OFFICIAL RULES
WIREBURN
2–6 Players / 57 Cards / 15–30 Minutes
Overview
Wireburn is a fast-paced card game set inside a contested network. Each player is an operative racing to shed every card from their hand. Cards are played onto three shared colour docks by matching values or stepping up and down the number line. Along the way you will stack damage against your rivals, deploy shields to survive incoming attacks, and trigger chain reactions that clear entire docks. The first operative to empty their hand and survive a full rotation of play wins the game.
Components
The deck contains 57 cards:
| Card Type | Count | Description |
|---|
| Teal 1–10 | 10 | Colour cards, values 1 through 10 |
| Purple 1–10 | 10 | Colour cards, values 1 through 10 |
| Orange 1–10 | 10 | Colour cards, values 1 through 10 |
| Grey 2–9 | 12 | Neutral cards (no 1, 5, or 10) |
| VOLT | 3 | Wild attack card (acts as 1 or 10) |
| STASIS | 3 | Wild reset card (locks dock at 5) |
| NULL | 3 | Wildcard and defensive shield |
| Modifier +1 | 3 | Adjusts grey dock values up |
| Modifier −1 | 3 | Adjusts grey dock values down |
Setup
- Shuffle all 57 cards together to form the draw pile.
- Deal 9 cards face-down to each player.
- Place the three colour docks (Teal, Purple, Orange) in the centre of the table. All docks begin empty.
- The youngest player begins.
Your Turn
On your turn you must do one of the following:
Option A — Play Cards
Play one or more cards from your hand onto a valid dock. After playing, your turn continues — you may play additional cards or choose to end your turn. Once you play a card, you may no longer draw for the rest of the turn.
Option B — Draw
If you cannot or choose not to play, draw up to 3 cards one at a time from the draw pile. Drawing is only available before you have played any card this turn. If the draw pile is empty, shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw pile.
Playing Cards
The Three Docks
The board has three docks: Teal, Purple, and Orange. Each dock holds a stack of cards. The top card of a dock determines what can be played next.
Cold Boot (Opening a Dock)
When a dock is empty, it must be cold booted. Only a colour card matching that dock's colour, or a NULL card, may initialise an empty dock. You may only cold boot one dock per turn. Grey cards, VOLT, STASIS, and Modifiers cannot open a dock.
Step (Standard Play)
Play a card whose value is exactly 1 higher or 1 lower than the dock's current value. The card must match the dock's active colour, or be a grey card.
Echo (Hijack)
Play a card with the same value as the dock's current value, regardless of colour. This switches the dock's active colour to the played card's colour.
Example: Playing a Purple 6 onto a Teal 6 changes the dock's active colour to Purple.
Grey Cards
Grey cards are colour-neutral. They follow normal step and echo rules but can be played on any dock regardless of its active colour. When a grey card is on top, the dock becomes open — any colour may follow it, provided the value is a valid step or echo. Grey cards exist in values 2 through 9 only.
Special Cards
NULL
NULL is the most versatile card in the game. It may be played onto any active dock at any time. NULL carries no numerical value of its own — it acts as a transparent pass-through. The dock's value remains whatever the card beneath the NULL shows, and the dock becomes open (any colour may follow).
If NULL is played onto an empty dock via cold boot, it has no value until another card is placed on top.
Defensive Use
When you are targeted by incoming damage, if you hold a NULL card you may play it out of turn to deflect the entire attack. The accumulated damage passes to the next player in turn order. You then take a normal turn.
VOLT
VOLT may be played when the dock's value is 1, 2, 9, or 10. Playing a VOLT deals +1 damage, but your turn continues. The VOLT stack remains on the dock and is locked — only a card with value 1, value 10, another VOLT, or a NULL may follow it. At the end of your turn, all VOLT stacks are cleared and their docks become empty again, re-enabling cold boot.
STASIS
STASIS may be played when the dock's value is 4, 5, or 6. It locks the dock to value 5 and deals +1 damage, but your turn continues. The dock becomes open after STASIS is played.
Modifiers (+1 and −1)
Modifier cards adjust the value of a grey card sitting on a dock. They may only be placed on top of a grey number card — never on coloured cards, NULL, VOLT, or STASIS. Modifiers permanently alter the dock's effective value for all players. Multiple modifiers may stack.
Boundary Rule
A modifier may never push the dock's value to 1 or below, or to 10 or above. For example, placing a +1 on a grey 9 (which would make 10) is illegal. Similarly, a −1 on a grey 2 (which would make 1) is illegal.
Modifier Combos
You may play modifiers directly onto a grey card sitting on a dock to shift its value, then follow up with a matching card. Modifiers can also be combined with a grey card in hand and played together as a single combo.
Cancellation: If you hold both a +1 and a −1 modifier, you may discard them together as a pair. They cancel out and are removed from the game. This counts as a play action.
Damage
Damage accumulates across plays during a turn. When your turn ends, all stacked damage is directed at the next player (or at a player in Final Firewall — see below).
Tripwire (Dock Value Reaches 10)
When a coloured or grey card with value 10 is played and the dock reaches a value of 10, the dock detonates. All cards on that dock are discarded, +1 damage is added, and your turn ends with a hard stop — you may not play further. Note that modifiers can never push a dock to 10.
Defuse (Dock Value Reaches 1)
Identical to Tripwire, but triggered when the dock reaches a value of 1. The dock is cleared, +1 damage is added, and the turn hard stops. Modifiers can never push a dock to 1.
Receiving Damage
When damage is directed at you, you must draw that many cards from the draw pile and your turn is skipped. The skip applies only to the immediate next player after the attacker — it does not cascade further.
Deflecting with NULL
When targeted by damage, if you hold a NULL card you may play it onto any dock to block the attack completely. The accumulated damage passes onward to the next player in turn order. After deflecting, it becomes your turn and you play normally.
Final Firewall
Emptying your hand does not win the game outright. When you play your last card, the Final Firewall activates. You must survive a full rotation of turns back to you without receiving damage.
All Damage Targets You
While your firewall is active, any damage dealt by any player is redirected to you, not to the normal next player in turn order.
Survival
If play rotates all the way back to your turn and no damage has been directed at you, you win the game.
Firewall Breach
If damage reaches you during firewall, you draw the penalty cards and re-enter the game with a hand. Your firewall is broken.
NULL Defence During Firewall
If you are hit while in firewall and you hold a NULL (for example, from a previous breach), you may still deflect. If successful, your firewall is restored.
NULL Draw — Instant Win
If your firewall is breached and you draw a NULL among your penalty cards, you instantly win the game.
Multiple Firewalls
If more than one player is in Final Firewall at the same time, the player who deals damage chooses which firewall player absorbs it.
Winning
You win the game when you are in Final Firewall and play successfully returns to your turn with no damage pending against you — or when you draw a NULL during a firewall breach. There is only one winner.
Quick Reference
Step
Play a card ±1 from the dock value, matching the dock's colour or grey.
Echo (Hijack)
Play any card with the same value as the dock, regardless of colour. Switches the dock's colour.
Cold Boot
One empty dock may be initialised per turn with a matching colour card or NULL.
Tripwire / Defuse
Dock reaching 10 or 1 detonates. +1 damage. Hard stop. Dock cleared.
VOLT
Plays at dock value 1, 2, 9, or 10. +1 damage. Turn continues. Stack locked to 1/10. Clears at end of turn.
STASIS
Plays at dock value 4, 5, or 6. Locks dock to 5. +1 damage. Turn continues.
NULL
Plays on any active dock. Pass-through (dock keeps value beneath). Opens dock. Deflects damage defensively.
Modifiers
Only on grey dock tops. Permanently adjust value. Can never push to 1 or 10. A +1 and −1 may cancel each other.
Draw
Up to 3 cards per turn, only before playing. Deck reshuffles from discard when empty.
Final Firewall
Empty hand triggers firewall. Survive one full rotation to win. All damage targets you. NULL draw during breach = instant win.
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