Unboxing and Sorting Guide for the NEON HOPE Base Game

Wondering how to sort the cards in NEON HOPE?

Here are a few tips to help you.

Sets and Set Icons

Cards in NEON HOPE are grouped into sets. All cards in a set share the same set icon, which you find in the bottom right corner. Cards within a set can belong to different types (chapters, settings, leads, enemies, etc.).

There are four different types of sets:

Character Sets: Each set contains all of a character’s cards (1 Character card, 1 Character Tool, 8 Tools, 1 Ally, 24 Action cards).

Encounter Sets: Each set contains several encounter cards (enemies, states, dilemmas). You can find an overview of the encounter sets from the base game on page 79 of the storybook.

Episode Sets: These contain the cards for each episode (chapter cards, surveillance cards, settings, leads). An episode can consist of several Episode Sets. You’ll find an overview of the Episode Sets from the base game on page 79 of the Storybook.

Additional Cards: A few general cards do not have a set icon. These are the Archive card and the three rules overview cards.

Since sets are generally used as a whole, it’s a good idea to sort all the cards according to their sets.

When you open NEON HOPE for the first time, most sets are already in the correct order. You just need to combine a few sets which are spread across multiple card packs. This applies especially to the character sets. (Unfortunately, due to production constraints it was not possible to group all cards from each set together.)

Set Order and Card Numbering

To the left of a card’s set icon is the card numbering, consisting of two numbers – for example, 1/35.

The number on the right indicates the total number of cards in the set (35 in our example). This helps you to see if a set is complete.

The number on the left indicates the card’s position within the set (1, in our example). It is not necessary to sort the cards of a set by number to play the game; the numbers simply serve to clearly identify the cards. Some cards feature a question mark on the front (such as the »Strangers in the Dark« card in Episode 1). This prevents experienced players from discerning what is on a card’s back side. You will find the card number only on the back.

Alternative Encounter Sets & Nemesis Cards

(You can find these cards in the A Hopeful Cause expansion.)

Alternative encounter sets use the same set icons as their regular versions, but colored red. It is best to store the alternative encounter sets separately from the regular Encounter Sets.

Nemesis cards have their own set icon. It is best to store them together with the alternative encounter sets.

Alternative Character Sets

Alternative Character Sets use the same set icons as their regular versions, but colored red. It’s best to store the Alternative Character Sets together with their respective regular Character Sets.

RPG Crossover Episode

The RPG Crossover Episode has its own episode set. It also comes with 9 Clue cards that are used only in the role-playing game. It’s best to store the cards from the RPG Crossover Episode separately from all other sets – for example, in the box you received them in.

Premium Insert

If you have the Premium Insert, sort the individual card sets into it as follows:

Character Sets: These belong in the largest box, which features the eight playable characters on its sides. The four larger compartments are intended for the characters from the base game and their respective alternative character sets. The four smaller compartments are intended for the characters from the character expansion.

Encounter Sets: These go in the smaller box, which shows a man in uniform on one side and a woman in a suit on the other.

Episode Sets: These go in the second-largest box. One side of the box features the game’s cover, and the other side shows Berlin at night. The side with Berlin features set symbols. The episode sets go in the compartments marked with the corresponding symbols. The Archive card and the rules overview cards go in the small compartment at the very front.

Alternative Encounter Sets & Nemesis Cards: The box containing the episode sets has an empty compartment without set icons. This is where the alternative encounter sets and Nemesis cards go.