A MODERN CARD GAMEBUILT ON A SINGLE AXIOM.
Play a card only if it shares exactly one attribute with the open card. Everything else—strategy, psychology, risk—emerges naturally. Optional Spider scanning turns AXIOM into a retro‑future ritual.
Because the rule is simple — the decisions aren't.
AXIOM doesn't add complexity with exceptions. It creates depth by forcing clean trade‑offs: tempo vs control, certainty vs risk, short‑term moves vs your hidden endgame.
Learn AXIOM in 60 seconds.
On your turn you either play a matching card or draw one. The magic comes from the matching rule: you must share exactly one attribute with the open card.
Play a card if it matches the open card by color OR by value — but never both. That single 'XOR' rule creates constant tension.
If you don't have a legal play—or you're saving options—draw one card. No penalties, no arguments.
You win only when your hand AND your Vault are empty. Planning the endgame is where AXIOM separates itself from party staples.
| Players | Hand | Vault |
|---|---|---|
| 2–3 | 5 cards | 3 cards |
| 4–10 | 5 cards | 2 cards |
The Vault turns a simple game into a strategic one.
Your Vault sits face‑down in front of you. You can't win until it's empty. In Advanced mode, you can invest in it (Bank), learn it (Scout), or crack it open (Purge). Ultimate mode uses Bank and Purge only.
The Spider: a scanning ritual that feels alive.
Place one phone in the center. The Spider appears randomly (roughly every 6–10 turns) or immediately when a Joker is played. The active player scans a card, and the app—which has no knowledge of the game state—triggers an event with controlled uncertainty.
• You choose which card to scan
• You know the value and form
• Normal variance in outcomes
• Strategic choice
• You scan a face-down Vault card
• Card is revealed and removed
• Higher variance in outcomes
• Pure risk, high reward
Value/Form → Category Bias: The card's value (0–3) and its shape (triangle, circle, square, cross) shift probabilities toward specific event categories:
- 0 (▲) → Higher chance of ACCELERATE events
- 1 (●) → Higher chance of CONTROL events
- 2 (■) → Higher chance of DISRUPT events
- 3 (✕) → Higher chance of DISRUPT / REVEAL events
Color → Intensity: The suit color affects how intense or swingy the outcome can be.
Scan Zone: Hand scans = normal variance. Vault scans = higher variance. Joker scans = strongly positive bias.
The Spider never guarantees outcomes—it only shifts probabilities. That's what makes it an oracle, not a calculator.
Scenario: You scan a Blue 0 (triangle) from your hand.
What the Spider sees: Value 0, Triangle form, Blue color
What happens: The Spider shifts probabilities toward ACCELERATE events (like "play an extra card" or "draw and play immediately"). The Blue color affects intensity. Since it's a hand scan, variance is normal.
If you had scanned a Vault card instead, the variance would be higher—more unpredictable, but potentially more impactful.
Basic, Advanced, Ultimate. Same core. Different power.
AXIOM is designed to scale with your group. Start analog. Add Vault tactics. Then unlock the Spider ritual when you want maximum drama.
- • fastest to teach
- • family/travel friendly
- • pure strategic matching
- • deeper planning
- • more mind games
- • competitive feel
- • most cinematic
- • highest replay value
- • unique 'oracle' moment
Bring AXIOM to the table.
Start with one rule. Grow into a system. Play analog—or unlock the Spider and turn every session into a ritual.
When the Spider calls, everyone leans in. The scan reveals not just an event, but a moment.