
- BGG rank
- BGG #25,929
- BGG rating
- 6.0
The Walking Dead: The Prison – Board Game
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2014

2015
Rules assistance for Emergents: Genesis – The Deckbuilding Game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Emergents: Genesis – The Deckbuilding Game is a board game released in 2015 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Anthony Conta, Brian David-Marshall, and Matthew Wang and its main mechanics are Player Elimination and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
Emergents: Genesis is a PvP multi-player superhero-themed deckbuilding game, set in the Emergents Universe created by game designer and comic creator, Brian David-Marshall and features art from a host of best-selling and award-winning comic book artists headlined by Steve Ellis. Emergents: Genesis is a 2-4 player deckbuilding game that any age can enjoy, and a game lasts generally between 30-60 minutes. Everything you will need to play the game comes inside a box of Emergents: Genesis. In Emergents: Genesis, players take on the role of powerful superheroes who discovered their powers during adolescence—known in this world as Emergents—and battle against the other players to be the last one standing. Players customize their decks based on four classes of superpowers in a fast-paced game that can be played by two to four players. Designed by Urban Island Games and Top8Magic, Emergents: Genesis introduces innovative, interactive mechanics to the deckbuilding game that will appeal to all fans of both the superhero genre and interactive card games. Gameplay Description Players are dealt two Emergents face down and choose one of the heroes to start the game with. The object of the game is reduce all of the other players' heroes to zero health by attacking them while also building your deck and customizing your Emergent's superpowers. Each player begins with a deck containing nine Skill cards and three Attack cards. Cards that generate Skill are used to purchase additional cards while cards that generate Attack are used to defeat your opponents. Each player shuffles their deck and draws six cards. They can purchase basic cards that advance their Emergent's class strategy or purchase more expensive cards that are available dealt face-up from the deck. Cards that are purchased get put in the player's discard pile and whenever a player can't draw a card they shuffle their deck. At the end of each turn, a player discards their hand and draws six cards from their deck. As the game progresses, players will ideally create a deck that showcases their heroes' unique abilities and allows them to be the last player standing. While many deckbuilding games are points races, where someone crosses a finish line and wins, Emergents: Genesis requires you to defeat your opponents, which means you can defend yourself if you have purchased the right cards along the way.
Emergents: Genesis – The Deckbuilding Game supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Emergents: Genesis – The Deckbuilding Game is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Emergents: Genesis – The Deckbuilding Game for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Emergents: Genesis – The Deckbuilding Game has a complexity rating of 2.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Emergents: Genesis – The Deckbuilding Game belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fighting, and Comic Book / Strip. Its main mechanics are Player Elimination and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Emergents: Genesis – The Deckbuilding Game are: Anthony Conta, Brian David-Marshall, and Matthew Wang. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Emergents: Genesis – The Deckbuilding Game as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.