Collection Status
Your Rating
Description
At the dawn of the SMC age, the people were losing faith in an increasingly amoral society. Mother was developed to emulate human thought and emotion, to simulate human desires and aspirations, to better understand the rapid decline in morality. The citizens of Sapporo became the guinea-pigs for this technological experiment. A series of city-wide neural implant programs, dubbed “the harvests”, enabled the gathering of data directly from a person’s cerebral cortex.
Mother’s neural net became more and more empowered by the collective thoughts of a city of souls. She soon became her own master, not just reading the minds of her citizens, but controlling them. Mother was in charge and the people were now her automatons.
Only a few, the few who from fear, mistrust or in protest, avoided the harvests and remained untouched by Mother’s influence. Like sewer rats they hide in an underground complex in Sapporo's Susukino district. While society at large became free from crime, free from poverty, free from emotion, without free-will or faith, from these few there came the criminals, the bootleggers, and the self-serving; the hungry, the frightened and the “Renegades”.
Renegade is an abstract-euro thematic deck-building game for 1 to 5 players. You are a new breed of Decker - a Renegade. You will hack into a network of five servers, operated by one of four Super-Massive-Computers (SMCs). Each of these four SMCs have their own AI and increasing complexity to defeat. You must survive a series of Countermeasure events before the network becomes overrun by Sparks and Guardians. Once you are jacked into an SMC’s servers, with a profile bringing its own special ability, you will move across its partitions and fight to take control of the network by using informational, destructive, deceptive and cognitive attacks.
Your Decker can seek upgrades (tools, software, apparel and information) by visiting the local bar, the "Hack Shack". Once a fashionable hang-out for attractive young lovers seeking a voyeur's view of the city, it has now gone underground. An intimidating bar full of hit men and debt collectors, fixers and dealers, trading contraband from all across Sapporo, it's not the sort of place to take a date. This is where you will trade for new command cards, enhancing your Command Deck to become a more skillful Renegade.
Year Published
2018
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 5
This page: 5
Sentiment:
pos 3 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 2 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–5 of 5
Video z8BsbXb3HOM
Unknown Channel rules teach at 0:03 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 12617 · mention_pk 36822
Click to watch at 0:03
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
- Cooperative puzzle with escalating tension as the cycle progresses
- Thematic flavor of hacking and network defense is engaging
- Clear objective-driven structure with multiple routes to success
Cons
- High rule complexity and heavy bookkeeping can be intimidating
- Punishing failure could frustrate players if not resolved quickly
- Notes and terms (Sparks, Guardians, SMC) may require a reference sheet for new players
Thematic elements
- cooperative hacking and countermeasures against a central AI
- Cyberpunk networked setting where hackers attempt to weaken a dominant AI-controlled network.
- procedural, objective-driven with escalating threats
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Countermeasure deployment on an SMC network — Players place countermeasures to achieve objectives while fighting back against the SMC.
- Cycle-based countermeasures — The game progresses through copper, silver, and gold countermeasures, each representing a cycle with increasing difficulty.
- Guardians and firewalls mechanics — Guardians can be created from a flare flipped to its firewall side; firewalls lock down a partition.
- Loss conditions — Losing conditions include running out of Sparks/Guardians or reaching a state that the game deems a failure (e.g., too many countermeasures active).
- Spark explosions and cascading effects — Explosions transfer sparks and can cause additional guardians and changes to partitions.
- Sparks and Guardians resource management — Sparks are placed on partitions; three sparks trigger a spark explosion that can create a Guardian or trigger other effects.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- renegade is a cooperative game for one
- minimize spark explosions so you don't run out of Sparks and Guardians
- there are only 5 Guardians in the game and only 25 sparks
- through copper silver and gold succeed
- you need to keep on top of sparks
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video rxotTzLgN0Y
Beond Solitaire top_10_list at 20:04 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5720 · mention_pk 16984
Click to watch at 20:04
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Solid solo-friendly design
- Widely recognized within the hobby
Cons
- Availability issues in some regions
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Witchcraft
- Resist
- Earthborne Rangers
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Deck-building/engine-building — Card-based system with upgrades and engine-building elements.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the solo Gaming Community is the best community in gaming
- this is the forever list for many players, a place where certain games become 'forever' for some people
- the art on Kilforth is the most beautiful art I've ever seen
- it's my number one
- theme hooks me, and if that can hook me, I keep digging into the mechanics
- the audience is changing and that's driving which games end up on the list
- we need fresh voices to keep the list dynamic
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video FJ5f1fTB17U
Unknown rules_teach at 0:04 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 4111 · mention_pk 12035
Click to watch at 0:04
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
- Diverse difficulty levels with multiple SMC opponents
- Flexible network setup creates varied strategic landscapes
- RS20 simulator available for skill-building without real opponents
- Mulligan system allows hand adjustment with strategic risk
- Asymmetric player profiles create varied gameplay experiences
Cons
- Complex setup with many individual components to organize
- Multiple rule conditions to remember (orientation matching, partition touching requirements)
- Risk management in mulligan system can penalize players trying to improve hands
Thematic elements
- Hacking, Digital warfare
- Cybernetic network
- Strategic gameplay with AI opponents
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- AI opponent system — Players compete against an SMC (super massive computer) opponent with difficulty levels ranging from Alpha Mobi (easiest) to Mother (hardest)
- Asymmetric gameplay — Different player profiles (Heti Magnetic, Uro Nora) have unique decks and abilities
- Command Cards — Players use basic command cards specific to their profile and advanced command cards from the hack shack
- Contaminant placement — Each player places a colored contaminant (virus or replicant) matching their profile on their access point
- Defenses and counters — SMC sets up defenses using sparks and guardians, counter measure cards are organized by copper, silver, and gold colors
- hand management — Players draw 5-card starting hands and can mulligan with penalty of placing additional spark on access point
- Network construction — Five server tiles are placed following orientation matching and two-partition touching rules
- Profile selection — Each player chooses a character profile with unique avatar and associated card deck
- tile placement — Players place server tiles with specific orientation and partition connection rules to build a network
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- in this video we're going to learn how to set up a game of renegade the first thing we do is choose an SMC an super massive computer to play against
- the orientation of this tile must be the same as the orientation of the existing tile
- two partitions each one of these is one of six partitions on a server tile must touch at least two partitions on another server already on the network
- some smc's prefer open networks lots of space around the servers others prefer more compact or closed networks you'll find geometry in the way the server tiles fall
- placing Spark on the same partition is a dangerous occupation you don't want to lose the game before you've even begun
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 0KZ_DgyeYXc
Beyond Solitaire playthrough at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 3539 · mention_pk 10520
Click to watch at 0:00
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Rich, layered decisions with multiple routes to victory
- Strong solo play with meaningful tension and planning
- Flavorful mechanics like neural hubs and replicants that reinforce theme
- Upgradeable deck system adds long-term strategy
Cons
- High complexity and learning curve
- Rule text is dense and can be intimidating on first play
- Dice-driven randomness can affect pacing and predictability
Thematic elements
- Infection vs containment in a hacked digital ecosystem, using a mix of biology and hacking metaphors.
- A cyber-biological network battle on a server, with partitions, home servers, sparks, and guardians.
- Strategy-first, puzzle-like, deck-building with emergent in-game storytelling
Comparison games
- Renegade
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Countermeasure phase — At the end of turns, a virus battle and delete-contaminant steps resolve the last actions and check for victory.
- Deck-building/shop mechanic — Hack Shack shop with cards purchasing upgrades (infiltrate, memory steal, sidekick, etc.) to improve actions.
- Infection and removal via dice-interactions — Attacking with virus tokens involves rolling a die with modifiers from cards; success removes sparks or infects new areas.
- Installations and Palace mechanics — Installations can be moved or consolidated, and Hacker's Palace triggers objective checks and major effects.
- Neural Hub and teleportation — Neural Hub installations allow avatar teleportation across the network for strategic positioning.
- Partition-based board and sparks — Players place virus and spark tokens on server partitions; sparks trigger infections and cause cascading effects.
- Replicants and contaminant uploads — Replicants generate additional infection actions; uploading contaminants creates new viruses or installs.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I love having a neural hub everywhere I can because it's just useful.
- I love replicants.
- it's awesome
- that was a well played hand
- I think we're going to do this it's cool
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video QxrIcWrbUIo
Box of Delights unboxing_and_preview at 0:12 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2691 · mention_pk 7914
Click to watch at 0:12
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- High-quality production components and refined card/tile art in the production copy
- Significant improvements over press kit previews (larger cards, clearer text, more usable tokens)
- Color-blind friendly labeling using symbols and names in addition to color
- Expansion compatibility and additions
- Replayability and puzzle-like design encourages repeat play
Cons
- Potential complexity and a steeper learning curve for new players
- Some players may find the number of Renegade characters and cards initially daunting
- Retail price and availability of expansion content may affect decision to buy
Thematic elements
- Cybersecurity, hacking, countermeasures, and network control within a modular mission framework.
- Near-future cyberpunk network defense on a corporate server grid with hackers and security constructs.
- Puzzle-driven, thematic but abstract; asymmetric roles with evolving threat and defense dynamics.
Comparison games
- Pandemic
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- asymmetric player powers — Each Renegade character has unique abilities affecting actions and objectives; players can take on different roles.
- card-driven action system — Actions are selected via decks and countermeasures that drive players' planning and responses.
- Countermeasures and contaminants — Swapping or deploying countermeasures, root kits, and contaminants to influence the network.
- Deck upgrades and expansions — Expansion boosters introduce new cards and twists that change the balance and options.
- Heuristic/dice-based risk management — Heat transfer dice and infection dice model procedural risk across partitions.
- Modular board / server tiles — Variable map layout with server tiles and uplinks to create varied play spaces.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- wow this is very exciting for me because I've not seen it yet
- these look good
- it's pretty neat huh
- Renegade is finally yeah I can't wait till you guys start playing it
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–5 of 5