 Strategy Guide

Early Game (Turns 1-6)
  • Focus on economy: buy better Focus cards
  • Don't rush movement: build your deck first
  • Avoid expensive cards: stick to 2-4 orb purchases
  • Take encounter risks for extra orbs
Mid Game (Turns 7-12)
  • Start collecting fragments near your position
  • Buy defensive cards: Shadow Blockers become important
  • Consider safe movement to avoid encounter delays
  • Balance deck building with map progress
Late Game (Turns 13+)
  • Fragment rush: use efficient movement cards
  • Prioritize defensive cards to block Cruxflare
  • Use Fragment 2pts cards for efficiency
  • Calculate remaining turns carefully
Emergency Situations
  • Cruxflare ≤ 3: Focus entirely on fragments
  • Use Ethereal Leap for instant fragment access
  • Shadow Blockers can buy crucial extra turns
  • Don't waste turns on economy when time is short

Encounter Strategy

Encounters have a 60% chance of giving you 2-4 orbs and a 40% chance of taking 1-2 orbs. Early game, this risk is usually worth taking for the potential economic boost. Late game, when every turn counts, safe movement becomes more valuable.

Fragment Collection Routes

Fragment locations: 2, 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 17

  • Efficient Route: 0→2→5→7→10→12→15→17 (requires 17 total movement)
  • Early Clusters: Positions 2, 5, 7 are close together - good first targets
  • Late Game: Positions 15, 17 are at the map's end - plan accordingly

8 Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use all my cards each turn?
No, but usually you want to. Unused cards just get discarded anyway at the end of the turn, so there's rarely a reason to hold back.
When should I start moving toward fragments?
Around turn 3-5, once you have better orb generation. Rushing too early leaves you with a weak deck, but waiting too long risks running out of time.
What happens when I land on an encounter?
You'll trigger a random event: 60% chance of gaining 2-4 orbs, 40% chance of losing 1-2 orbs. It's usually worth the risk early in the game.
Can I win without buying expensive cards?
Possible but much harder. Better cards give you more options and efficiency. The economic scaling is designed to reward investment in your deck.
What happens if the Cruxflare deck runs out?
You lose immediately, regardless of how many fragments you've collected. The Cruxflare countdown is your hard time limit.
Should I buy cards or save orbs?
Almost always buy cards. Orbs don't carry between turns, and a stronger deck generates more orbs in future turns. The economic growth is exponential.

9 Quick Reference

Win Condition
Collect all 7 fragments
Lose Condition
Cruxflare deck empties
Starting Deck
7× Focus +1, 3× Move +1
Starting Orbs
3 orbs
Hand Size
Always 5 cards
Map Size
18 positions (0-17)
Fragment Locations
2, 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 17
Cruxflare Timer
19 turns maximum
Remember: Balance economic growth with map progress while managing the ever-present Cruxflare threat. The shadows are always closing in!