About CTF

CTF is a micro-TCG: small decks, quick games, and only 90 unique cards to collect.

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The Story

Ten teams of hackers have gathered to compete in a friendly Capture the Flag event, each trying to gain access to secrets locked away in their opponents’ computers. Each team has mastered two of five critical disciplines:

• Brute Force: applying pressure to overwhelm defenses
• Infiltration: gaining access through clever use of software or social exploits
• Infrastructure: clever use of hardware and software tools for both offense and defense
• Countermeasures: turning your opponent’s own strategies against them
• Disruption: preventing your opponents from executing their game plans

// TODO: make a lore page for the ten teams and figure out how to fit it into the site menu

Collecting

CTF starter and booster packs will be available at PAX West 2025 in the PNW Tabletop Game Market. Each starter pack contains two preconstructed decks and is fully playable out of the box. Each booster pack contains five randomized program cards, one from each discipline. Most cards are included in at least one preconstructed deck, but some are available only in boosters.

// TODO: include some actual details on drop rates

Collectibility

The PNW Tabletop Game Market is the only way currently planned to obtain nicely-printed CTF cards, but a few weeks after the event the entire card set will become available for free through the Print and Play page on this site, allowing anyone to play with any cards they want.

The needle I’m hoping to thread is providing a classic TCG experience (opening boosters, seeing brand new cards, and customizing starter decks) to PAX West attendees who are interested, but without locking the ability to play the game behind randomized products.