Spacedogs

ABOUT

IS SPACEDOGS FOR YOU?

STORY HOOK

It’s the third space race. The first one was to decide which nation got to the moon first and establish space supremacy. The second one was about which billionaire was most successful on the free market and managed to make spacetravel an expensive gimmick to the fool that already had everything. But the third one… This one was for the people. Humanity finally cracked the code of FTL (Faster Than Light) travel for the masses. Explore space, venture into the unknown, settle down in the void and escape all the madness back on earth.

Of course it wasn’t the entirety of humankind. Rather a handful of engineers at LEAP laboratories who first manufactured a “stable room manipulation”, as they call their proprietary breakthrough tech. 

As it goes with being ‘the first’, it comes bundled with the risk of the unknown. Their first try at this massive feat wasn’t that stable, but all the more manipulative. News outlets around the world coined the term “the cascade”. It went sideways, to say the least, energetically linking random points across the galaxy and mutating reality itself. 

Among the side‑effects: four ordinary canine companions become our anthropomorphic heroes, each bearing a fragment of the Cascade’s chaotic energy.

Together, the Spacedogs chase the scattered footprints of the Cascade, uncover the truth of their own transformation, and dive into daring adventures across an ever‑expanding universe.

MEET THE TEAM

An adventure seeking, laser beam dodging, podenco trouble magnet. She's got a thing for danger and an unrelenting love of stories... as long as they're explosive, action-packed, and preferably involve dodging laser beams. After all, big hardships make great stories.

Her size might be small, but her attitude is huge. 'It's not the size of the dog in a fight,' she'd say with a grin, 'it's the size of the fight in the dog.' Nova can (and will) throw down with the best of them. After all, you don't survive on the wrong side of the galaxy for long without developing some serious survival skills.

This street mix had the unforgiving streets of Neo-Tokyo as his master and the first lesson was that survival depends on both wits and heart. Navigating neon-lit alleys and towering skyscrapers, he built a reputation through resourcefulness and quick thinking, earning respect among the city's scoundrel not through brute strength, but through kindness and opportunism in equal measure.

Cosmo's true gift lies in being the glue that holds others together. A beacon of hope for the forgotten souls drawn to his light like moths to a flame. Neither the strongest nor the most intimidating, he relies on his sharp wit, incredible stupid but infectious humor, and an unshakable resilience that has become legend on the streets. His story is proof that you don't need to succumb to a broken system to survive; with grit, heart, and a little luck, anyone can rise above.

Aurora, the enigmatic Border Collie with a mechanic’s heart, a scientist’s brain, and an unquenchable thirst for "bean juice," is as unpredictable as she is brilliant. Her sharp mind and insatiable curiosity made her a prolific entity, both in the lab and on the battlefield. Cosmo once joked that every time Aurora ever sits down for a tabletop campaign, she'd roll up a character with "Chaotic Neutral" written in permanent marker. And of course argue the DM's rulings anyway. She doesn't break rules out of malice, but because she views them as inefficient variables in the grand equation of survival.

Yet, beneath the cold logic and the smell of ozone, Aurora is fiercely loyal to those who earn her trust. She's one with her tools, viewing the world through a lens of pure function: "Bodies are just machines," she'll say, tapping her chest. "Complex ones that bleed if you cut the wrong wire, but machines nonetheless." Therefore she looks irritated if you address her as 'doctor' or 'healer'. She only sees herself as a gadgeteer. 

GAMERUNNER DRIVEN

One player assumes the role of the Game‑Runner, acting as the narrator and tactical opponent. Their responsibilities are three‑fold:

• Read and deliver the story beats that set each scene and advance the campaign.
• Control all enemy forces, position units, resolve combat, and create challenging encounters.
• But it's not just chores! You pursue personal goals to advance your progression. Unlock special abilities, gain influence points to shape the difficulty-curve in your way.

By introducing challenges, timing surprise encounters, and managing the flow of obstacles, the Game‑Runner forces the players to coordinate, develop synergies, and work together to overcome the challenges that drive the narrative forward. This asymmetrical role turns each session into a collaborative storytelling experience while keeping the plot on a single, tightly‑crafted path.

DECKBUILDING

Each character starts with a set of unique stances (passive effects to hone your playstyle) and powers (mighty one-time-use actions to turn the tide).

At the beginning of a scenario each player chooses their equipment, each contributing a set of cards to your deck.

• Tool: Utility cards that modify actions, grant extra draws, or manipulate the board
• Armor: Defensive cards that affect survivability and mobility
• Weapon: Offensive cards that define the dog’s combat style

The final deck is the sum of the chosen stance, powers, and equipment cards (plus their associated sub‑cards). This construction forces each player to make meaningful trade‑offs. For example choose heavy armor, go down the tank path, sacrifice speed for protection. Or do you enjoy the view from the back? Take a long‑range weapons with lots of firepower. Whatever your path, coordinate with your team to take complimentary builds. The resulting decks drive the tactical decisions in every encounter and give each Spacedog a distinct identity within the cooperative team.

COOP STRATEGY

The Spacedogs aren’t just playing side‑by‑side — they are literally building each other’s capabilities like a pack of good doggos. 

For example, every dog’s Stance is a passive effect that can amplify a teammate’s ability: a supportive stance may let an ally draw an extra card, while a protective stance provides damage mitigation to nearby allies.

These cross‑character interactions turn the deck‑building choices into a team‑wide optimization puzzle. Coordinate positioning, chain abilities, stack benefits to create synergies and navigate each encounter.

By working together, the pack can overcome the challenges of each scenario, turning every session into a shared, narrative‑driven adventure.

GAMEPLAY

• Narrative Intro – The Game‑Runner reads the opening paragraph, sets the scene, and presents the immediate problem.
• Action Phase (Round)
• Beginning of Round effects - Draw cards, check your temperament.
• Activations (Loop)
  • Spacedogs act – One players plays cards, moves, attacks, enables passive effects and uses powerful abilities.
  • Enemies act – The Game‑Runner resolves moves, attacks, and special effects of one enemy group.
• Event Triggers – Whenever a condition is met (door opens, enemy defeated, token reached), a brief narrative snippet fires, revealing new enemies, new cards, or new map passages. The story progresses.
• End of Round – Once all parties have acted, discard your hand. The next round begins.
• Repeat – This loop continues until the scenario goal is achieved or the Spacedogs fail.
• Closing Narrative – The Game‑Runner summarizes the outcome, hints at the next scenario, and wraps up the story thread.

• 1 vs many Game‑Runner – One player controls every enemy and the narrative flow, creating a dynamic “DM‑style” experience.
• Character progression – Modify your deck towards your own personal playstyle and maximize the synergies in your team.
• Gamerunner progression – And the best part? The gamerunner isn't left out. They have their own goals and progression to level up threats.
• Anthropomorphic dog protagonists – Instantly memorable characters with distinct personalities and histories.
• Unique style – Look at it! It stands out. Reminiscent of comic book styles and woodcuts.
• Hand drawn maps – No tiles, low effort setup, high effort production. The maps are tailored to the mission, hand drawn, unique.
• Fully‑written 12‑scenario campaign – No prep time; each scenario is ready to play out of the box.
• Rich world – find and unlock backstories, shortstories, poems, and more. You like fully optional tidbits and lore? Here you go, nerd!
• Deck‑building + crawler hybrid – Card tactics meet board exploration.
• Narrative events – Every action can unlock a short story snippet, new enemies, or fresh map sections.
• Compact playtime per scenario (120‑180 min) – Perfect for a game night while still offering depth.

COMPONENTS

• Cards (action, event, special) - ~220 (60 characterspecific + 160 Equipment/handcards)
• 4 Map Books (hand drawn and unique hexmaps) 
• 1 Campaign Book (all 12 scenarios)
• Rulebook (player + Game‑Runner rules)
• 4 Charaktertables
• Lots of standees
• Tokens (resources, damage, status)

N: So just because you know how to draw means you need to show off the difference in our skills?
T: Sure, why not? You're the CEO, which means if you don't like it, you can C your E out of here.
N: What's that supposed to mean? And no, not CEO. Chief Dog Wrangler. It's written on my card.
T: I don't know. I'm an artist. I create.
N: So you studied colors? Name all the colors, then.
T: Now who's not making any sense?
N: I don't know. I'm just a bit stressed because it's my task to write something for the team section but honestly I don't know what. It needs to fit Spacedogs. But what does that entail?
T: Hmm.. Maybe just send this?
N: That's stupid. And endearing. I love it.