CLUSTEROPOLYThe Distributed Systems GameROUND12345678DECKSCHAOSface-downCLIENTface-downDISCARDface-upACTIVE REQUESTSASlot ABSlot BCSlot CDSlot DPlace dealt request cards face-up here · Players place server tokens on cards they assign
REDSERVER RACKRESOURCE POINTS (RP)Place RP cubes here (up to 30)51015202530PROFIT THIS ROUNDTrack per-round profit for CAP penalty calculation__ coinsSERVER SLOTS1Place servertoken here2Place servertoken here3Place servertoken here4Place servertoken here5Place servertoken here6Place servertoken hereEmpty slot = no server · Turn token sideways = crashedSYNC COSTActive servers: ___ × 2 RP = ___ RP dueQUICK REFERENCEBuy server:3 RPRevive server:2 RPSync cost:2 RP/server/roundMax servers:6Income by round:R1-2:8 | R3-4:10 | R5+:12Coin → RP:10 = 1 RP (before payout)CAP stances:2 cardsPHASE REFERENCE1. PROVISIONINGGain 8/10/12 RP (by round) · Buy: 3 RP · Revive: 2 RP2. TRAFFICDeal (players + 1) requests · Assign servers from rack3. CHAOSDraw 1 Chaos card · Resolve effects4. RESOLUTIONPay sync cost · Earn coins for surviving requests · Clean up
BLUESERVER RACKRESOURCE POINTS (RP)Place RP cubes here (up to 30)51015202530PROFIT THIS ROUNDTrack per-round profit for CAP penalty calculation__ coinsSERVER SLOTS1Place servertoken here2Place servertoken here3Place servertoken here4Place servertoken here5Place servertoken here6Place servertoken hereEmpty slot = no server · Turn token sideways = crashedSYNC COSTActive servers: ___ × 2 RP = ___ RP dueQUICK REFERENCEBuy server:3 RPRevive server:2 RPSync cost:2 RP/server/roundMax servers:6Income by round:R1-2:8 | R3-4:10 | R5+:12Coin → RP:10 = 1 RP (before payout)CAP stances:2 cardsPHASE REFERENCE1. PROVISIONINGGain 8/10/12 RP (by round) · Buy: 3 RP · Revive: 2 RP2. TRAFFICDeal (players + 1) requests · Assign servers from rack3. CHAOSDraw 1 Chaos card · Resolve effects4. RESOLUTIONPay sync cost · Earn coins for surviving requests · Clean up
GREENSERVER RACKRESOURCE POINTS (RP)Place RP cubes here (up to 30)51015202530PROFIT THIS ROUNDTrack per-round profit for CAP penalty calculation__ coinsSERVER SLOTS1Place servertoken here2Place servertoken here3Place servertoken here4Place servertoken here5Place servertoken here6Place servertoken hereEmpty slot = no server · Turn token sideways = crashedSYNC COSTActive servers: ___ × 2 RP = ___ RP dueQUICK REFERENCEBuy server:3 RPRevive server:2 RPSync cost:2 RP/server/roundMax servers:6Income by round:R1-2:8 | R3-4:10 | R5+:12Coin → RP:10 = 1 RP (before payout)CAP stances:2 cardsPHASE REFERENCE1. PROVISIONINGGain 8/10/12 RP (by round) · Buy: 3 RP · Revive: 2 RP2. TRAFFICDeal (players + 1) requests · Assign servers from rack3. CHAOSDraw 1 Chaos card · Resolve effects4. RESOLUTIONPay sync cost · Earn coins for surviving requests · Clean up
YELLOWSERVER RACKRESOURCE POINTS (RP)Place RP cubes here (up to 30)51015202530PROFIT THIS ROUNDTrack per-round profit for CAP penalty calculation__ coinsSERVER SLOTS1Place servertoken here2Place servertoken here3Place servertoken here4Place servertoken here5Place servertoken here6Place servertoken hereEmpty slot = no server · Turn token sideways = crashedSYNC COSTActive servers: ___ × 2 RP = ___ RP dueQUICK REFERENCEBuy server:3 RPRevive server:2 RPSync cost:2 RP/server/roundMax servers:6Income by round:R1-2:8 | R3-4:10 | R5+:12Coin → RP:10 = 1 RP (before payout)CAP stances:2 cardsPHASE REFERENCE1. PROVISIONINGGain 8/10/12 RP (by round) · Buy: 3 RP · Revive: 2 RP2. TRAFFICDeal (players + 1) requests · Assign servers from rack3. CHAOSDraw 1 Chaos card · Resolve effects4. RESOLUTIONPay sync cost · Earn coins for surviving requests · Clean up
Client Request Cards — Sheet 1  ·  ✂ cut between rows  ·  fold on center
Standard Web TrafficMin Servers:1Reward:4 coinsConsensus:No"Routine HTTP GET requests."Servers assigned:
CLIENTREQUESTS
✂
Standard Web TrafficMin Servers:1Reward:4 coinsConsensus:No"Routine HTTP GET requests."Servers assigned:
CLIENTREQUESTS
✂
Standard Web TrafficMin Servers:1Reward:4 coinsConsensus:No"Routine HTTP GET requests."Servers assigned:
CLIENTREQUESTS
✂
Standard Web TrafficMin Servers:1Reward:4 coinsConsensus:No"Routine HTTP GET requests."Servers assigned:
CLIENTREQUESTS
Client Request Cards — Sheet 2  ·  ✂ cut between rows  ·  fold on center
API QueryMin Servers:1Reward:5 coinsConsensus:No"Third-party API integration calls."Servers assigned:
CLIENTREQUESTS
✂
API QueryMin Servers:1Reward:5 coinsConsensus:No"Third-party API integration calls."Servers assigned:
CLIENTREQUESTS
✂
API QueryMin Servers:1Reward:5 coinsConsensus:No"Third-party API integration calls."Servers assigned:
CLIENTREQUESTS
✂
User Auth BatchMin Servers:1Reward:6 coinsConsensus:No"Bulk authentication token refresh."Servers assigned:
CLIENTREQUESTS
Client Request Cards — Sheet 3  ·  ✂ cut between rows  ·  fold on center
User Auth BatchMin Servers:1Reward:6 coinsConsensus:No"Bulk authentication token refresh."Servers assigned:
CLIENTREQUESTS
✂
Database MigrationMin Servers:2Reward:8 coinsConsensus:No"Schema migration across shards."Servers assigned:
CLIENTREQUESTS
✂
Database MigrationMin Servers:2Reward:8 coinsConsensus:No"Schema migration across shards."Servers assigned:
CLIENTREQUESTS
✂
Real-Time AnalyticsMin Servers:2Reward:9 coinsConsensus:No"Live dashboard aggregation query."Servers assigned:
CLIENTREQUESTS
Client Request Cards — Sheet 4  ·  ✂ cut between rows  ·  fold on center
High-Value PaymentMin Servers:3Reward:12 coinsConsensus:YES"Multi-signature financial transfer."Requires consensus thresholdServers assigned:
CLIENTREQUESTS
✂
High-Value PaymentMin Servers:3Reward:12 coinsConsensus:YES"Multi-signature financial transfer."Requires consensus thresholdServers assigned:
CLIENTREQUESTS
✂
Financial Ledger UpdateMin Servers:3Reward:15 coinsConsensus:YES"Audited ledger reconciliation."Requires consensus thresholdServers assigned:
CLIENTREQUESTS
Chaos Deck Cards — Sheet 1  ·  ✂ cut between rows  ·  fold on center
TIER I · Minor Crash

"A cooling fan fails. A server overheats and shuts down."

EFFECT:

Each player rolls a die. On 1–3, one random server crashes.

Tier I
CHAOSTIER I
✂
TIER I · Power Surge

"A voltage spike damages equipment."

EFFECT:

Each player loses 2 RP.

Tier I
CHAOSTIER I
✂
TIER I · Memory Leak

"A process gradually consumes all available memory."

EFFECT:

Each player's sync cost this round is doubled (4 RP per server).

Tier I
CHAOSTIER I
✂
TIER I · Loose Cable

"A network cable wiggles loose during maintenance."

EFFECT:

Each player rolls a die. On 1–2, one random server crashes.

Tier I
CHAOSTIER I
Chaos Deck Cards — Sheet 2  ·  ✂ cut between rows  ·  fold on center
TIER I · Dust Storm

"Air filtration fails. Dust clogs cooling."

EFFECT:

Each player loses 1 RP.

Tier I
CHAOSTIER I
✂
TIER I · Brief Outage

"A momentary glitch."

EFFECT:

No effect. The system hums along peacefully.

Tier I
CHAOSTIER I
✂
TIER I · Configuration Error

"A typo in a config file causes cascading retries."

EFFECT:

Each player must pay 2 RP or decommission one server. If you have neither, ignore.

Tier I
CHAOSTIER I
✂
TIER I · Overheating

"Summer heatwave hits the data center."

EFFECT:

Each player rolls a die. On 1–3: one server crashes. On 4–6: lose 1 RP instead.

Tier I
CHAOSTIER I
Chaos Deck Cards — Sheet 3  ·  ✂ cut between rows  ·  fold on center
TIER II · Network Partition

"A backbone link fails. The cluster splits into isolated groups."

EFFECT:

All players play CAP stance (secret reveal). Roll die: 1–3 = Availability loses profit, 4–6 = Availability keeps profit. Consistency earns zero either way.

Tier II
CHAOSTIER II
✂
TIER II · Cascade Failure

"One server fails, overwhelming others."

EFFECT:

Each player rolls a die. On 1–3: two random servers crash. On 4–6: one server crashes.

Tier II
CHAOSTIER II
✂
TIER II · DDoS Attack

"A botnet floods your ingress with garbage traffic."

EFFECT:

Each player loses 3 RP.

Tier II
CHAOSTIER II
✂
TIER II · Data Center Fire

"A fire breaks out in one server row."

EFFECT:

Each player chooses one server to decommission.

Tier II
CHAOSTIER II
Chaos Deck Cards — Sheet 4  ·  ✂ cut between rows  ·  fold on center
TIER II · Corrupted Update

"A bad OS patch slips through CI/CD."

EFFECT:

Each player rolls a die. On 1–2: lose 2 RP AND one server crashes. On 3–6: lose 1 RP.

Tier II
CHAOSTIER II
✂
TIER II · Router Meltdown

"A core router overheats and fails."

EFFECT:

Roll a die. On 1–3: Network Partition — all players play CAP stance. Die: 1–3 = Availability loses all profit; 4–6 = Availability keeps profit. Consistency earns zero either way. On 4–6: all players lose 1 RP.

Tier II
CHAOSTIER II
✂
TIER II · Fiber Cut

"A construction crew digs through an underground fiber trunk."

EFFECT:

Network Partition — all players play CAP stance. Roll die: 1–3 = Availability loses all profit; 4–6 = Availability keeps profit. Consistency earns zero either way.

Tier II
CHAOSTIER II
✂
TIER III · Byzantine Fault

"Cosmic rays flip bits in server DRAM."

EFFECT:

Roll die for k: 1–2: k=1, 3–4: k=2, 5–6: k=3. Need ≥ 3k+1 servers per consensus request or earn zero.

Tier III
CHAOSTIER III
Chaos Deck Cards — Sheet 5  ·  ✂ cut between rows  ·  fold on center
TIER III · Total Chaos

"Everything that can break, breaks."

EFFECT:

Each player loses 2 random servers AND 2 RP.

Tier III
CHAOSTIER III
✂
TIER III · Zombie Servers

"Crashed servers resurrect as corrupted zombies."

EFFECT:

Each player's sync cost is doubled. Also, each player loses 1 random server.

Tier III
CHAOSTIER III
✂
TIER III · Catastrophic Failure

"A total data center meltdown."

EFFECT:

All of each player's servers crash. Revive cost is 1 RP per server (instead of 2) during the next round's Provisioning.

Tier III
CHAOSTIER III
✂
TIER III · Malicious Update

"A supply-chain attack compromises a firmware update."

EFFECT:

Byzantine Fault occurs (k=1). Also, each player loses 1 RP.

Tier III
CHAOSTIER III
CAP Stance Cards
Consistency

"Block all operations until the partition heals."

If you choose this:

• Earn zero profit this round.

• No risk of inconsistency penalty.

• Servers survive.

"Safety over revenue."
Availability

"Serve requests with whatever nodes are reachable."

If you choose this:

• Keep profit if die roll is 4–6.

• Lose all profit if die roll is 1–3 (data conflict).

• Servers survive.

"Revenue over safety."
Consistency

"Block all operations until the partition heals."

If you choose this:

• Earn zero profit this round.

• No risk of inconsistency penalty.

• Servers survive.

"Safety over revenue."
Availability

"Serve requests with whatever nodes are reachable."

If you choose this:

• Keep profit if die roll is 4–6.

• Lose all profit if die roll is 1–3 (data conflict).

• Servers survive.

"Revenue over safety."
Consistency

"Block all operations until the partition heals."

If you choose this:

• Earn zero profit this round.

• No risk of inconsistency penalty.

• Servers survive.

"Safety over revenue."
Availability

"Serve requests with whatever nodes are reachable."

If you choose this:

• Keep profit if die roll is 4–6.

• Lose all profit if die roll is 1–3 (data conflict).

• Servers survive.

"Revenue over safety."
Consistency

"Block all operations until the partition heals."

If you choose this:

• Earn zero profit this round.

• No risk of inconsistency penalty.

• Servers survive.

"Safety over revenue."
Availability

"Serve requests with whatever nodes are reachable."

If you choose this:

• Keep profit if die roll is 4–6.

• Lose all profit if die roll is 1–3 (data conflict).

• Servers survive.

"Revenue over safety."

TOKEN PUNCH-OUTS

Coin Tokens

Small (1 coin) × 42

1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN1COIN

Large (5 coins) × 20

5COINS5COINS5COINS5COINS5COINS5COINS5COINS5COINS5COINS5COINS5COINS5COINS5COINS5COINS5COINS5COINS5COINS5COINS5COINS5COINS

Server Tokens (24)

RED
BLUE
GREEN
YELLOW

RP Cubes (45)

RPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRP

RP Value Tokens (5 RP) × 10

5RP5RP5RP5RP5RP5RP5RP5RP5RP5RP

Round Marker

RD