Keeper of the Core
Overview
Keeper of the Core is a space-themed card game for 2–8 players. Players draw cards from each other's hands, and must play any matching pairs for powerful abilities. The catch: pairs held in your hand are vulnerable — any opponent who draws one of the matching cards breaks your pair. The last player standing holds the unmatchable Cosmic Core and wins the game.
Objective
Be the last player remaining with cards. The final player holds the Cosmic Core and wins the game.
The Deck
The game uses a custom 41-card deck:
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10 Anomaly types with 4 copies each (40 cards total, forming 20 possible pairs)
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1 Cosmic Core — the unique, unmatchable card
The 10 Anomaly Types
Draw one card from any player at the table
Peek at another player's entire hand
Skip another player's next turn
Take another turn, then reverse the direction of play
Ask any player if they hold the Cosmic Core (truthful yes/no)
All players simultaneously pass one card of their choice to the left
Draw a second card from the same player you just drew from
Shield — choose which card the drawing player receives instead of random
Void — block the draw entirely; the drawing player's turn ends
You and a target player each draw one random card from the other
Setup
1.
Shuffle the 41-card deck.
2.
Deal all cards out one at a time until the deck is empty. Some players may have one more card than others.
3.
Players look at their hands. Do not discard any pairs. All cards stay in your hand, including any pairs you were dealt.
4.
Play begins clockwise from the dealer. The player to the dealer's left takes the first turn.
How to Play
Each turn follows two phases in order: Draw and Play.
1. Draw Phase
The active player draws one card at random from the hand of the next player in the current direction of play (initially clockwise). The drawn card is added to the active player's hand.
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If the target player has an active Asteroid Belt shield, that player chooses which card the active player receives (instead of a random draw). The shield is then consumed.
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If the target player has an active Black Hole void, that player may block the draw entirely. The active player receives no card but may still play a pair from their hand. The void is consumed regardless of whether the block is used. The defending player may also choose to allow the draw (bluffing that they don't have the void).
2. Play Phase (After the Draw)
After drawing, the active player must play one pair from their hand if they hold one. Playing a pair means discarding both matching cards face-up and immediately triggering the anomaly's ability.
If the active player does not have a pair, the turn ends and play passes to the next player.
Pair Vulnerability
Pairs are never safe in your hand. If an opponent draws one of the matching cards from your hand, your pair is broken — you lose both the pair and its ability. This creates constant tension between wanting to hold cards and the risk of having pairs stolen.
Anomaly Abilities
When a pair is played, its ability triggers immediately:
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Gravity Well (The Pull): Draw one card at random from any player at the table (not just the next player in direction).
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Nebula Cloud (The Vision): Choose one player. They must privately show you their entire hand.
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Solar Flare (The Burn): Choose a player. That player's next turn is skipped.
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Wormhole (The Shift): The active player takes another full turn (draw + play). After the extra turn completes, the direction of play reverses (clockwise becomes counter-clockwise, or vice versa).
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Pulsar (The Interrogation): Ask any one player: "Do you hold the Cosmic Core?" They must answer truthfully with "Yes" or "No."
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Supernova (The Blast): All players simultaneously choose one card from their hand and pass it face-down to the player on their left (in the current direction).
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Comet Tail (The Streak): Immediately draw a second card at random from the same player you just drew from. (If the target has no cards, the extra draw is skipped.)
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Asteroid Belt (The Shield): Activate a shield. The next time someone draws from your hand, you choose which card they receive. Consumed after one use.
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Black Hole (The Void): Activate a void. The next time someone attempts to draw from your hand, you may block the draw entirely. The drawing player still gets to play a pair if they hold one. Consumed after one use (whether you block or allow the draw).
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Quasar (The Flash): Choose a player. You and that player each draw one card at random from the other's hand simultaneously.
Player Elimination
When a player's hand is empty (all cards have been paired and played or drawn away), they are eliminated and removed from the turn order. Play skips eliminated players.
Abilities resolve before elimination is checked. If playing your last pair triggers an ability, the ability fires first. If the ability results in you gaining a card (e.g., Gravity Well draw, Quasar swap), you are not eliminated.
Direction of Play
Play moves clockwise initially. Each time a Wormhole pair is played, the player takes an extra turn and then the direction reverses. The direction affects both the turn order and who the active player draws from.
Winning
The game continues until only one player remains with cards. That player holds the Cosmic Core and is declared the winner.
Strategy Tips
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Pairs are mandatory: You must play any pair you hold after drawing. If you suspect an opponent will draw from you and break a pair, try to complete and play it before they get the chance.
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If you hold the Cosmic Core: Protect it. Play Asteroid Belt and Black Hole pairs to activate persistent shields/voids that defend against future draws.
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If you don't have the Core: Hunt for it. Use Pulsar to interrogate, Nebula Cloud to peek, and Gravity Well to draw from the suspected holder.
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Break their pairs: If you suspect a player is holding matching cards, draw from them. Every card you take is a chance to break one of their pairs before they can play it.
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Supernova chaos: Passing cards left can redistribute pairs and shift who holds the Core. Time it to disrupt a player who seems too comfortable.
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Wormhole double turn: Playing a Wormhole pair gives you an extra turn before the direction reverses. Use it to draw twice from the same side of the table before the flow shifts.
Edge Cases
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If Comet Tail is played but the target player has no cards, the extra draw is skipped.
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If Black Hole blocks a draw, the drawing player receives no card but still proceeds to the play phase and must play a pair if they hold one.
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Supernova forces all active players to pass one card to the left simultaneously. If a player has only one card (the Cosmic Core), they must pass it. Elimination is checked after all passes resolve.
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If the active player's draw gives them a card that completes a pair, they must play that pair during the play phase.
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Asteroid Belt and Black Hole shields/voids persist across turns until consumed. A player may have at most one shield and one void active at a time.
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One pair per turn maximum — even if an ability grants new cards that complete another pair, the turn ends after one pair play.