Axion Scion

A space themed strategic card game where you balance powers to survive

Welcome to Axion. You are the benevolent despot of this system, looking to retire to a nice tropical paradise planet ASAP. Fortunately your Scion just came of age, and if you can keep them alive for 9 years, you may be able to enact a peaceful transfer of power. Remember the goal, no heads need roll.

Anatomy of a Card

Each card has a name, a type, a chance, effects and a strata.

Type: There are four kinds of cards. Policy, Scion, and Intervention cards, which can be played during the play phase. And, Counter cards, which can be played during the counter phase.

Chance: The likelihood the cards effects will be applied. Most policies are 100% effective, and most counters are 50% or less effective.

Effects: The impact the card will have on the strata, the Scion, or you!

Strata: A hint about which strata would like to play this card. Useful when you want to deny the AI the opportunity to play.

Turn Order

1. The Event Card: Each turn of the game represents one year in Axion. The turn starts with an event card. Event cards can have direct effects on each strata, or give perks to the despot. Once the event is dismissed 5 cards are dealt to the pot.

2. Selecting Cards: The player always has first dibs. You may have up to 4 cards in their had at a time. Once you've selected your cards click the bright pink "Select" button. Each strata then has the chance to draw a card. The order they will draw cards and play cards is based on their power (fist).

3. Playing: The player and each strata have the opportunity to play one card per turn. Note that counter cards cannot be played during the playing step.

3 Countering: After each card is played the player or remaining strata may each play one counter card. Counter cards have a percent chance of success.

4 Resolving: Once the player and strata have had the opportunity to play their counter cards the outcome of the played card will be resolved. Each counter card will be determined to be successful or not. If any counter card is successful the played card does not take effect. If all counter cards fail and the Played card passes its own roll then its effects are applied.

5. Turn End: Once the player and each strata have had a chance to play there cards the turn will end. The strata discard any cards remaining in their hands. If the player and scion are still alive the next turn begins.

The Strata

There are three strata in Axion. The proletariat, the oligarchs, and the military. You will need to balance the power of each of these factions to ensure you are not overthrown, and that your Scion is not disposed of.

Stats

Each strata has three main stats:

1. Power: The relative power of the strata. A powerful strata will be dangerous if it's unhappy.

2. Contentment: A measure of happiness for the strata. Be careful if this value dips below 50

3. Chance: A multiplier for any rolls made,  including counters and interventions. By default the multiplier is 1. If your Scion is being hosted by the strata it's chance multiplier will be set to 1.5.

Win / Loss Conditions

If a faction becomes discontent and have enough power, special "intervention" cards will be put into the deck. These cards could bring an early end to your career or foil your sweet retirement plans for good. If either you or your Scion dies, the game ends in a loss. If you manage to make it to the end of turn 9 with your head still attached and your Scion still skipping, you can enjoy your victory on a tropical paradise world of your choice.

Attribution

• Game Code - Alexander Griffith (GPL3+)
  
• Music - Alexander Griffith (CCBY 4)
• Font - Source Code Pro - OFL
• Font - Edge Of The Galaxy -
• OFL Icons - Noun Project (CCBY 4)
• Sounds Effects -  NeadSimic (CCBY 3/4)
• Library (Lume,Flux) - RXI (MIT/X11)
• Engine (LÖVE) - LÖVE Dev Team (Zlib)
• Fennel - Calvin Rose (MIT/X11)
• Web Support (Love.js) Davidobot

This was a submission to the 2021 Lisp Fall Game Jam

The source code can be found at: https://gitlab.com/alexjgriffith/axion-scion