Imagine a world where AI has gone rogue and are now just competing with each other to take over reality. Kind of like a Chat-GPT’d version of the Matrix or something. Supposedly that is the theme of Compile, the two-player head-to-head card game from Greater than Games.
Luckily, the dystopian AI theme doesn’t matter a lot. And you can think AI is just the newest corporate buzzword and still have lots of enjoyment here.
Gameplay Overview:
Compile starts with a draft of 12 different protocols. These are essentially mini-decks of 6 cards. Each player will draft three and then shuffle together their 18 cards to make their deck for the game. These protocols vary, giving players the chance to build a deck with unique synergies. For example, Fire and Plague protocols are focused on destruction and discard mechanics, while Gravity and Speed protocols emphasize card flipping and movement.
Once the draft is complete players will take turns playing one card from their hand into its respective protocol. Cards have both a point value and up to three different “command” boxes. The middle command box happens when the card is played. The top command is an ongoing effect that is always active. And the bottom is another ongoing effect but if another card is played to that line and covers it, the effect stops.
Cards can also be played face-down as a generic 2-point card. Many of the card effects will flip, move, and destroy cards. Generally, only the bottom card of each line can be impacted. Any time a card flips or is newly uncovered its effects immediately trigger again.
At the start of your turn, if you have more than 10 points in the line, you compile it. All the cards for both players are removed. If you compile all three lines, you win.
Game Experience:
If you’ve played Air, Land, and Sea, the gameplay outlined above will sound quite familiar. Or Battle Line. Or Lost Cities. Or Riftforce. There is no shortage of lane-battle card games, but Compile might just be the best one.
At the very least, it’s the deepest. The draft of various protocols gives room for a ton of variation in each game. Knowing the contents of your and your opponent’s decks can give you a huge edge. And within a game it’s likely you’ll cycle through the decks multiple times, learning more as you go even if it’s your first play.
Compile, more so than other similar games, rewards repeated plays and strategic thinking. There are many combos you can pull off based on triggering actions, moving cards, re-triggering actions. For a game that is fairly well explained by just saying, “play a card, do its effects, and try to get to 10…” there is a lot more to consider. Each decision—whether to play aggressively, to maintain control, or to wait for the perfect combo—requires careful thought.
But here’s the warning: there are now multiple printings of Compile and your experience can be a little different based on which one you get. The first printing rules didn’t adequately explain all the complex interactions that occur. By the third printing, many cards were printed with different text, both errata to change how that function and clarifications to make it more intuitive. Assuming you are picking up a new printing, you should have less to worry about, but keep in mind especially on the secondary market.
Final Thoughts:
If you’ve enjoyed lane-battling games but find them getting quickly stale, Compile might just be the perfect one for you. There’s more depth and more complexity and rewards playing more than just a couple of times. Not to mention there is a whole new base set coming out soon to mix-and-match with the existing protocols.
Does the theme really grab you and make you feel like you’ve loaded into the Matrix or something? Not really. But the different protocols do feel thematic and the production gives a very futuristic technology vibe of sorts. If you can manage to track down the new printing, I highly recommend giving Compile a shot.
Final Score: 4.5 Stars – My favorite lane battling game. Hampered only by unclear rules and errata on card effects.
Hits:
• Easy to explain, a lot of replay value
• Being able to trigger cards multiple times gives great combo opportunities
• More context coming will even further expand the number of protocols.
Misses:
• Rules from the first printing don’t cover many interactions.
• Errata was issued for a number of cards, changing how they work between the 2nd and 3rd printing.
