Brink

1 / 36 ~18 min
Welcome to Brink

A World on the Edge

Welcome to Brink -- a card-driven area control game set in a post-apocalyptic world where rival factions fight for dominance over the shattered remains of civilization.

You lead one of four asymmetric Factions, each with unique abilities and a distinct deck of action cards. The map before you is divided into Regions -- territories that provide resources, strategic advantage, and ultimately the Influence Points (IP) you need to win.

The world is unstable. Each round, a Conflict Card is drawn from the Conflict Deck, igniting flashpoints across the map and forcing you to fight for what you hold. When the Conflict Deck runs out, the struggle ends and the faction with the most Influence Points claims dominion over the new world.

Tutorial Overview

Glossary

Action Phase

The second phase of each round. Players take turns playing cards from their hand to perform actions: Deploy, Move, Attack, Build, Research, or Special. Play continues until all players pass.

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Build

An action that constructs an installation in a region you control. Building costs Supplies and sometimes Tech. Installations provide ongoing benefits and score IP at game end.

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Cleanup Phase

The fourth and final phase of each round. Players collect resources from controlled regions, check for the end-game condition (empty Conflict Deck), and prepare for the next round.

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Combat

A contest that occurs when a player attacks an enemy-occupied region. Both sides compare total strength (units plus card modifiers). The higher total wins; the loser removes units. Ties favor the defender. Terrain modifiers may apply.

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Conflict Card

A card drawn from the Conflict Deck each round. It specifies which regions experience conflict, any global events that occur, and sometimes bonus scoring opportunities. Conflict cards create tension and force players to react to changing conditions.

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Conflict Deck

A shared deck of cards that drives the game's pacing. One Conflict card is revealed each round during the Conflict Phase, triggering regional conflicts and events. When the deck runs out, the game ends.

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Conflict Phase

The third phase of each round. A Conflict card is revealed from the Conflict Deck, triggering conflicts in specified regions and applying any global events. Players in contested regions must resolve combat.

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Control

A player controls a region when they have units occupying all of that region's Control slots and no enemy units remain there. Controlled regions generate Influence Points during scoring.

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Deploy

An action that moves units from your reserve onto regions you already control. Deploying costs Supplies and is the primary way to reinforce your presence on the map.

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Draw Phase

The first phase of each round. All players draw cards from their faction deck up to their hand limit. Some tech track upgrades increase your hand limit.

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Faction

One of four asymmetric player groups, each with a unique faction deck, special ability, and starting position on the map. Factions play differently and encourage distinct strategies.

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Faction Deck

A deck of cards unique to each faction. Cards are drawn during the Draw Phase and played during the Action Phase to perform actions such as Deploy, Move, Attack, Build, and Research. Each card also has a combat modifier value used during attacks.

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Influence Points (IP)

The victory currency of the game. The player with the most IP when the Conflict Deck runs out wins. Earned through controlling regions, completing objectives, advancing on the tech track, and building installations.

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Installation

A permanent structure built in a region you control using the Build action. Installations provide ongoing bonuses such as extra Supplies, defensive strength, or bonus IP during scoring. Each region can hold a limited number of installations.

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Intel

A resource used to trigger special actions and faction-specific abilities. Intel is the scarcest resource and enables powerful tactical plays that can swing key conflicts.

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Objective

A secret or public goal that awards bonus Influence Points when completed. Objectives typically require controlling specific regions or achieving certain board states. Completed objectives are revealed for immediate or end-game scoring.

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Region

A territory on the game map. Each region has a point value, terrain type, and a number of Control slots that determine how many units are needed to claim it. Controlling regions is the primary source of Influence Points.

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Research

An action that advances your marker on the tech track by spending Tech resources. Higher positions unlock permanent upgrades and contribute to end-game scoring.

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Reserve

Your pool of undeployed units. Units begin the game in reserve and enter the map through the Deploy action. Units removed as combat casualties return to reserve and can be redeployed in later rounds.

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Special Action

A faction-specific action available only to that faction. Special actions cost Intel to perform and offer unique tactical advantages that no other faction can replicate.

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Strength

The combat power of your forces in a region. Calculated by adding the number of your units to any card modifiers played during combat. Higher strength wins the battle.

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Supplies

The general-purpose resource in Brink. Spent to deploy units, construct installations, and fuel various card abilities. Gained through controlled regions and certain faction abilities.

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Tech

A resource spent to advance on the tech track and purchase upgrades. Tech is harder to acquire than Supplies and represents your faction's investment in long-term power.

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Tech Track

A progression track on your faction board. Advancing on the tech track unlocks permanent upgrades (such as increased hand size, stronger units, or resource discounts) and awards Influence Points at game end based on your final position.

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Terrain

A property of each region that can modify combat. Some terrain types grant defensive bonuses to the occupying player, making certain regions harder to attack and more valuable to hold.

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Unit

A playing piece representing your faction's forces. Units are deployed from your reserve onto regions you control, then moved and used in combat to seize contested territory. Each unit contributes strength during attacks and defense.

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