HASHED BYTE PRESENTS // COLLECTIBLE CARD GAME · v0.9.7

Build the rig.
Run the benchmark.
Rule the desk.

Assemble a 9-slot rig from 300 authentic desktop-age cards across two collectible sets — the Alpha set and the new Everyday Machines expansion — push it through the BattleDesk Benchmark Laboratory's gauntlet, and be the first player to 10 Performance Counters.

▶ Play in browser Download the game
300
CARDS · 2 SETS
9
RIG SLOTS TO FILL
10
COUNTERS TO WIN
1971→
DESKTOP AGE, 1971–PRESENT
4
WAYS TO PLAY

01 // HOW TO PLAY

Fill the nine slots.
Mind the compatibility. Feed the power budget.

Every duel starts at an empty desk. Draft a 60-card deck — at least one of every required Part — and build a working rig one slot at a time. Sockets must match, rails must hold, and every watt is accounted for.

02 // THE WIN CONDITION

The scoreboard predates the game.

Founded in 1970, the BattleDesk Benchmark Laboratory issues one decree: “If it isn't reproducible, it isn't a result.” Play Benchmarks against your rig, score Performance Counters, and reach 10 counters first to win the duel.

Integer Compile benchmark card
INTEGER COMPILE OFFICE TIER
Cinematic Pathtrace benchmark card
CINEMATIC PATHTRACE PROFESSIONAL TIER
Pathlight Showcase benchmark card
PATHLIGHT SHOWCASE PROFESSIONAL TIER

03 // THE COLLECTION

Three hundred cards.
Five tiers of desktop history.

Two collectible sets span the whole Desktop Age — from 1971's first microprocessors to today's ray-tracing monsters. The Alpha set (200 cards: 100 Parts, 100 Benchmarks) and the new Everyday Machines expansion (100 Parts — office boxes, home towers, and keyboards that earned their space). Every one a piece of a fictional hardware universe that never shipped a single real chip. Browse the full database →

CLICK A CARD FOR THE FULL READOUT

04 // THE UNIVERSE

A desktop age that never happened — yet.

Every card belongs to a fictional hardware universe, complete with its own foundries, feuds, and failed launches. No real company. All the vibes.

1970

The scoreboard predates the game

Dr. Otto Renner convenes the BattleDesk Benchmark Laboratory. Three workload families. One decree: reproducibility or nothing.

1971

PMI ships the P4004

From a watchmaker's shop, Pioneer Microcircuits International starts the Desktop Age — and the PMI↔Frontier rivalry is already warming up.

1972

Frontier breaks away

A former PMI sales engineer founds Frontier Micro Devices. The challenger never needs the most expensive board.

1994

The wrong bridge

A misrouted fax briefly links Stonebridge Computing and Stonebridge Computers. Pure coincidence — canonically locked, no relationship, ever.

1997

Voidrunner Labs

Founded by an unnamed pit crew, Voidrunner builds displays that refuse to wait for the next frame.

2010s

PMI's quiet season

A long mask revision. PMI goes dark on the modern era — and the comeback arc is still unwritten.

NOW

Everyday Machines — 100 new cards

The desk goes domestic: office boxes, home towers, and the keyboards that typed it all. The second collectible set, straight from the card studio.

NEXT

The Desktop Age keeps rolling

New cards keep coming off the line — drafted, critiqued, and approved by the studio pipeline.

PIONEER MICROCIRCUITS◆ FRONTIER MICRO DEVICES◆ ASTER SYSTEMS◆ GALECREST COMPONENTS◆ ORION MEMORY & FOUNDRY◆ TIDEWATT POWER◆ SUNFLASH MEDIA◆ VERDANT GRAPHICS◆ VOIDRUNNER LABS◆ BLUEFORGE GRAPHICS◆ FLUXGATE GRAPHICS

05 // THE ECONOMY

Open packs. Trade up.
Every copy counts.

Earn Bench Credits in duels, crack open booster packs (1–25, always atomic), sell spare copies back to the market, or trade up exactly ten identical spares for one card of the next tier. Your collection is yours — offline or online.

Office booster pack
OFFICE
Low Spec booster pack
LOW SPEC
Mid Range booster pack
MID RANGE
High End booster pack
HIGH END
Professional booster pack
PROFESSIONAL
Desktop Age booster pack
DESKTOP AGE
1,000 BC STARTING GRANT// 5,000 BC ONLINE WELCOME// 10 COPIES → NEXT TIER// 18 PACKS · 6 BOOSTER FRONTS

06 // GET THE GAME

Four ways to play.
One desk to rule.

OFFLINE

Full solo experience: tutorial, AI duels, replay viewer, and MJPEG export of your finest matches up to 4K.

  • Local collection & saves
  • Replay video export
  • Tutorial with no rewards, no saves — pure learning

LAN

Gather the squad. Host-authoritative ENet matches over your network — Duel, FFA, and Arena, with full-state integrity on every commit.

  • Host-authoritative, protocol 6
  • Duel · FFA · Arena
  • Snapshot-signed, replay-verified

ONLINE

Server-authoritative play with a real economy: identity, ledger, marketplace, and auction house. Signed builds, mandatory updates, no cheats.

  • Player trading + auctions (0.9.7)
  • 5,000 BC welcome grant
  • Fail-closed signed delivery

BROWSER

Play instantly — the 0.9.7 web build runs right in your browser, no install, on any machine. Same cards, same benchmarks, straight to the desk.

▚ WINDOWS ▚ LINUX ▚ macOS ▚ ANDROID ▚ iOS (SIDELOAD) ▚ BROWSER

DESKTOP: GRAB THE LAUNCHER — IT INSTALLS, VERIFIES (SHA-256 + RSA), AND UPDATES THE GAME · MOBILE: APK / IPA DIRECT · NO SERVER DOWNLOADS HERE

Browse the card database Read the FAQ

07 // FAQ

Straight answers.

What is BattleDesk?

A collectible PC-building strategy card game by Hashed Byte. You draft parts, assemble a working rig under compatibility and power constraints, then run benchmark cards to score Performance Counters. First to 10 wins.

What's in a deck?

60 cards, with at least one of every required Part (CPU, Motherboard, RAM, Case, PSU, Storage). You open with a 5-card hand safeguarded to include required Parts — a bricked opener is not a thing.

How do I win a duel?

Build a rig that passes its checks, then play Benchmarks against it. Each completed benchmark scores Performance Counters (weighted by your parts' compute, memory, and display stats). Reach 10 first and the desk is yours.

Is it pay-to-win?

No. The economy runs on in-game Bench Credits earned through play: welcome grants, match rewards, selling spares, and the 10-copy trade-up ladder. There is no cash shop.

Can I play with friends?

Yes — three ways. Offline solo, LAN matches (Duel / FFA / Arena, host-authoritative), and server-authoritative online play with a persistent collection, marketplace, and auction house.

What is the Everyday Machines expansion?

The second collectible set: 100 new Parts (15 CPUs, 14 motherboards, 14 RAM, 14 storage, 10 cases, 10 PSUs, 10 GPUs, 7 displays, 6 keyboards) covering the everyday desk — office boxes, home towers, and the keyboards that typed it all. It joins the 200-card Alpha set — 302 cards in total with the two Card Studio prints.

Can I play in the browser?

Yes — live now. Hit ▶ Play in browser in the hero, or the BROWSER card in the downloads section, and you're dueling with no install. Note: browser play is offline-solo; LAN and online modes need the desktop build.

What platforms are supported?

Windows, Linux, and macOS via the BattleDesk Launcher — it installs the game, verifies every update (SHA-256 + RSA signature), and keeps you on the latest build. Android (APK) and iOS (unsigned IPA for sideloading) download directly. Browser play is on the way.

Are these real companies?

No. Every manufacturer in BattleDesk — PMI, Frontier, Aster, Galecrest, Voidrunner, and the rest — is fictional. The Desktop Age they occupy is an alternate history that never shipped a single real chip.