Verge Glossary

From Verge

Verge uses a number of special terms throughout the rules. Refer to the glossary if you can't remember what a specific term means.

AI 

An artificial intelligence, typically a software program that has free will and sentience.

cash out 

To collect tokens for the cool stuff you created during the link phase.

character 

A person in the game world controlled by a player.

compile phase 

The first phase of the game, in which you assemble friends and prepare to play.

dice (singular

die): "Normal" six-sided dice.

dice pool 

A group of dice that haven't been rolled yet.

edge 

A relationship between things in the game world, represented by an arrow (line) on the network.

fade to black 

To gloss over some part of the story, typically when it would make some players uncomfortable.

genre 

A set of conventions that define the type of game you want. For example, "cyberpunk" is a high-level genre.

ideology 

A type of node representing some big philosophy, religion, form of government, or other body of thought.

link phase 

The second phase of the game, in which you build the network.

load phase 

The third phase of the game, in which you create and link a character.

network 

A diagram that represents everything important in the game world. The diagram is a web of nodes connected by edges.

node 

A thing in the game world and the main component of a network.

organization 

A type of node representing a group of people, centrally organized or otherwise.

person 

A type of node representing an intelligent and sentient being, such as a human being, an AI, a robot or android, a sentient animal, or even an alien.

player 

Your or one of your friends, while playing Verge.

points 

A way of counting the !'s and X's you get to add to the network during the link phase. A ! costs 1 point and an X costs 2 points. You get 4 points per step during the link phase, except in step 1.

power 

The story power of a node or edge, measured by the number of !'s after it minus the number of X's after it.

vote 

A ! or X on the network during the link phase.

run phase 

The fourth phase of the game, in which you role-play the character you created in the world you created.

technology 

A type of node representing some big scientific or technological idea.

theme 

A unifying idea or message in a story.

token 

Some kind of item that represents a unit of game currency. Tokens are often represented by poker chips.

tone 

Parameters for the kind of mood you want your game to have (e.g., funny, serious, philosophical, light).

value 

How important a node or edge is to the play group, measured by the total number of !'s and X's after it.