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This seems like great chaotic fun! The "skirmishers" are an interesting addition that really establish this as a true wargame / racing hybrid.

It's hard to comment on the balance as I haven't played it but I don't see anything particularly problematic. Even if it turned out to be janky it would only add to the theme of the game!

I disagree with others that there is too much going on. The core idea is apocalyptic racing and I think this design suits that very well without becoming too complex. There are some small typos in the document but nothing that obfuscates the intended meaning, and the game seems like it would play quite fast once one has a rhythm going. 

My only real suggestion would be to have printable sheets that allows players to track their chosen vehicle, skirmishers, armor/health, and upgrades.

Nice work!

A simple, elegant design that is very clear and offers lots of tactical flexibility. I think it's interesting that the player with initiative can choose to give up their initial draw to the opponent for the sake of a better hand for themselves.

My only real gripe is that the presence of 4 clan decks, while cool, slightly undermines the simplicity of the rest of the design. Ideally, in a game involving playing cards, I would want to be able to memorize what each card does within a short time of playing. But with four factions all slightly varied of each other, this becomes a much more difficult task.

If you had told me that a 5+ was a stagger, a 9+ was a deathblow, etc. it would essentially be the same game but with less of a need to constantly look up values on the table. Perhaps if just the face cards varied between clans, it would be easier to keep track? It would probably also be easier to balance.

All in all, this game looks like a great deal of fun and makes me wish I had some nice vampire miniatures to represent my coterie on the table! Great execution and implementation of theme.

I think examples would be great in helping people to visually understand how the game is played. The game itself is actually very simple and quite clever, but the rules layout makes it seem a little more complicated than it really is. Also, the bottom edge seems like it should say 'starting edge', which is an aspect that probably confused some readers. But overall it's a cool concept and seems like it could make for some quick cut-throat gameplay.

I didn't want the game to require a "board" because I wanted it to be playable with whatever tokens / miniatures one hand on hand. Even a tape measure isn't really needed because during gameplay all lengths fall within the 12" or less of a standard ruler.

Game length is actually surprisingly short because as written, the game ends if a players reaches 10 VP while controlling the center planet (first column of first page spells out win condition). Because VP is handed out at the end of each round, games can end pretty quickly especially at the 2 player count. In future versions the max goal of VP will probably be adjusted based on player count. For now, feel free to use whatever VP goal makes the most sense to you based on the pace your games are going.

Twilight Imperium was definitely an inspiration along with other 4X games like Eclipse. Although TI is technically grand strategy rather than 4X. Most notably, TI lacks an exploration element, which I wanted to make a key component of this game. 

TI seemed a perfect starting point because it's a game with many layers of complexity based around the simple idea of territorial expansion and player interaction. I was curious how much we could "Subtract" from the game without losing the core essence of it.

Initially, there was a plan to have differently themed factions but that ended up being reduced to just the faction traits. Everything in the game is streamlined as much as possible although I will admit that the balance is probably not quite right yet. After the jam we will probably update an improved version of the game.

Quick clarifications for combat involving more than 2 players in proximity

- For each roll, the attacking player chooses an enemy player to target. Any hits rolled are toward that enemy's units only.
- After combat, if the defending system owner has no units left in orbit, you claim the system (whether or not there are still other enemy units in orbit from other players). 

Note that all other players are considered enemy players. Alliances are never official and thus ending a move in proximity of an enemy ship or system always forces a combat regardless of any prior agreements.

Our entry to the Design by Subtraction jam, this game was inspired by the idea that 4X is a genre typically known for its many layers of complexity.

Our goal was to cut the typical 4X gameplay down to its bare fundamentals: EXploit, EXpand, EXplore, and EXterminate. In addition, the game includes Negotiation, a strong Theme, and Technological advancement, which are regarded as key elements of the hidden 5th and most important X: The EXperience.

Enjoy!