The Cup Demo

The demo is the whole game against the House. Coach a survivor and a line of three creatures. Every turn you play one card and make one attack, then the die TV decides how hard it lands while BroadcASH and BOBcast call it from the booth. Knock out all three of theirs and the match is yours.

WHAT IS IN THE DEMO

• THE ROAD: five authored bouts against invasive species, fifteen stars to earn. THE ROAD is in this demo and nowhere else for now

• The tutorial: one match, called by the booth, from your first card to your first natural twelve

• The Arena: matches against the House, dealt or drafted, as many as you want

• Your contestant file: your record, your tapes, and a shelf of mugs to earn

• No connection needed, start to finish

THE DIE DECIDES. YOU CHOSE THE DIE.

Every creature is printed Safe, Swingy or Jackpot. Safe hits for the number on the card. Swingy rolls. Jackpot can miss outright, and a natural can wipe a creature off the board. You pick the risk when you draft, and everybody watches it land.

EVERY CARD DOES EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS

Any of your creatures can hit any of theirs. No lanes and no hidden rules: the card is the rule, and the feed spells out every hit, reflect and knockout. Three a side, and three to six minutes a match once you know the rules.

THE FULL RELEASE, NOVEMBER 10

The whole game stays free. The full release adds live 1v1 on Steam, more bouts and more cards. Wishlist The Cup and Steam will tell you the day it lands.

THE STATE OF THE BROADCAST

Seven of sixty-eight cards are painted so far, and every creature in the tutorial is one of them. The rest wear placeholder art while the commissions come in, one creature at a time.

Card art by @chioart08, @prayogaardip, Ondřej Tichý and @tmcglynnart. A broadcast of the Galactic Athletics Commission.