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Description
Netrunner is a cyberpunk-themed collectible card game. The two players are the Corp (who wins by completing Agendas) and the Runner (who wins by infiltrating the Corp and liberating Agendas).
Each side has a limited number of both actions and bits (money) to spend per turn; bits are gone once used, and actions must be spent to gain more.
An important thing when evaluating the power of cards is to see the Bit per action ratio.
One unique feature of this game is that the Runner physically moves on the "board" created by facedown Corp cards. It has the feel of a "capture the flag" game, with the Runner moving in dataforts to steal Agendas from the Corp.
Another unique feature is that the Cards are NOT the primary strategy of the game; in fact, players can win by simply "playing with the rules" itself (a concept difficult to understand if you've never played Netrunner).
Both players play as both Corp and Runner in a game, one after the other, with each player's Runner going against the opponent's Corp. A winning match provides 10 points and the loser scores points equal to the number of agenda points scored/liberated. The winner of the game is the one who has the most points in the 2 submatches.
Though Netrunner is traditionally a two-player duel, there are formats that allow for more players (called "The Big Sell Out").
Year Published
1996
Featured Videos
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 6
This page: 6
Sentiment:
pos 5 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 1 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–6 of 6
Video _yWXVgJl5ec
Unknown Channel game_review at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 32087 · mention_pk 94736
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Brilliant asymmetry that makes each side feel like a different game
- Near-limitless deck-building options enabling creative experimentation
- Tense, cinematic runs driven by bluffing and clever counterplay
- Flexible play styles supporting casual and competitive environments
- Accessible expansion model via full card accessibility at a reasonable cost
Cons
- Creativity can feel constrained if you lack a regular group to test decks
- Finding a stable local community can be challenging, impacting pacing and social play
- Steep learning curve and maintenance for new players may be a barrier
Thematic elements
- Hacking, espionage, corporate power, and high-stakes data theft
- Cyberpunk megacity where corporations vie for control and runners seek to expose agendas
- Duel of wits with decision-rich, tense confrontations, driven by bluffing and counterplay
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Asymmetric gameplay — Runner and Corporation operate as distinct, differently powered factions with unique goals and resources.
- asymmetric player powers — Runner and Corporation operate as distinct, differently powered factions with unique goals and resources.
- Bluffing and counterplay — Fog of information and strategic misdirection create tense interactions and mind games.
- Deck building — Players assemble a deck from a shared card pool to execute strategies and adapt to opponents.
- deck-building — Players assemble a deck from a shared card pool to execute strategies and adapt to opponents.
- Defensive vs offensive interaction (ICE vs programs) — Servers are protected by ICE; runners install programs to breach defenses and gain agendas.
- Dynamic risk-reward runs — Runners decide when to strike and what information to disclose, balancing risk and payoff.
- Resource management — Economy controls actions, access, and tempo, shaping run success and denial strategies.
- Resource management (credits) — Economy controls actions, access, and tempo, shaping run success and denial strategies.
- risk management — Runners decide when to strike and what information to disclose, balancing risk and payoff.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The asymmetric gameplay is brilliant.
- Deck building has near limitless options, letting you fine-tune combos or experiment with wild ideas.
- The bluffing and counterplay make every run tense and cinematic.
- My verdict for Netrunner is innocent.
- So you can dive straight into casual or competitive play.
- But your debt building freedom is limited to the current legal pool of corporations and runners.
- If none of them click with your play style, your creativity feels boxed in.
- The court builds servers and defends them with ice while the runner installs programs and makes daring runs to bypass security.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video iJNxPRfs2kM
Rolling Dice and Taking Names interview at 2:10:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13770 · mention_pk 40244
Click to watch at 2:10:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Pioneered asymmetric card play and meta-developer engagement
- Deep strategic depth and community-driven evolution (expansions)
Cons
- Complex learning curve; large memory requirement
Thematic elements
- hackathon of information vs. security
- Cyberpunk corporate warfare
- asymmetric, two distinct sides (Runner vs. Corporation)
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Asymmetric play — Runner vs. Corp have different goals and mechanics
- deck-building + hand management — Unique terms and multiple decks for each side; dynamic meta evolves with expansions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- bam that's a quote, baby, quotable
- it's one of those things that you should always feel like there's no chance for you to win on both sides simultaneously
- easy like sunday morning
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video GsuMEmi7Lsg
Board Game Coffee general_discussion at 6:51 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13626 · mention_pk 39810
Click to watch at 6:51 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- deep, fast-paced head-to-head
- great for two players
Cons
- complex ecosystem, can be intimidating
- deck management can be finicky
Thematic elements
- one-on-one hacking duel
- cyberpunk, corporate espionage
Comparison games
- KeyForge
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- deck-building — pre-made and customizable decks with strategic choices
- hand-management — careful resource management and timing
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- "Netrunner is a fabulous game now I used to play this all the time"
- "it's the best of those"
- "it's so good I can't emphasize how good this is"
- "Claustrophobia is a must-have for your collection if you're a Dungeon Crawler"
- "Gardenbau sponsored by 25th Century Games"
- "you buy one of these packs and you're good to go"
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video cLOrxog8Yk4
Board Game Hangar general_discussion at 10:38 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8530 · mention_pk 25167
Click to watch at 10:38 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- deep strategic layers for two players
- highly thematic and iconic
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- cyberpunk intrigue and corporate warfare
- near-future bluffing and hacking duel
Comparison games
- Watergate
- Root
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- deck-building / bluffing — asymmetric corps vs. hackers with strategic HQ/DN rules
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I guarantee that 90 of the games here I think you will enjoy
- this shelf is like this any game you pull out you know you can immediately play even if you don't remember all the rules
- I want it as well
- you have to move with the culture next to the wine I think he's a fan of me
- two players two player versus games exactly
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video tTa3MQtacsE
Rolling Dice and Taking Names general_discussion at 15:44 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6112 · mention_pk 18110
Click to watch at 15:44 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Iconic design and deep strategic potential
- Nostalgic appeal with legacy status among hobbyists
Cons
- Complex and heavy; aging system can be less accessible to new players
Thematic elements
- High-stakes information warfare with asymmetrical roles
- Near-future cyberpunk; corporate espionage and hacking
- Cyberpunk-flavored, highly strategic and dense
Comparison games
- Android: Netrunner
- Terraforming Mars
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Asymmetric play (Runner vs Corporation) — Two sides with different goals, decks, and pacing; each side builds its own engine
- Card-based engine building — Decks build up capabilities and interactions to win access/control
- Resource and tempo control — Managing clicks, credits, and installs to advance threats or defenses
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this thing was a beast
- five actions five cards
- I love the action selection mechanism and I love how they vary in power from one to five
- the rondelle portion of this game did not disappoint at all
- it's a compact game; it's a small box
- the art is absolutely stunning
- Oceans digital upgrade
- Netrunner would be a great revisit
- this is not the same game as the Thing infection at Outpost 31
- the ritual boards have dual layer boards
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 1WM9qMtE_BU
Our Family Plays Games top_10_list at 27:50 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 3912 · mention_pk 11455
Click to watch at 27:50 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
none
Cons
- Lynette doesn't play it - Dan has to find others
Thematic elements
- Corporation vs Runner
- Cyberpunk hacking
- Asymmetric card game
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Once we discovered how to really play Azul we started playing 8 times
- If someone ask me to give a favorite I have to give you a list
- It all depends on if you're learning the game the right way
- Fossilis is truly underrated
- This is Phil Walker-Harding y'all you know one of the 3,000 games he made in like one day
- We want the whole family we want them all
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–6 of 6