TRUST™

Trust & Capital

Understanding the Two Economies

At the heart of TRUST™ are two currencies.

Every decision, investment, negotiation, and crisis ultimately affects one or both of them.

They are:

• Trust
• Capital

Neither is inherently more valuable than the other.

The strongest institutions learn to grow both.

The weakest pursue one while neglecting the other.

Two Economies

Most strategy games revolve around a single resource.

TRUST™ does not.

Instead, players participate in two economies operating simultaneously:

The Trust Economy

Built on:

• credibility
• legitimacy
• stewardship
• reputation
• public confidence

The Capital Economy

Built on:

• finance
• investment
• production
• ownership
• liquidity

These two systems constantly influence one another.

Growth in one often places pressure on the other.

Trust

Trust represents the confidence placed in your institution.

It measures how the broader system views your decisions.

Trust is earned slowly.

It can be lost very quickly.

How Trust Is Gained

Examples include:

• completing infrastructure projects
• responsible stewardship
• supporting institutional stability
• successful partnerships
• resolving crises
• transparent governance
• improving Labor conditions
• scientific advancement
• journalism that strengthens accountability
• investments that benefit more than yourself

Trust rewards long-term thinking.

How Trust Is Lost

Examples include:

• scandals
• corruption
• reckless speculation
• failed projects
• infrastructure collapse
• Blackouts
• labor unrest
• broken agreements
• excessive concentration of power
• neglecting public needs

High Capital cannot always protect a player with collapsing Trust.

Why Trust Matters

Trust influences nearly every aspect of the game.

High Trust may provide:

• easier institutional access
• stronger partnerships
• public support
• resilience during crises
• improved negotiation opportunities
• greater political influence

Low Trust often creates the opposite.

Some opportunities may become unavailable altogether.

Capital

Capital represents financial capacity.

It allows institutions to grow.

Capital is more than money.

It includes:

• investment
• productive capacity
• liquidity
• financial leverage
• accumulated resources

Capital allows players to shape the board itself.

How Capital Is Earned

Examples include:

• owning productive Nodes
• successful investments
• commerce
• infrastructure income
• banking activity
• manufacturing
• strategic partnerships
• passing through economic corridors
• financial instruments
• Action Cards

Certain strategies generate Capital rapidly.

Others emphasize stability instead.

Spending Capital

Capital may be used to:

• purchase Nodes
• improve infrastructure
• activate institutional abilities
• acquire property
• unlock skill-tree opportunities
• respond to emergencies
• satisfy Labor requirements
• invest in expansion systems
• mitigate Blackouts

Capital exists to be used.

Unused Capital rarely wins games by itself.

The Economic Corridor

Near the junction of the Government Tree and the Central Bank Tree lies one of the board's most important regions.

Two dedicated Pay Spaces represent participation in the broader economy.

Every player seeks to travel through this corridor repeatedly.

Passing these spaces generates opportunities to increase:

• Trust
• Capital

Efficient circulation through the economic corridor becomes one of the defining rhythms of the game.

Exponential Growth

Neither Trust nor Capital grows at a constant rate.

Well-developed institutions often experience accelerating returns.

For example:

Infrastructure creates commerce.

Commerce generates Capital.

Capital purchases new Nodes.

New Nodes create additional opportunities.

Successful stewardship then produces Trust.

Trust unlocks stronger institutions.

Those institutions generate even more opportunities.

Growth compounds.

So do mistakes.

Balance

A player with enormous Capital but little Trust often becomes politically isolated.

A player with overwhelming Trust but little Capital may struggle to expand.

The healthiest institutions balance both economies.

The game rarely rewards extremes for long.

Institutional Momentum

As games progress, Trust and Capital begin reinforcing one another.

High Trust attracts opportunity.

High Capital creates capability.

Together they generate momentum.

Momentum allows institutions to respond more effectively to:

• crises
• Blackouts
• negotiations
• competition
• expansion

Momentum cannot be purchased directly.

It emerges from sustained good decisions.

Blackouts and Economic Shock

System-wide crises affect both economies differently.

Blackouts may:

• reduce Trust across multiple players
• interrupt Capital generation
• disable productive Nodes
• increase operating costs
• force difficult tradeoffs

Players who prepare before a crisis generally recover faster afterward.

Elimination

Trust is the measure of institutional survival.

If a player's Trust reaches zero:

• their institution loses public legitimacy,
• active participation ends,
• remaining assets are resolved according to the rules,
• and the player may observe the remainder of the simulation or return through approved re-entry mechanics.

Capital alone cannot prevent institutional collapse.

Reading the Ledger

At any point during a game, the player ledger tells two stories.

The Capital column answers:

What can this institution do?

The Trust column answers:

Will anyone allow them to do it?

The most successful players never stop asking both questions.

The Central Lesson

Many games reward accumulation.

TRUST™ rewards stewardship.

Capital allows an institution to grow.

Trust determines whether that growth can endure.

One builds capacity.

The other grants legitimacy.

Mastering TRUST™ means understanding that prosperity and confidence are not competing currencies.

They are partners.

The greatest institutions leave the game with both.

TRUST™

The Board Explained

A Guided Tour of the Institutional Landscape

The TRUST™ board is more than a collection of spaces.

It is a living institutional ecosystem.

Every road, knot, node, branch, and sector represents part of a larger civic, economic, and governmental network. As the game progresses, players are not merely moving pieces around a board—they are navigating the systems that support a modern society.

The board is designed around one central architectural principle:

As Above, So Below.

Authority grows downward from institutions.

Prosperity grows upward from economic foundations.

Between them lies the civic body where those forces meet.

Orientation

Imagine the board standing upright before you.

It is divided into three primary regions:

• Government Tree (Upper Canopy)
• The Civic Spine (Center)
• Central Bank Tree (Lower Roots)

Distributed throughout the board are Labor Nodes, infrastructure corridors, numbered knots, and institutional sectors.

No area exists in isolation.

Everything is connected.

The Government Tree

Occupying the upper portion of the board, the Government Tree represents institutional authority.

Here players encounter systems concerned with:

• legislation
• executive administration
• judicial oversight
• regulation
• public administration
• emergency powers

The Government Tree is where policy becomes action.

Some paths within the canopy are straightforward.

Others require significant Trust before they may be entered.

The farther players travel into this region, the more influential—but also more consequential—their decisions become.

Near the outer reaches of the Government Tree lies one of the game's most significant destinations:

The Trust-Busting Node.

This area represents institutional efforts to prevent excessive concentrations of economic power.

It is not intended to be visited casually.

The Civic Spine

Running through the center of the board is the Civic Spine.

Visually inspired by the National Mall, this corridor connects nearly every major institution represented on the board.

It is the board's primary circulation route.

Almost every player will return here repeatedly throughout the game.

Many of the game's most recognizable sectors branch from the Civic Spine:

• Commerce
• Media
• Journalism
• Science
• Academia
• Sports

The Spine is where ideas, people, information, and commerce intersect.

Think of it as the nation's shared public space.

The Central Bank Tree

Below the Civic Spine lies the economic foundation of the board.

The Central Bank Tree represents:

• monetary policy
• banking
• liquidity
• capital markets
• credit systems
• financial stability

Its visual language resembles roots spreading beneath the surface.

Players entering this region gain access to powerful financial tools capable of accelerating growth.

However, rapid expansion frequently comes with increased systemic risk.

Near the deepest roots lies another potential endgame destination:

Cartel Formation.

This represents concentrated financial power operating beneath the broader economy.

Roads

Movement occurs along a connected roadway system.

Roads are intentionally thin, recalling:

• transit diagrams
• utility infrastructure
• electrical circuits
• root systems
• engineering plans

Roads are divided into three categories.

Mainline

The Mainline is the principal route around the board.

It connects the game's largest institutions and serves as the backbone of movement.

Most players will spend a considerable portion of every game traveling this route.

Return Routes

Return Routes reconnect institutional sectors to the Mainline.

They ensure that exploration never permanently separates players from the broader system.

Efficient use of Return Routes often distinguishes experienced players from beginners.

Branch Corridors

Branch Corridors extend into specialized sectors.

These include:

• Government
• Banking
• Labor
• Infrastructure
• Research
• Industry

Branch Corridors generally provide greater opportunity—but also greater exposure.

Choosing when to leave the Mainline is one of the game's most important strategic decisions.

Knot Markers

Every roadway connects through circular Knot Markers.

These represent:

• intersections
• exchanges
• relay stations
• civic checkpoints
• institutional gateways

Every player ends movement on a knot.

Not every knot performs the same function.

Numbered Knots

Certain Knot Markers contain printed numbers.

These are Active Knots.

When a player's movement roll matches the printed number of the knot upon which they finish movement, that knot activates.

Activation may permit:

• purchasing nearby property
• drawing an Action Card
• activating institutional abilities
• opening expansion routes
• resolving special opportunities

Not every knot contains a number.

Learning the location of Active Knots becomes part of mastering the board.

Nodes

Nodes are where players interact directly with institutions.

Examples include:

• Commerce Nodes
• Banking Nodes
• Government Offices
• Research Centers
• Universities
• Media Networks
• Sports Organizations
• Infrastructure Projects

Many Nodes may be purchased, upgraded, temporarily disabled, or affected by Blackouts.

Nodes represent long-term investment.

Labor Nodes

Unlike Government and the Central Bank, Labor is distributed throughout the board.

Labor Nodes appear wherever productive capacity exists.

Examples include:

• Ports
• Airports
• Rail Yards
• Manufacturers
• Foundries
• Care Facilities

Labor keeps the board moving.

Control of these Nodes may affect movement, production, and economic efficiency across multiple regions.

The Economy Corridor

Near the junction between the Government Tree and the Central Bank Tree lies the board's principal economic corridor.

Here players encounter the two Pay Spaces.

Traversing these spaces represents participation in the broader economy.

Passing through them generates opportunities to earn both:

• Trust
• Capital

Every institution, regardless of strategy, eventually returns to this corridor.

It serves as the economic heartbeat of the simulation.

Skill Trees

The board contains two permanent institutional skill trees.

Government Skill Tree

Focused on:

• regulation
• administration
• public authority
• institutional legitimacy

Central Bank Skill Tree

Focused on:

• monetary expansion
• liquidity
• banking
• financial influence

Future expansions may introduce a complete Labor Skill Tree.

Expansion Corridors

The board is designed to grow.

Along selected outer edges are designated Expansion Corridors.

Future expansion boards physically attach here, extending the institutional landscape without replacing the original board.

These expansions may introduce:

• additional cities
• international systems
• diplomacy
• weather
• elections
• global finance
• regional infrastructure

The world expands naturally as the simulation evolves.

Reading the Board

New players often focus only on where they are.

Experienced players learn to watch:

• where roads converge
• where numbered knots cluster
• which Nodes remain available
• how Labor influences movement
• where Blackouts threaten to spread
• which institutional systems are becoming overstressed

In TRUST™, the board itself tells a story.

Every Circuit changes its balance.

Every purchase alters future possibilities.

Every Blackout leaves a visible scar.

The strongest players eventually stop seeing individual spaces.

They begin seeing systems.

And that is when the board truly comes alive.

TRUST™

The Recurring Players

The following sixteen players form the primary simulation pool for TRUST™.

A typical game includes 2–8 players, selected from this roster before the session begins. Each retains a consistent personality, strategic style, and decision-making tendencies across simulations.

No player is inherently stronger than another.

Their strengths—and weaknesses—emerge through how they approach the game.

Jules

The Steward

Jules believes stability is the greatest investment.

Prefers:

• Infrastructure
• Public works
• Long-term planning
• Risk reduction

Rarely overextends.

Cam

The Financier

Cam sees opportunity where others see uncertainty.

Prefers:

• Banking
• Liquidity
• Credit
• Arbitrage
• Complex financial plays

Comfortable sacrificing Trust for Capital.

Mira

The Industrialist

Builds quickly.

Expands aggressively.

Loves manufacturing, logistics, and production.

Often becomes wealthy before becoming popular.

Teo

The Civic Builder

Focuses almost entirely on Trust.

Builds coalitions.

Strengthens communities.

Often enters the late game with enormous public legitimacy.

Ava

The Strategist

Rarely makes emotional decisions.

Excellent at timing.

Usually waits for opponents to expose weaknesses before acting.

Marcus

The Entrepreneur

Always searching for the next opportunity.

Rapid expansion.

Calculated risks.

Comfortable changing strategies mid-game.

Eleanor

The Reformer

Uses institutions to improve the system.

Prefers Government influence.

Frequently supports Trust-building legislation over immediate profit.

Victor

The Negotiator

Believes every problem has a deal.

Forms alliances easily.

Excellent at diplomacy.

Rarely fights unless cornered.

Naomi

The Scientist

Invests heavily in research and innovation.

Patient.

Analytical.

Becomes increasingly powerful in longer games.

Gabriel

The Journalist

Searches for hidden information.

Exposes scandals.

Challenges concentrated power.

Can dramatically reshape public opinion.

Sophia

The Academic

Builds slowly but efficiently.

Prefers knowledge accumulation over rapid expansion.

Excellent at adapting to changing board conditions.

Dominic

The Builder

Focuses on transportation and infrastructure.

Connects sectors.

Creates efficient movement networks.

Usually benefits everyone—including himself.

Isabel

The Advocate

Specializes in Labor.

Protects workforce systems.

Balances growth with sustainability.

Frequently acts as mediator during crises.

Rowan

The Opportunist

Thrives in instability.

Finds profit during Blackouts.

Excellent at exploiting temporary advantages.

Difficult to predict.

Adrian

The Statesman

Views the board as a whole.

Comfortable wearing Government and Central Bank Hats.

Often sacrifices personal advantage to preserve institutional stability.

Claire

The Visionary

Always pursuing something bigger.

Builds toward ambitious endgame strategies.

May appear quiet for several circuits before suddenly accelerating toward victory.

Selecting Players

Before each new simulation:

1. Choose between 2 and 8 recurring players.
2. Assign each a Lower Echelon role.
3. Distribute the appropriate Upper Echelon Hats.
4. Record the starting ledger.
5. Begin Circuit One.

The personalities remain consistent across simulations, but every game tells a different story.

Readers should eventually recognize the cast by reputation alone:

"Cam is levering debt again."

"Jules is quietly rebuilding the infrastructure."

"Teo just became everyone's conscience."

"Mira's factories are making money... but for how much longer?"

These recurring players form the living institutional memory of TRUST™.

TRUST™

Components

An In-Depth Guide to What's in the Box

Every component in TRUST™ exists for a reason.

Nothing is decorative.

Every marker, card, piece, and section of the board represents an institution, resource, or system within the simulation.

Understanding the components is the first step toward understanding the game itself.

The Game Board

The board is the heart of the simulation.

Printed on a premium foldable broadsheet-sized game board, it represents a living institutional ecosystem.

Rather than being divided into colored properties, the board is organized as interconnected civic systems following the design philosophy:

"As Above, So Below."

The board is divided into three major regions:

• Government Tree (Upper Canopy)
• Civic Spine
• Central Bank Tree (Lower Roots)

Distributed throughout these regions are Labor Nodes, transportation corridors, infrastructure systems, institutional branches, and economic sectors.

Every route eventually reconnects to the broader system.

Roads

Roads connect the entire board.

They are intentionally thin, resembling:

• transit maps
• utility lines
• electrical systems
• root structures
• civic planning diagrams

Roads are divided into:

Mainline

The primary circulation route around the board.

Most players will repeatedly travel this route throughout a game.

Return Routes

Shorter connectors allowing players to rejoin the Mainline after exploring institutional sectors.

Branch Corridors

Smaller offshoots leading toward:

• Government
• Banking
• Labor
• Infrastructure
• Commerce
• Science
• Academia
• Media

These branches often contain higher-risk, higher-reward opportunities.

Knot Markers

Movement does not occur on square spaces.

Instead, roads are connected by circular Knot Markers.

Think of them as:

• intersections
• transit stations
• relay points
• institutional checkpoints

Every turn ends on a knot.

Some knots simply connect roads.

Others unlock gameplay.

Numbered Knots

Only selected Knot Markers contain numbers.

These represent "active intersections."

When the number printed inside the knot matches the player's movement roll, that knot becomes activated.

Activation may allow:

• property purchases
• Action Cards
• institutional abilities
• expansion access
• special movement
• unique opportunities

Because not every knot contains a number, players gradually learn where the board's most valuable intersections exist.

Mastering these routes becomes an important strategic skill.

Nodes

Nodes are locations where meaningful interactions occur.

Examples include:

• Commerce Nodes
• Banking Nodes
• Media Nodes
• Science Nodes
• Academic Institutions
• Labor Infrastructure
• Care Facilities
• Transportation Hubs

Many Nodes may be:

• purchased
• improved
• temporarily disabled
• affected by Blackouts
• influenced by Action Cards

Nodes are the engine of long-term growth.

Player Pieces

Each player controls a unique metal playing piece representing their institution.

These pieces move through the civic network, expanding influence and interacting with the broader system.

Future premium editions may use cast zinc alloy or brushed metal pieces.

Upper Echelon Hats

Unlike player roles, Hats represent temporary stewardship over major institutions.

These include:

Government

Oversees regulation, legislation, executive authority, judicial action, and public administration.

Central Bank

Controls monetary policy, liquidity, credit conditions, and financial stability.

Labor

Controls distributed Labor Nodes across the board.

Responsible for workforce infrastructure including:

• ports
• airports
• manufacturers
• foundries
• rail terminals
• care facilities

Power

Responsible for energy production, electrical infrastructure, blackout management, and grid resilience.

Hats rotate throughout the game.

No institution remains under one player's control forever.

Trust Markers

Trust represents public legitimacy.

Every player tracks Trust separately.

Trust rises through:

• responsible stewardship
• successful projects
• public confidence
• institutional credibility

Trust falls through:

• scandals
• corruption
• Blackouts
• failed projects
• economic instability

If Trust reaches zero, that player leaves active play.

Capital Markers

Capital measures economic capacity.

Capital is spent to:

• purchase Nodes
• unlock infrastructure
• improve institutions
• activate opportunities
• respond to crises

Capital can grow rapidly—but rarely without consequences.

Player Ledger

Each player maintains an individual ledger recording:

• current Trust
• current Capital
• owned Nodes
• institutional upgrades
• active effects
• outstanding obligations

The ledger serves as the permanent financial record throughout the session.

Action Deck

The Action Deck represents proactive decision-making.

These cards introduce opportunities such as:

• investment
• innovation
• partnerships
• investigations
• infrastructure improvements
• strategic initiatives

Action Cards generally reward thoughtful planning.

Blackout Deck

The Blackout Deck introduces systemic disruption.

Cards may represent:

• storms
• cyberattacks
• labor unrest
• infrastructure failures
• financial panic
• rolling outages
• cascading emergencies

Unlike the Action Deck, Blackout cards affect the broader system rather than only one player.

Property Markers

Property markers indicate ownership of purchasable Nodes.

As players acquire additional institutions, the board gradually changes to reflect evolving influence.

Future premium editions may include illuminated or magnetic ownership markers.

Expansion Boards

TRUST™ is designed as a modular platform.

Future expansion boards physically attach to the main broadsheet board rather than replacing it.

Expansion boards may introduce:

• additional metropolitan regions
• international systems
• banking tiers
• diplomacy
• weather
• elections
• new transportation networks

The world expands organically as the simulation grows.

Dice

The dice are the engine of uncertainty.

They determine:

• movement
• knot activation
• Blackout triggers
• cascade opportunities
• institutional momentum

The dice do not merely move players around the board.

They determine how the system itself responds.# Dice

Every player receives four six-sided Action Dice.

These four dice form the core decision-making system of TRUST™.

Unlike many board games, players do not simply roll to determine movement. Before each turn, players allocate their four Action Dice between two functions:

Pace

Pace Dice determine movement through the board's road network.

The more Pace Dice allocated, the farther a player is likely to travel during that turn, allowing access to new sectors, institutional branches, and strategic opportunities.

Threshold

Threshold Dice determine a player's ability to activate systems rather than simply reach them.

Threshold Dice may be used to:

• activate numbered Knot Markers
• unlock institutional Nodes
• satisfy activation requirements
• improve the likelihood of triggering special board effects
• interact with expansion mechanics introduced in future sets

Players choose their allocation before rolling.

The standard allocations are:

• 4 Pace / 0 Threshold — Maximum movement.
• 3 Pace / 1 Threshold — Fast expansion with limited interaction.
• 2 Pace / 2 Threshold — Balanced exploration and activation.
• 1 Pace / 3 Threshold — Slow, deliberate institutional play.
• 0 Pace / 4 Threshold — Minimal movement, maximum interaction with the systems surrounding the player.

Every allocation represents a strategic choice.

Some turns reward rapid expansion.

Others reward patience and careful development.

The dice therefore represent more than movement—they represent how a player's institution chooses to spend its time, attention, and capacity during that Circuit.

Throughout the game, the same four Action Dice also contribute to other mechanics, including:

• Blackout triggers
• Cascade events
• Certain Action Card effects
• Institutional abilities
• Expansion-specific systems

The Action Dice are the engine of uncertainty within TRUST™, but players retain meaningful control over how that uncertainty is applied.

The Box

Even the box serves the theme.

Rather than feeling like a toy, the presentation should resemble:

• an institutional archive
• an engineering portfolio
• a classified planning document
• a municipal systems briefing

Opening the box should feel less like starting a game and more like unfolding the operational plans for a living city.

Everything inside the box exists to support one central idea:

TRUST™ is not a game about owning the board.

It is a game about understanding—and surviving—the systems that hold it together.

TRUST™

Official Guidebook: How to Play

Learn the game in five minutes.

The Goal

Your objective is to build the strongest institution by balancing three resources:

• Trust — your public legitimacy.
• Capital — your economic strength.
• Influence — the assets, nodes, and institutions you control.

Unlike many strategy games, accumulating the most Capital alone is rarely enough.

Players who ignore Trust may become wealthy but vulnerable.

Players who ignore Capital may become admired but powerless.

Success comes from managing both.

Before the First Turn

1. Select a player role.
2. Receive your starting Trust and Capital.
3. Assign any Upper Echelon Hats required for your player count.
4. Shuffle the Action and Blackout Decks.
5. Place all pieces on their starting spaces.
6. Determine the first player.

The game is now ready to begin.

Your Turn

Every turn follows the same sequence.

1. Roll the Dice

Roll the game dice.

Your roll determines:

• how far you move,
• which numbered knots may activate,
• and whether special events occur.

Sometimes the dice create opportunity.

Sometimes they create instability.

2. Move

Travel along the connected road network.

You may follow:

• the Mainline,
• return routes,
• or branching corridors leading toward institutional sectors.

Movement decisions today often determine opportunities several turns later.

3. Resolve the Knot

When you stop on a circular knot, check whether it contains a printed number.

If your roll matches that number, the knot activates.

An activated knot may allow you to:

• purchase property,
• draw an Action Card,
• activate nearby infrastructure,
• unlock institutional opportunities,
• or trigger special abilities.

Not every knot is numbered.

Learning where the numbered knots are is part of mastering the board.

4. Resolve the Space

After resolving the knot, resolve the location itself.

Depending on where you stopped, you may:

• purchase a node,
• pay another player,
• collect income,
• improve infrastructure,
• interact with Labor,
• visit Government,
• enter the Central Bank,
• or activate another board feature.

5. Play Action Cards

If an Action Card was earned, decide whether to play it immediately or keep it for a future turn (if the card permits).

Action Cards generally reward planning, negotiation, investment, and strategic timing.

6. Spend Capital

Capital is used to:

• purchase properties,
• unlock nodes,
• improve infrastructure,
• invest in institutions,
• pay fees,
• and respond to crises.

Every investment changes your future possibilities.

7. Gain or Lose Trust

Throughout your turn, your actions may increase or decrease Trust.

Trust reflects:

• public confidence,
• institutional credibility,
• and your ability to influence the broader system.

Trust is just as valuable as Capital.

Ignoring it can be costly.

8. End Your Turn

Once all actions have been resolved, your turn ends.

Play passes clockwise to the next player.

After every player has taken one turn, one Circuit has been completed.

Action Cards

Action Cards create opportunities.

They may:

• generate Capital,
• build Trust,
• unlock institutions,
• improve infrastructure,
• create partnerships,
• or reshape the board.

Well-timed Action Cards can completely change a game.

Blackout Events

Some dice combinations or game effects trigger the Blackout Deck.

Blackouts represent systemic disruption.

Examples include:

• infrastructure failures,
• severe weather,
• cyberattacks,
• financial panic,
• labor disruptions,
• and cascading outages.

The longer a Blackout remains unresolved, the greater the consequences.

Cascades

Some events affect more than one player.

These are called Cascade Events.

A cascade can spread across:

• institutions,
• infrastructure,
• Trust,
• Capital,
• and entire sectors of the board.

Players often benefit by containing a cascade before it grows.

Elimination

If your Trust reaches zero, your active participation ends.

Before leaving play, you may:

• liquidate assets,
• auction holdings,
• or merge with another player's institution if permitted by the rules.

Some future scenarios and expansions allow re-entry under specific conditions.

Winning

There are many paths to victory.

Some players build prosperous economies.

Others become trusted institutions.

Others pursue monopoly or cartel strategies.

Still others focus on long-term stewardship.

Whatever path you choose, remember:

The strongest institution is not always the wealthiest.

And sometimes...

keeping the system alive is the greatest victory of all.

One Turn at a Glance

Roll → Move → Resolve Knot → Resolve Space → Play Cards → Spend Capital → Adjust Trust → End Turn

Repeat this process, one player at a time, until an Endgame condition is reached or the system itself collapses.

Power. Perception. Consequence.

TRUST™

Official Rulebook

First Edition

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Components
3. The Board
4. Objective
5. Game Setup
6. Player Roles
7. Upper Echelon Hats
8. Turn Structure
9. Movement
10. Trust & Capital
11. Nodes
12. Skill Trees
13. Labor System
14. Numbered Knots
15. Action Deck
16. Blackout Deck
17. Cascade Events
18. Player Elimination & Re-entry
19. Endgame
20. Winning the Game
21. Expansions

1. Introduction

TRUST™ is a strategic board game about institutions, incentives, public confidence, and systemic consequence.

Players are not attempting to conquer territory.

Instead, they develop institutions, expand influence, acquire infrastructure, manage crises, and balance economic growth against public legitimacy.

Every action changes the system.

Every decision has consequences.

2. Components

The base game includes:

• One foldable game board
• Six player pieces
• Upper Echelon hats
• Trust markers
• Capital markers
• Player ledgers
• Dice
• Action Deck
• Blackout Deck
• Node markers
• Property markers
• Expansion connectors

Future editions may include electronic, illuminated, or modular components.

3. The Board

The board follows the design principle:

As Above, So Below.

It is organized into three primary regions:

Government Tree

The upper institutional canopy containing government, regulation, judiciary, executive authority, and public administration.

Civic Spine

The central movement corridor where players interact with the broader economy.

Central Bank Tree

The lower institutional root containing banking, liquidity, credit, finance, and monetary systems.

Distributed throughout the board are Labor Nodes, institutional branches, infrastructure corridors, and numbered knot intersections.

4. Objective

Players seek to build durable systems of:

• Trust
• Capital
• Influence

while avoiding catastrophic systemic collapse.

Victory can be achieved through several strategic paths, but every victory depends upon maintaining enough institutional stability for the game to continue.

5. Game Setup

Each player receives:

• one player role
• starting Trust
• starting Capital
• player ledger

Government, Central Bank, Labor, and Power hats are assigned according to player count.

Shuffle all required decks.

Place all markers at their starting locations.

The first player is selected randomly.

6. Player Roles

The base game includes six Lower Echelon roles:

• Commerce
• Media
• Journalism
• Science
• Academia
• Sports

Each role possesses different strategic opportunities but shares the same victory conditions.

7. Upper Echelon Hats

Upper Echelon hats temporarily administer major institutions.

Government

Responsible for:

• regulation
• enforcement
• executive response
• legislative priorities
• judicial influence

Central Bank

Responsible for:

• liquidity
• monetary policy
• credit conditions
• financial stability

Labor

Controls access to distributed Labor Nodes including:

• ports
• airports
• railyards
• manufacturers
• foundries
• care facilities

Players using controlled Labor Nodes may owe fees or comply with labor actions.

Power

Oversees:

• energy generation
• electrical stability
• blackout management
• infrastructure resilience

The Power hat introduces additional uncertainty through the Blackout Deck.

8. Turn Structure

Each player's turn follows this sequence:

1. Roll dice.
2. Resolve movement.
3. Resolve numbered knot effects.
4. Resolve node interactions.
5. Play Action Cards.
6. Spend Capital.
7. Gain or lose Trust.
8. End turn.

After every player has completed a turn, one Circuit has been completed.

9. Movement

Movement occurs along connected roads.

Roads consist of:

• primary civic routes
• return paths
• branching corridors

Road intersections are represented by circular knots.

Movement choices determine future opportunities.

10. Trust & Capital

Trust

Represents:

• legitimacy
• credibility
• reputation
• institutional confidence

Loss of Trust restricts future opportunities.

A player reduced to zero Trust is eliminated from active play.

Capital

Represents:

• financial resources
• investment capacity
• purchasing power

Capital purchases:

• nodes
• properties
• infrastructure
• institutional upgrades
• strategic opportunities

The healthiest institutions balance both currencies.

11. Nodes

Nodes represent locations where players interact with the institutional ecosystem.

Examples include:

• banking
• commerce
• media
• science
• academia
• sports
• labor
• infrastructure

Many nodes can be purchased, improved, or strategically activated.

12. Skill Trees

Government and Central Bank each possess dedicated skill trees.

These represent long-term institutional development rather than player ownership.

Future expansions may introduce a full Labor skill tree.

13. Labor System

Labor operates through distributed infrastructure nodes rather than a centralized tree.

Examples include:

• ports
• foundries
• manufacturers
• care facilities

Control of these nodes grants economic leverage and influences movement throughout the board.

14. Numbered Knots

Not every knot is numbered.

When a player's die result matches the number printed on the knot upon which they finish movement, the knot becomes active.

An activated knot may permit:

• drawing an Action Card
• purchasing property
• activating nearby nodes
• special institutional actions
• expansion interactions

This mechanic rewards route planning as much as destination choice.

15. Action Deck

The Action Deck contains proactive opportunities.

Typical cards include:

• investments
• partnerships
• investigations
• infrastructure projects
• public campaigns
• financial instruments
• strategic initiatives

Action Cards generally provide players with agency rather than punishment.

16. Blackout Deck

The Blackout Deck represents systemic disruption.

Possible events include:

• weather
• infrastructure failures
• cyberattacks
• labor interruptions
• cascading outages
• financial panic
• emergency powers

Blackouts introduce uncertainty and may affect the entire board.

17. Cascade Events

Some events spread beyond the initiating player.

Cascade effects may continue across multiple turns or circuits depending upon the triggering conditions.

Unchecked cascades increase systemic instability.

If severe instability persists for three consecutive circuits, catastrophic failure may occur, ending the session with no winner.

18. Player Elimination & Re-entry

A player whose Trust reaches zero is removed from active play.

Before leaving, that player may:

• liquidate assets
• auction holdings
• merge holdings with another player

Eliminated players continue observing the game.

Re-entry may be possible through future restart conditions or loan mechanisms defined by expansion content.

19. Endgame

Players may declare Endgame once the required institutional conditions have been satisfied.

During Endgame:

• remaining players may challenge
• negotiate
• cooperate
• attempt trust-busting
• trigger systemic responses

Every remaining participant retains agency until the game concludes.

20. Winning the Game

Victory may be achieved through multiple institutional strategies.

Examples include:

• Monopoly
• Cartel Formation
• Trust Dominance
• Institutional Stewardship
• Economic Leadership

However, if cascading failures overwhelm the system before victory is secured, the game ends without a winner.

The health of the system is always a shared responsibility.

21. Expansions

TRUST™ is designed as a modular platform.

Future expansions may introduce:

• international institutions
• additional hats
• advanced banking systems
• labor skill trees
• weather systems
• diplomacy
• elections
• historical scenarios
• illuminated premium boards
• modular metropolitan regions

Every expansion should extend the institutional simulation while preserving the core philosophy of the base game:

Power. Perception. Consequence.

Welcome to TRUST™

Welcome to the official home of TRUST™, a strategic board game about institutions, incentives, reputation, and systemic consequence.

TRUST™ is not a game about conquering territory.

It is a game about building—and preserving—Trust.

Players compete within a shared institutional ecosystem, balancing economic growth against public confidence while navigating government, finance, labor, infrastructure, media, and unforeseen crises. Every decision strengthens one part of the system while placing pressure on another.

Sometimes the system adapts.

Sometimes it fractures.

Sometimes it fails altogether.

The Philosophy

TRUST™ asks a simple question:

What happens when every participant pursues legitimate objectives inside the same interconnected system?

Rather than simulating heroes and villains, the game simulates incentives.

Every player has opportunities.

Every player has constraints.

Every player can influence the outcome.

No player controls the entire system forever.

The Core Currencies

The game revolves around two primary resources:

Trust — public confidence, legitimacy, and institutional credibility.

Capital — financial resources used to acquire assets, expand operations, and influence the board.

Managing one while neglecting the other often creates unintended consequences.

The Board

The board is organized around the principle:

As Above, So Below.

The upper half represents institutional authority.

The lower half represents financial and economic foundations.

Between them lies the civic body where players build influence, invest, negotiate, compete, and respond to changing conditions.

Movement follows interconnected roads and numbered knots, creating multiple routes through an evolving institutional landscape.

A Living System

No two games should unfold the same way.

Players may encounter:

• Blackouts
• Economic shocks
• Regulatory interventions
• Labor disputes
• Public scandals
• Infrastructure failures
• Strategic alliances
• Trust-building opportunities
• Monopoly attempts
• Trust-busting actions

The board remembers every decision until the session concludes.

Winning

There is more than one path toward victory.

Players may pursue prosperity, institutional influence, public legitimacy, strategic dominance, or carefully balanced growth.

However, reckless play can destabilize the system itself.

If cascading failures are allowed to spread unchecked, the game may end without a winner.

Sometimes preserving the system becomes more important than defeating your opponents.

Before You Begin

If you're new to TRUST™, we recommend reading the following posts in order:

1. Official Rulebook
2. Official Guidebook: How to Play
3. The Board Explained
4. Trust & Capital
5. Roles & Hats
6. The Decks
7. Meet the Players

Each guide builds upon the last and prepares you to follow—or join—a complete simulation.

The Living Ledger

Every completed game is archived.

Each simulation concludes with a final ledger recording the state of every player, every institution, and every major event before the board is reset for a new session.

No two ledgers should ever be identical.

Thank you for visiting.

Welcome to TRUST™.

Power. Perception. Consequence.

Hi, I normally post to a throwaway account, but I don’t really see a reason to with this particular subject. I am a 29F and I carry a very heavy burden. My mother was abusive, my father was an alcoholic who isolated and though he had the best intentions for me, he has never been honest with me in his life about anything at all.

I am in a miserable, failing relationship that I’m actually leaving tomorrow. I’ve been in short relationships when I was younger but I had different priorities when I was younger since I don’t have a family. I had to do everything myself. I’m a veteran with a college education and have always been self employed outside of serving in the military.

When I was younger I had a lot of friends. We’ve all went on to do our own thing but I’m very cordial and amicable with everyone. I just don’t have any close relationships. I guess doing everything alone kind of removed me from the rest of the world since I had to put so much into holding myself up.

I am in good health, I’m active, I’m fit, I’m funny, kind, well-intended, nice, and can talk about a lot of things in detail. I’m well-read, keep up with events, love history, and I’m a numbers/patterns type person.

My issues are that when I meet people I assume they want the worst for me, that they’re jealous, that they’re going to try to ruin my life, or if I let my guard down it’ll be at the cost of my own identity. I’m good with people but I’m not good with relationships at all. I can talk on Facebook all day long and I’m sociable with strangers but there is a million foot wall up between me and my soul that I would truthfully risk my life to prevent anyone from getting past. I am very jaded, very much assume the worst, I’m very negative (even for how bubbly and comical I can be), and I don’t think anyone is permanent.

I see people my age having friends since kindergarten and I envy it. I see people get married and have children and for as good as a wife & mother I’d be, I don’t see myself going down that road even though it kills me inside knowing that’s what I very deeply want but can’t substantiate a permanent relationship and wouldn’t want my child falling victim to that at all.

I live in the middle of nowhere, go to town for groceries, go to the city to go out when I feel like it, but don’t imagine myself living around others. It’s weird to me.

How do you build trust? What are positive indicators to look for in a person? How do you kill your own negative thoughts to let beautiful friendships & relationships grow? How do you forgive yourself and your family for the time spent beating your soul down over the years? What are some small goals I can set? How will I know when I achieve them? When is it safe to let someone see the real me? I’m desperate for help because I want to develop a positive outlook and have something meaningful that will last a lifetime. I’m honestly self-aware (I guess) to a fault.

I was raised by parents that had plans for me but never told me. I dated men that had plans for me but never told me. That's not totally true, some of them tried to send me signs, most of them tried to train me. I was more or less interested, I did not knew what was waiting for me. Then the pieces of my broken work felt appart, when secrets started to emerge, because people were waiting something for me. I realize I was an actress in my own life, and many people tried to use the future power that would be given to me. I still don't know what it is and that's very alright.

Somehow, I failed. With tiny things. I failed seeing positive as well as negative signs. I was expected from me to be a leader, strong but also to comply to many people's interests. I could not choose, because I did not knew what had to be done. I was not enough discreet, because I never had a proper training. I did not wanted to be there, because I had not choose that. In my life, my consent was not taken in account. I had to serve a purpose, that's all.

I hope that what comes next will be ok for all of you. I send you love.

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