How to play

Each round, both players place cards face down across the three sectors at the same time. No one shows their hand first, so every round is a read.

When both sides lock in, the cards flip in priority order. Abilities resolve as a readable sequence of beats, not a wall of math. Spending cards costs Charge, the blue resource that refills each round, so you are always weighing what to commit now against what to hold.

A whole match runs six rounds, minutes not hours. Take two of the three sectors and the match is yours.

The board is three sectors, side by side. You win a sector by holding the most Force in it, the red combat stat printed on every card. Force is always red and always labeled, so you can read the table in one glance.

You do not need every sector. Win two of the three and you win the match, which means you can concede a lane on purpose to load up elsewhere. Where you commit is the real game.

Once per match you can spend your Pulse. The Pulse doubles the stakes: it is your single biggest swing, and you only get one, so timing is everything.

Play it to close out a sector you are about to lose, or to turn a narrow lead into a decisive one. Read your opponent, then commit. A well-timed Pulse can take a match.

Before the final reveal, you can retreat. Retreat is not shameful: it is a tactical exit that protects what you have rather than throwing it into a losing reveal.

Knowing when to retreat is part of playing well. Pulsewar is built to be tense and fair, and losing with a clean read beats winning on a coin flip.

Want to see who you will be playing? Meet the six factions, or join the waitlist to be there for the first Pulse.