Access Denied is a computer hacking card game for 3 to 6 players. Each player controls and defends one sector of the Net while attempting to gain Root access to 2 additional sectors.
There are 6 sectors:
1. Banking
2. Government
3. Micronopoly
4. NewsMedia
5. TeleComm
6. Universities
Each sector has 3 access levels: User, Oper, and Root. The Root level lists the bonus for that sector. See the Sector Bonus section for a complete description of each bonus.
There are 63 cards. Each card has a title, an action, and a code. There are 6 different codes: A, B, C, D, E, and F. There are more F cards than E cards, more E cards than D cards, and so on.
Some cards have a symbol in the upper left and/or right hand corner. These are explained in the Play a Card Action rules.
Each player draws 6 cards from the Draw Pile when the game begins.
Assign Sectors: Each player takes one Sector from the Sector Pile. You’re the controller of the sector you take. Each player controls 1 and only 1 sector throughout the game. You’re responsible for setting up your sector’s password and granting or denying access to your sector.
Access Levels: A sector has 3 access levels: User, Oper, and Root. You start with Root access to the sector you control. To note that you’re the controller, 1 access markers is placed on your sector. There are no other access markers on your sector at the start of the game.
Uncontrolled Sectors: Remaining sectors are dealt faceup on the table when the Setup phase ends. They will be used during the game. However, uncontrolled sectors don’t have passwords. Also, Root access to an uncontrolled sector doesn’t count toward winning the game.
You must set the password for the sector you control. Use the codes from 3 of the cards you drew to secretly define your sector’s password.
No Repeated Codes: The password you choose must not have repeated codes; A/B/C is a valid password, but A/B/B isn’t. The order isn’t important; A/B/C is the same as A/C/B or C/B/A.
Not Enough Cards: If you can’t make a valid password from the 6 cards you were dealt, draw additional cards, 1 at a time, until you can. This is done automatically for you when you play your first code card if needed.
Keep Password Cards: After you have finished creating a valid password, the 3 password cards are facedown next to your sector. Keep the remaining cards in your hand. You must never play your password cards or use them in an access attempt. You must keep these cards throughout the game.
Its a Secret: You must not voluntarily tell or show someone any of your password codes. And you must never tell anyone what someone else’s codes are.
At the beginning of the game, you have access to only 1 sector; you have Root access to the sector you control. You don’t have access to any other sector at this time.
Choose who will go first by any agreeable means. Beginning with the first player and proceeding in turn order, each player takes 1 turn. Play continues around the table until someone wins the game. The winner is the first person to gain Root access to 3 sectors.
Each turn is broken down into the following steps:
1. Free Access Attempt
2. Take Actions
3. Discard Cards
4. Draw Cards
You may attempt to improve your access to 1 sector. See the Improve Access section for instructions. You may use your actions to make additional access attempts during your Take Actions step.
You may take 1 action for each sector to which you have Root access at the beginning of your Take Actions Step. You don’t get an additional action if you gain Root access to a sector during this step. Previously played cards may allow you to take additional actions.
There are 3 types of actions:
1. Access Attempt
2. Play a Card
3. Trade a Card
You aren’t required to take all of the actions you’re entitled to; you may pass any or all of your actions.
You may use actions to make additional access attempts. It takes 1 action for each additional attempt to improve access to 1 sector. See the Improve Access section for instructions.
You may use actions to improve your access to the same sector several times during a single turn. For example, you may gain User access to Banking during your Free Access Attempt step, then use 1 of your actions to attempt to improve your access to Banking from User to Oper.
It takes 1 action to play a card. When you play a card, take the action stated on the card. If your action forces another player or players to discard cards, he or she must discard first. Then, unless your card states otherwise, place your card faceup on the discard pile.
~ Some cards have a ~ preceding their title. Unless stated otherwise on the card, you may play a ~ at any time, even during another player’s turn. Unlike other cards, playing a ~ doesn’t use up any of your actions.
Ñ Some cards require you to have a minimum access level in a certain sector. Some cards also require you to have a certain code in your sector’s password. You may not play a Ñ unless you meet the card’s requirements.
ñ Some cards are upgrades. When you play an upgrade card, place it faceup in front of you. This card gives you a benefit that lasts as long as you have the card. The benefit goes into effect immediately. Upgrade cards that are faceup don’t count against your hand limit.
M Some cards are played against a sector and take effect only when certain conditions are met. Play one of these cards faceup next to the sector against which you want to play it. Remove the card when the conditions stated on the card are met.
! Some cards have a negative affect on you if you hold one at the beginning of your turn. Even if no one else knows you have the card, you must follow its instructions. You may use an action to give a ! to another player, or you may use the card in an access attempt or discard it normally.
It takes 1 action to trade 1 card with 1 other player. The player with whom you trade may give you 1 or more cards in exchange for 1 of your cards. You may give another player a card without receiving a card in exchange.
Trade is strictly voluntary; both players must agree to the trade. Both players must negotiate in good faith; you must give your trading partner the card you said you would give him or her.
The maximum number of cards you can hold is equal to the number of sectors you have User, Oper, or Root access to. For example, if you have Root access to Universities and User access to TeleComm, your hand limit is 2 cards. The 3 cards in your sector’s password don’t count against your hand limit.
Your hand limit applies only during your Discard Cards step and your Draw Cards step. You may exceed your hand limit at any other time during the game.
Your hand limit may be modified by your sector bonus and by previously played cards.
You must discard any cards in excess of your hand limit, and you may discard more cards if you wish. For example, if your hand limit is 2, and you hold 3 cards, you must discard 1 card, but you may discard 2 or all 3 cards.
Place discards faceup in a pile next to the card deck. Except for the top card on the discard pile, players may not examine discarded cards.
You may draw the number of cards equal to the number of sectors you have Oper or Root access to. However, you must not exceed your hand limit. For example, if you have Root access to Banking, Oper access to Micronopoly, and User access to Universities, and you don’t hold any cards, you may draw 2 cards. However, if you already hold 2 cards, you may draw only 1 more because your hand limit is 3 cards.
If there are no more facedown cards to draw from, shuffle the discard pile, place the cards facedown in the draw pile, and begin drawing from these.
The number of cards you may draw each turn may be modified by sector bonuses and previously played cards.
You can attempt to make 3 different types of access improvements:
1. Gain User access to a
sector to which you don’t
have access
2. Gain Oper access in a
sector where you already
have User access
3. Gain Root access in a
sector where you already
have Oper access
Restrictions: You can’t attempt to gain Oper access to a sector unless you already have User access to that sector. Likewise, you can’t attempt to gain Root access to a sector unless you already have Oper access to that Sector.
Give Cards to Controller: To attempt to improve your access to a sector, give the sector controller 1 or more cards. The controller will return any cards with codes that match codes in the sector’s password and keep any cards with codes that don’t match codes in the sector’s password.
The number of cards you must give the controller depends on the access level you’re attempting to gain:
Access Number
Level of Cards
User 1
Oper 2
Root 3
For example, if you have User access to NewsMedia, and you want to attempt to gain Oper access, you must give the NewsMedia controller exactly 2 cards from your hand.
Access Granted: If all the cards you give the controller have codes that match those in the sector’s password, the controller will give all of your cards back and grant you improved access to the sector. For example, you attempt to improve your access to NewsMedia to the Oper Level by giving the NewsMedia controller cards with codes A and B. If NewsMedia’s password is A/B/C, the access attempt is successful, the controller gives back all of your cards, and the controller moves your access marker from User to Oper on the NewsMedia sector.
Access Denied: The access attempt fails if 1 or more of the codes you give the controller doesn’t match those in the sector’s password. The sector’s controller will return cards that match and keep the cards that don’t. For example, if you give cards with codes C and D to NewsMedia’s controller, and NewsMedia’s password is A/B/C, the controller will return your C card and keep your D card. Your access level in NewsMedia will remain unchanged.
When another player attempts to improve access to the sector you control, he or she will hand you 1, 2, or 3 cards depending on the access level he or she is trying to reach. At this point you must:
1. Keep any cards with codes
that don’t match codes in
your sector’s password
2. Return any cards with
codes that do match codes
in your sector’s password
3. Advance the player’s
access marker only if all
of the codes he or she
gave you match codes in
your sector’s password
You must keep any cards with codes that don’t match codes in your sector’s password, even if this would cause you to exceed your hand limit. The only time you have to worry about your hand limit is during your Discard Cards step and your Draw Cards step.
Hand the sector controller 1 card. If the card’s code matches any of the sector’s password codes, the controller must return your card and place 1 of your access markers in the User area of the sector. For example, if the sector’s password is A/B/C, and you show the controller B, the controller will return your card and place 1 of your access markers in the Oper area of the sector.
If the code doesn’t match any of the sector’s codes, the controller keeps your card and tells you “Access Denied.”
Hand the sector controller 2 cards. If both codes match those in the sector’s password codes, the controller must return both cards and move your access marker from the User to the Oper area of the sector. For example, if the sector’s password is A/B/C, and you show the controller A and C, the controller will return both cards and move your access marker from the User to the Oper area of the sector.
If either or both of your codes don’t match those in the sector’s password, the controller must keep the card or cards that don’t match and tell you “Access Denied.”
Hand the sector controller 3 cards. If all the codes match the sector’s password codes, the controller must return all of your cards and move your access marker from the Oper to the Root area of the sector. For example, if the Sector’s code is A/B/C, and you show the controller A, B, and C, the controller will return your cards and move your access marker from the Oper to the Root area of the sector.
If any of your codes don’t match those in the sector’s password, the controller must keep the card or cards that don’t match and tell you “Access Denied.”
Once you have Root access to 3 controlled sectors, the game ends, and you’re the winner. See the Winning section.
If there are fewer than 6 players, some sectors won’t have a controller. You may improve your access to an uncontrolled sector by announcing your intention to do so and discarding a certain number of cards. The number of cards you must discard depends on the access level you’ll achieve:
Access Discard
Level Cards
User 2
Oper 3
Root 4
For example, if you want to gain User access to Banking and it’s uncontrolled, discard 2 cards from your hand and place 1 of your access markers in the User area on the Banking sector.
Restrictions: You can’t gain Oper access to a sector unless you already have User access to that sector. Likewise, you can’t gain Root access to a sector unless you already have Oper access to that sector. So if you want to gain Root access to an uncontrolled sector, you must use 3 access attempts and discard a total of 9 cards.
If you’re the only player with Root access to a sector, you gain a bonus specific to that sector. The moment a another player gains Root access to the same sector, the bonus is lost, and neither player receives the bonus. The sector bonuses are:
Banking
You may draw 1 additional card each turn during your Draw Cards step. However, Banking doesn’t allow you to exceed your hand limit.
Government
At the beginning of your turn, you may draw the last card that was placed faceup on the discard pile. You may exceed your hand limit when you draw this card.
Micronopoly
Your hand limit is increased by 2 cards.
NewsMedia
You may skip your turn and draw your hand up to 6 cards. You may exceed your hand limit, but you can’t have more than 6 cards. When you do this, your turn ends immediately; you don’t get a free access attempt, and you don’t get to take any actions.
TeleComm
You’re immune to cards that would cause you to lose actions.
Universities
During your Free Access Attempt step, you may automatically gain User access to any sector to which you don’t already have access. You don’t have to show the controller a code to do this. This access can’t be stopped by any card. Doing this uses up your free access attempt for the turn.
You win the game the moment you gain Root access to 3 controlled sectors. Remember, you start with Root access to the sector you control, so you need to gain Root access to only 2 more sectors.
Uncontrolled Sectors: The additional sectors to which you gain Root access must be controlled by another player for the purpose of winning the game. You can gain Root access to uncontrolled sectors, but they don’t count toward winning.
Additional Sectors: For a more challenging game, you may want to play until someone gains Root access to 4, 5, or all 6 sectors. If you choose to play for more sectors than there are players, count Root access to uncontrolled sectors toward winning the game.
Time Limit: Another alternative is to play to a time limit. When the time limit is reached, the player with Root access to the most sectors wins. Use the number of Oper accesses to break ties. If there’s still a tie, use the number of User accesses.
Alternate Conditions: A majority of players must agree on an alternative winning condition before the game starts. Otherwise, the first player to gain Root access to 3 controlled sectors wins.
Designer: Greg Turner
Editor: Carrie McDowell
Playtesters: Josh Allen, Roger Allen, Lisa Berry, John Cooper, Jacob Davenport, Miles Davies, Kevin George, Kory Heath, Dean Henderson, Andy Looney, Kristin Matherly, Alex Mathias, Claude McDaniel, Marc Morain, David Reed, The Roundhouse Gamers, Daris Schell, Zach Stegman, Kevin Symcox, Brad Turner, Thad Vasicek, and Zarf
Copyright © 2001 by Greg Turner