Compile: Main 1 is a two-player card duel in which both players take on the roles of competing artificial intelligences trying to understand the world around them. The theme revolves around collecting, manipulating, and interpreting abstract concepts—called Protocols—which range from Darkness and Water to Fire, Light, Life, and others.

Each of these Protocols represents a different “aspect of reality” that the AI attempts to “compile” and thus master. Although the theme is futuristic, the game plays out like a digital clash between two programs competing in optimization and control.

At the start of the game, both players choose from a variety of Protocols, each forming a combination of three mini-decks of six cards, which together create their “personal program.” This phase shapes the entire strategy, as Protocols have distinct mechanical identities (e.g., Fire = destruction, Plague = discard, Speed = movement, Gravity = card flipping). Each Protocol functions as a command line into which players place their cards. Cards feature:

• a point value that leads toward a Compile,
• a middle command that triggers when the card is played,
• permanent effects at the top and bottom of the card that remain active until covered.

Cards can be played face-down as generic point cards or face-up to use their abilities.

Many card effects allow for:

• moving cards between lanes,
• flipping cards, which retriggers their abilities,
• destroying the bottom cards within a Protocol.

This creates significant tactical tension and head-to-head battles for control over each lane.

When a player reaches 10 or more points in the command line of a Protocol, that Protocol is Compiled: both players remove all cards from that lane.

Compile: Main 1 is a fast, tactical, and impressively clever card duel between two artificial intelligences. 🧬