After Earth
Updated 8 months ago
A Card game concept

High Concept

A Card Game, to be played between 3 teams/ players, with dependency between teams. An overarching concept which divides the parties as Rival 1, Rival 2, vying for the support of an Organization, all named in that order. Holding this nomenclature to establish 3 parties, a story can be formed and fitted to this Game Mechanic.


  1. Ankita Mitra (art)
  2. Jayant Kumar (Me)

The Story for After Earth

The year is 2836 AD. Prolonged periods of drought and flood over the last century, caused by acute global warming, have resulted in a wipe-out of the civilization as we knew it. The “Dark times” resulted in pandemics and extinction of many species. Humans have depleted the existing deposits of natural resources. Majority of land is now uninhabitable and the population is reduced to a hundredth. Life on land has almost become impossible, except in certain remote patches scattered all around. These natural ‘Havens’ as they are known are much sought after. The entire living population is concentrated in these patches, barely managing with the limited resources.
Surviving leaders have unified together and formed the United Nations Second Confederation (UNSC). The UNSC built a floating city: Thesia. Submerged under water, the purpose of the ship is to escape from the limits of the patches on land and harness the marine resources. Simultaneously they plan looking for undiscovered Havens, salvaging resources, until land masses become habitable again. Their aim is to make Earth habitable again by strictly controlling the resources utilized with sustainable use as the first requirement. They propose, it is Humanity’s turn to take the backstage and to not interfere with any natural processes. It is the last stand against extinction.
This decision has led to a disagreement within some of the brightest minds of the time: Scientists, Astronauts, Engineers and Philosophers. They believe mankind’s days on Earth are numbered, and Civilization should seek refuge beyond this planet. Together, they’ve formed Civilization United Beyond Earth (CUBE). CUBE’s goal is to locate an inhabitable Stellar System. They propose to construct a spaceship large enough to accommodate all the interested population and enough resources. They want to achieve sustainability to travel to a Stellar System which shows more promise than the current Earth. According to them, the earth is doomed and the survivors need to escape before the population is reduced to such a number that starting a civilization again become impossible.
The problem faced by both the groups is lack of PUBLIC support and inadequate resources. One party needs them to survive on Earth, while the other needs them to escape it. Both seek to improve the current living but with different methods. Both are using their abilities to better the living of the current generation in order to garner support for the future. The Public funds and support are divided. The elders and leaders in all communities think that both organizations have selfish aims behind their propaganda. They are urging people to delay their decision until their current living is bettered for good and utilize the expertise of both for their own good.

Players and Cards

  • It is a card game between three players who represent UNSC, CUBE and “The Public”.
  • The full deck consists of 64 cards.
  • The first 54 cards are divided into two groups: 27 Resource cards and 27 Personnel cards.
  • Each group cards are numbered from 1 to 27 respectively; which represent their power, 1 being the lowest and 27 the highest.
  • The Resource cards have three types, Energy, Mineral and Food, 9 each.
  • The Personnel cards have three types, Civilian Corps, Military Corps and Science Corps, 9 each.
  • Apart from the 54 cards, there are 10 wild cards.
  • These wild cards are marked: 1,2,3,5,7,11,13,17,19 and 23 as their respective powers.


  • The 54 Resource and Personnel cards are put in a deck and well shuffled. The 10 Wild cards are also well shuffled in a separate pack.
  • The game starts with the Public providing a pattern made of cards to UNSC and CUBE.
  • The pattern can be a combination of rows and columns, but must contain at least 3 cards and a maximum of 7.
  • The cards in the pattern have to be a combination of both Resource and Personnel cards, with the number of Personnel cards being at least one less than number of Resource cards.
  • Along will the pattern, the Public will also state the Sum total of powers per Column and Row as applicable.
  • Public can specify the type and number of Personnel (Civilian Corps, Military Corps or Science Corps) and Resource (Energy, Mineral or Food) to be used to form the pattern, in order to increase the difficulty. However, this is not mandatory.
  • UNSC and CUBE play with the deck of 54 Resource and Personnel cards.
  • Public has the set of 10 Wildcards.
  • After the pattern is provided, both UNSC and CUBE players take five cards each, from the well shuffled face-down deck of 54 cards.
  • The players take turns to place a card from their hand in the playing area in order to complete the pattern.
  • Once a player feels that he doesn’t have the appropriate cards, he can swap three cards in his hand with that from deck. In doing so, the player loses one turn.
  • Once the play area is filled and no more cards can be placed without exceeding the pattern, the player can exchange any card in the play area with one in his hand.
  • Once the level numbers in a row/column reach the desired summation, that row/column gets locked, and no further changes can be made in that row/column.
  • Every fourth turn, the Public can change the pattern requirement by increasing the pattern size by two cards. He may also dictate new rules for Resource and Personnel. (Any changes in the summation requirements and type can only be additive not subtractive). The Public can also add a Wild Card to the play area to fix a value in any row/ column. This card cannot be removed till the end of play.
  • The player who finishes the pattern wins the game.
  • If all the wildcards of Public get exhausted before the completion of pattern, Public wins.

Other setting developed using the same mechanics

  1. Brainstorm
  2. Hungry?
Jayant Kumar
Game Designer - Student