Reports are coming in that Wizkids tabletop card game, Blade Runner 2049: Nexus Protocol has hit the shelves.

Blade Runner 2049 was released in 2017 and is the sequel to the original 1982 Blade Runner movie. The game takes inspiration from the main plot point; that all the replicants are now in servitude to humanity, and any rogue replicants are ‘retired’ (killed). It differs, however, in that in Blade Runner 2049: Nexus Protocol there is only one replicant that remains free.  If you are expecting a narrative game based on the movie, then you are out of luck

The game has been put together by deckbuilding champion designer Travis R. Chance whose game Legendary: Buffy The Vampire Slayer was well received and by Jessey Wright the designer of the Avatar tie-in The Legend of Korra: Pro Bending Arena. Blade Runner 2049: Nexus Protocol game has hit several roadblocks over the years. It was originally slated for a 2018 release but was held back for unknown reasons. It also faces competition from a popular, but unlicensed, deduction game based upon the original Blade Runner movie was released as a print and play 8 years ago.

Blade Runner 2049: Nexus Protocol is a take on the classic hidden identity/sleuth games like Mafia, Werewolf, and the upcoming Hello Neighbor: Secret Neighbor Party Game. The game is for 3 - 6 players and it comes with 43 cards, 6 character standees with bases, and over 30 pieces of evidence. The players take on the role of Deckard and a group of Blade Runners with a singular mission, to track down the last remaining replicant.

Players compete against each other in a race against time to find the replicant. He has hidden among the Blade Runners and could be any one of theme, even Deckard himself. Players must interrogate the witnesses, hunt for clues, and gather evidence to uncover the replicant’s true identity. Meanwhile, the replicant must remain hidden and do everything they can to avoid discovery. If the game ends and the players have fewer than the minimum pieces of evidence required to make a case, then they have lost and the replicant wins.

Blade Runner 2049: Nexus Protocol is available now for $24.99 from the Wizkids web store and from your local independent games store.

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Source: Wizkids, IMDB - Blade Runner | Blade Runnder 2049