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About Cardboard Town
Cardboard Town is a city‑building card game that mixes hand‑drawn art with a resource‑focused economy. Each turn you draw cards that let you expand districts, upgrade utilities, and respond to random events while watching Money, Electricity, Water, Environment, and Safety.
The title plays as a roguelite: after every run you keep persistent rewards that add new cards to a pool of over 300 building, action, quest, festival and upgrade cards. High scores are recorded, and accumulating three Red Alerts ends the session.
01 / THE GUIDE
Gameplay Loop
At the start of each turn you draw a hand of cards that present options such as adding residential zones or improving the power grid. You then choose which cards to play based on the current state of your city.
After playing cards the game evaluates the five city stats—Money, Electricity, Water, Environment, and Safety. It may also trigger a random disaster that requires an Action card to resolve, influencing the next hand.
- Play a mix of building and action cards each turn to keep all stats in check.
- Keep at least one Action card in reserve for unexpected disasters.
02 / THE GUIDE
Resource Management
The city’s health is measured by five stats: Money, Electricity, Water, Environment, and Safety. Expanding the population without sufficient utilities can cause problems that appear in later turns.
Neglecting any of these resources can generate a Red Alert. Accumulating three Red Alerts triggers the game‑over condition, so careful balancing is essential.
- Check all five stats before committing to large building projects.
- Prioritize utility upgrades early to support future growth.
03 / THE GUIDE
Random Events and Disasters
During play random disasters and events appear, testing the city’s preparedness. The appropriate Action cards must be used to mitigate damage and keep the city stable.
If an event is not resolved, a Red Alert is added. Repeated alerts bring the player closer to the three‑strike game‑over rule.
- Include versatile Action cards in your deck to handle varied emergencies.
- Watch event descriptions for clues about the required response.
04 / THE GUIDE
Deck Building and Upgrades
Cardboard Town offers over 300 Building, Action, Quest, Festival and Upgrade cards. After each run you earn persistent rewards that let you add new cards to your deck for future attempts.
Different runs can emphasize eco‑friendly or industrial strategies, depending on the cards you choose, creating varied gameplay experiences each time.
- Experiment with themed decks to discover synergistic combos.
- Add upgrade cards that improve resource generation for long‑term stability.
05 / THE GUIDE
Failure Conditions
The game features a “Three Strikes, You’re Out” rule: each Red Alert counts toward a total of three, after which the session ends immediately. No other win or loss condition is described.
Players can save at any time, and the game supports mouse‑only, controller, and timed‑input‑free play, making the failure system accessible across skill levels.
- Monitor Red Alerts closely to avoid an unexpected game over.
- Use the save‑anytime feature before risky expansions.
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