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Unstoppable – Quick Start Guide for Beginners

Reading time approx. 10–12 minutes

Quick Start – 1st Game (with Rule Clarity)

Unstoppable is a cooperative deck-building game (Roguelike Momentum Deckbuilder) for 1–2 players from Renegade Game Studios, designed by John D. Clair. You build up a hero to defeat a world-threatening danger. You fight against threats on your battlefield, permanently upgrade your cards, and advance level by level – until you become unstoppable.

The crucial element of tension: every card you upgrade also becomes stronger on the enemy side. Growth and danger are inextricably linked. This quick-play guide explains the game flow, all mechanics, common mistakes, and strategies for your first victory.

Objective of the Game

Victory (Victory):

  • You defeat the boss – how exactly this works is described on the respective Boss Mat. Each boss works differently:
    The Harbinger: 12 damage points per player (Solo: 12, Co-op: 24)
    The Triumvirate: 5 damage points per player
    Duomo's Menace: Read an "Ending" option on a Boss Card (Boss Card) – the game ends by a decision, not by damage

Defeat (Defeat):

  • Your health points drop to zero, or
  • the Danger Marker (Danger Marker) reaches the Maximum Danger Symbol (☠ Maximum Danger) on the Danger Track (Danger Track) of the Boss Mat. This value varies depending on the boss and Difficulty Level (Difficulty Level).
Difficulty Levels (Difficulty Levels):
Normal: The Danger Marker skips all green-bordered spaces – the game is slower.

Hard: Skips all yellow-bordered spaces.

Expert: Skips all red-bordered spaces – the fastest progression. For the first game: Normal recommended.

Special Feature: The Card Sleeves (Card Sleeves)

Unstoppable uses a unique Card-Crafting System (Card-Crafting System): Each card is in a sleeve and consists of up to 4 layers:

  • Front – Core (Core Side): Your ability card – which you play to fight enemies and trigger effects.
  • Top Upgrade (Top Upgrade): Optionally inserted – strengthens both sides.

  • Bottom Upgrade (Bottom Upgrade): Optionally inserted – strengthens both sides.

  • Back – Threat (Threat Side): The enemy that fights against you on your battlefield.
Important Basic Rule:
You can only view the threat side of a card if it is visible as an Active Threat (Active Threat) or as an On-Deck Threat (On-Deck Threat) – never while it is in your hand. However, when a threat is active, a small hint visible on it indicates what is on the core side – this helps you strategically plan the order.

Game Setup (Game Setup)

A. Common Setup (Common Setup):

  1. Divide the 100 unsleeved core cards into 6 decks according to level number. Shuffle each deck individually. Lay them out in a row from left to right in ascending order.

  2. Shuffle the 36 upgrade cards into a stack. Reveal the top 6 cards and lay them out next to it as the Upgrade Market (Upgrade Market).

  3. Place Credit and Damage Tokens aside as a supply.

B. Player Setup (Player Setup):

  1. Take a Player Mat (Player Mat), Health Marker (Health Marker), and Armor Marker (Armor Marker). Set health to "10", armor to "0".

  2. Choose a character and place their Portrait Card in the Portrait Area of the mat.

  3. Build your 10-card Starting Deck (Starting Deck) – the cards are listed on the back of the Portrait Card:
    6× Strike / Ceresan Thief
    1× Spare Credits / Virenian Doe
    1× Character Card A / Backalley Blademaster
    1× Character Card B / Sporeling
    1× Character Card C / Junker Cyclist
    Note: In a 2-player game, each player has their own deck – therefore the box contains 12× Strike/Ceresan Thief.
  4. Shuffle the deck and place it threat side up in the Deck Area.

  5. Starting Hand (Starting Hand): Draw 3 cards – core side facing you.

  6. Battlefield (Battlefield): Take the top 3 cards from the deck and lay them out threat side up as active threats. The next remaining deck card is the On-Deck Threat (On-Deck Threat).

  7. Starting Credits (Starting Credits): Take credit tokens worth a total of 3.

  8. Action Point Markers: Place 3 markers on the mat. Set the other 3 aside.

C. Boss Setup (Boss Setup): Follow the instructions on the back of the Boss Mat. For the first game: The Harbinger recommended. Place the Danger Marker on the first "0" space.

The Game Turn Consists of 5 Phases

1. Upkeep Phase (Upkeep Phase)

  • Place 3 Action Point Discs (Action Point Discs) on your player mat. You can never have more than 6. If you already have 6 and receive more, nothing happens – excess points are not lost, they are simply ignored.

  • Refresh all exhausted Ally cards (Refresh all Allies).

  • Trigger all effects that activate in this phase.

2. Draft Phase (Draft Phase)

In this phase, you acquire a new card and combine it with a threat:

  1. Find the Core Deck (Core Deck) where your Small Level Disc (Small Level Disc) is located.

  2. Draw the top 3 cards from this deck. Keep 1, return the other 2 to the bottom of the same deck.

  3. Take the top card from the Threat Deck (Threat Deck) – without looking at it – and slide your chosen Core Card with it into a sleeve.

  4. Add the finished card to your hand with the core side facing you.

  5. Reset your Small Level Disc to the position of the Large Level Disc (Large Level Disc) and stack both again.
Note on Level Discs (Level Discs):
The Large Level Disc permanently advances when you Level Up (Level Up). The Small one temporarily advances when you Train (Train), and is then reset. Both determine which Core Deck you draw from – the higher the level, the stronger the cards available.
Common Mistake:
The threat card is taken blindly from the threat deck – you are not allowed to look at it beforehand. The threat side of a hand card always remains hidden.

3. Main Phase (Main Phase)

You can perform the following actions in any order and as often as you like – as long as you have the necessary Action Points (Action Points), cards, and credits:

Play a Card (Play a Card): Pay the action points at the top left of the card. Place the card in front of you, core side up, and trigger its effects.

  • Tactic Cards (Tactic Cards): One-time effects. Remain until the cleanup phase, then discard.

  • Ally Cards (Ally Cards): Remain in play until the next level up. The earlier played, the more value! An ally in round 1 can provide exhaustion effects over 5–8 rounds.

Exhaust an Ally (Exhaust an Ally): Rotate an ally 90 degrees clockwise and trigger its exhaustion effect. Exhausted allies cannot be used again until the next upkeep phase.

Buy an Upgrade (Buy an Upgrade): Pay credits equal to the upgrade price. Slide the upgrade into the middle of a card's sleeve in your hand or in play – between the core and the threat. Each card can carry a maximum of 2 upgrades (1 top, 1 bottom). Immediately refill the empty market space with a new card from the upgrade stack.

Upgrade Warning:
Upgrades strengthen both sides of the card! The threat side receives defined bonus values – plan carefully which cards you upgrade. Too many upgrades on weak cards can dangerously escalate the battlefield.

Dealing Damage to Threats (Dealing Damage to Threats): A threat's life is its Attack Value (Attack Value) + Defense Value (Defense Value). Damage persists between turns and is tracked with Damage Tokens (Damage Tokens). A defeated threat comes to your hand as a card – core side facing you. Defeating threats is your most important way to draw new cards!

On-Deck Threat (On-Deck Threat):
The top card of your deck counts as an on-deck threat – you can already deal damage to it before it becomes active. Attention: The keywords Fast and Taunt also apply to the on-deck threat! When a threat is active, you can see a hint on it about the core side – use this strategically to plan the order of threats.

Important Rule – Repeatable Effects (Repeatable Effects):
If you trigger the same effect of the same card for the 4th time in a turn, you must Eliminate (Eliminate) this card – it is removed from the game for the rest of the game. This also applies to particularly powerful cards!

4. Threat Phase (Threat Phase)

All active threats on your battlefield attack. Each deals damage equal to its attack value:

  • For each point of damage: Move armor marker down one space.

  • Armor at zero: Move health marker down for each additional point of damage.

  • Health marker at zero: Immediate Defeat!
Common Mistake:
Damage tokens on a threat do not reduce its attack against you. Every active threat always attacks with its full attack value – no matter how much damage you have dealt to it.

5. Cleanup Phase (Cleanup Phase)

Perform these steps in exactly this order:

  1. Discard all Tactic cards (Discard all Tactics) – to the Discard Pile (Discard Pile).

  2. Remove all remaining action point markers. Unused action points are lost.

  3. Reset the armor marker to zero. Armor is not carried over to the next round!

  4. Refill the battlefield to 3 active threats. If your deck becomes empty during this process: immediately Level Up (Level Up), then continue refilling until there are 3 active threats.

  5. Advance the Danger Marker 1 space on the Danger Track. If it reaches the Maximum Danger Symbol: immediate defeat.
Timing Armor Correctly (Timing Armor):
Armor is reset to zero at the end of each turn. Build it up specifically just before the threat phase – armor built up early in the turn is wasted. You can carry a maximum of 10 armor. If you gain armor when already at full value, nothing happens.

Level Up (Level Up)

When: When your deck is empty and there are no active threats – or when your deck is empty and a new threat needs to be added.

How – in this order:

  1. Advance both level markers 1 space to the right. Stronger core cards become available in the draft phase.

  2. Discard all tactic and ally cards from play. Keep a maximum of 3 cards in hand – the rest go to the discard pile.

  3. Optional: Eliminate 1 Card (Optionally Eliminate 1 Card) from your hand or the discard pile. This card is removed from the game for the rest of the game. Use this strategically to get rid of weak starting cards like Strike!

  4. Trigger boss-specific effects on level-up, if indicated on the Boss Mat.

  5. Reshuffle all cards from the discard pile – new deck, threat side up.
Pro Tip – Timing Level Up:
Leveling up resets all allies and tactics. Therefore, plan which ally cards you can still use as often as possible before your deck runs out. Also, try to level up with as few active threats as possible – this gives you more control over the battlefield after the reset.

The Card-Crafting System (Card-Crafting System)

The heart of Unstoppable and the biggest difference from traditional deckbuilders: You don't buy cards directly from the market – you defeat threats to get new cards into your hand, and permanently improve them with upgrades that are slid into the sleeves.

  • Upgrades strengthen both sides: more power for you, but also tougher enemies on the threat side.

  • Each card can carry a maximum of 2 upgrades – 1 top, 1 bottom.

  • Upgrades can have Faction Discounts (Faction Discounts) – another layer of synergy.

  • When a defeated threat comes to your hand, you'll see a hint on it about what's on the core side – this allows for strategic planning of the attack order.

Fraktionen und Schlüsselwörter (Factions & Keywords)

There are 4 Factions: Council, Junker, Silver, and Viren. Faction synergies are key to powerful turns – a Viren card deals more damage because you have two more Viren allies and a Viren tactic in play. A Council card can make an upgrade free if you have three different factions active. Focus on 1–2 factions:

  • Bargain (Bargain): Optional effect with credit cost. Price decreases by 1 for each card of the same faction in your hand or in play. Minimum cost: 0.

  • Conspire: Mandatory effect. Triggers only if at least 1 other card of the same faction is in your hand or in play.

  • Focus: Mandatory effect. The value X = number of all cards of the same faction in hand and in play (including this card).

  • Unite: Mandatory effect. The value X = number of different factions in hand and in play (including this card). Maximum: 4.
Common Error – Starter Cards with No Faction:
Starter cards like "Strike" and "Spare Credits" have no faction and do not count for faction keywords – even after an upgrade. This applies to all level 0 starter cards.

Bedrohungsschlüsselwörter (Threat Keywords)

  • Fast (Fast): Does not count towards the maximum of 3 active threats. The cleanup phase does not end until 3 non-fast threats are active and a non-fast threat is on-deck. Prioritize these enemies – they escalate the battlefield extremely quickly!

  • Taunt (Taunt): As long as a Taunt threat is active or visible as an on-deck threat, all damage effects must be directed at it – unless the card states otherwise.

  • Rage: In the threat phase, for each active Rage threat, you must discard an ally – exhausted or not.

  • Terror: Each time you deal damage to a Terror threat, you lose 1 action point. If you have none left, the effect still triggers – you just don't lose anything.

  • Crazed X: When this threat is revealed and your current life total is ≤ X, it deals 2 damage to itself.

Karten-Eliminierung (Card Elimination)

Cards can be removed from the game in two ways:

  • When leveling up (optional): Eliminate 1 card from hand or discard pile. Ideal for weak starter cards.

  • Hazard Marker Bonus: When the hazard marker reaches certain spaces on the hazard track, you can eliminate 1 card from your hand, discard pile, or play for 1 credit.
Why Elimination is Game-Changing:
A small, focused deck cycles faster – you see your strongest cards more often. Removing weak starter cards like Strike is one of the strongest moves in the entire game. Consistently use every opportunity for elimination.

Strategic Core of the Game

Unstoppable is rarely won by single powerful moves. The following are crucial:

Momentum aufrechterhalten (Maintain Momentum):
Each round you need enough cards and action points to defeat threats and draw new cards. If you lose this rhythm, the game escalates quickly. Defeating threats is not just defense – it's your card drawing.
Fraktionsfokus (Faction Focus):
Focus on 1–2 factions for strong synergies. A mixed deck without a clear direction squanders the strength of all faction keywords. Choose a faction early and consistently build on it.
Deck schlank halten (Keep Deck Lean):
Small, focused decks almost always beat large mixed decks. Consistently use elimination when leveling up. More cards do not mean more strength – they mean more dilution.
Schlachtfeld kontrollieren (Control the Battlefield):
Never let the battlefield grow uncontrolled. Eliminate Fast threats immediately – they further fill the battlefield and massively increase damage per round.
Levelaufstieg planen (Plan the Level Up):
Leveling up resets allies – plan when it's worthwhile. Try to level up with as few threats as possible. Keep allies in play as long as possible – an early ally can provide 5–8 rounds of exhaustion effects.

Beginner Tips

Play Allies Early:
The earlier an ally is in play, the more value it generates. An ally played in round 1 can use its effect in every subsequent round until the next level up.
Eliminate Fast Threats Immediately:
Threats with the Fast keyword uncontrollably fill the battlefield. Eliminate them before the cleanup phase stacks even more threats. An uncontrolled Fast battlefield can become unbeatable within 2 rounds.
Don't Buy or Upgrade Every Card:
More cards and upgrades are not automatically better. Focus on clear faction synergies. Too many upgraded cards also make the enemy side more dangerous – a deck with fewer upgrades but focused is often stronger.
First Game: Normal Mode with Harbinger:
The Harbinger is the ideal starting boss – clear win condition (12 damage points), predictable boss cards. Some experienced players recommend not advancing the hazard marker in round 1 for the very first game. This is an unofficial house rule – try it if the entry seems too hard.
Boss Damage vs. Normal Damage:
Many bosses require special boss damage (Boss Damage ★), which only appears on certain cards. Normal card damage is not enough to defeat the boss. When designing your deck, specifically look for boss damage symbols.

The 6 Most Common Mistakes

  • Viewing Threat Sides in Hand: The threat side of a hand card may not be viewed – only as an active or on-deck threat.

  • Understanding Armor as Permanent Protection: Armor resets to zero at the end of each turn – it is not permanent protection.

  • Damage Markers Reduce Attack: Damage markers on a threat only reduce its remaining health points – not its attack value against you.

  • Forgetting Level-Up Elimination: The optional removal of a weak card when leveling up is game-changing – and often overlooked.

  • Miscounting Fast Threats: Fast Threats do not count as one of the 3 mandatory threats. The cleanup phase only ends with 3 non-fast threats plus one non-fast on-deck threat.

  • Ignoring Boss Damage: Normal card damage hits threats, not the boss – unless you have Boss Damage symbols (Boss Damage ★) on your cards. This is often confused.

Note: This is an unofficial quick-start guide and is not affiliated with the game's manufacturer or publisher.

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