Five captains
Pick a captain
Each captain brings their own deck, signature plunder, and locked trophies only that crew can take aboard.
Iron and articles
Ironside
A brawler hull with the guns bolted straight to the frame. Stack Grit, soak the broadside, end it with one heavy shot.
Signature card
Mass Driver
Grit counts triple on this shot. Stack it, fire once, end the boarding.
Charts and omens
Navigator
Reads the void the way others read weather. Build charge, loose it across the whole line, bend your own energy curve.
Signature card
Drop the Rock
Slow, expensive, clears the lane. Pair it with Scorch stacks and energy flasks.
Rust and venom
Cutthroat
Boards first and waits for the rot to finish. Stack Rot and Leak, then run the clock with cheap, fast strikes.
Signature card
Acid on the Blades
Every attack leaves Rot behind. The big ones rust out in eight turns.
Coral and keel
Reefborn
A hull grown from void-coral that knits itself shut mid-fight. Heal as you strike, outlast long engagements, scale Grit and Trim together.
Signature card
Elder Coral
+5 Grit and +5 Trim at once. Late-run survival meets late-run burst.
Powder and risk
Powdermaster
Keeps the magazine hot on purpose. Stoke Heat for scaling damage, Vent it for a burst or Plating — but hit the cap and the Cook-off takes your own deck apart.
Signature card
Rolling Barrage
Deals 9 damage plus your Heat. Keep the magazine hot, then give them everything.
Cards
224 ways to fight
Real art, hand-tuned numbers, three colour-coded card types (attack, skill, power). Every run drafts a new deck out of these.
The loop
What you do
Pick a heading
Branching lane, 15 jumps per act. Fights, convoys, shadow berths, black markets, derelicts, encounters.
Fight
Three energy a turn. Play cards, read their intent, time your Plating. Fights run 4-8 turns.
Draft
Win → take a card or walk away. Convoys and prizes also drop plunder. Black markets take doubloons.
Take the prize
One of four per act, drawn when you cast off. Repeat for the next act. Three acts to the Maw.
Cast off again
Clear all three acts → unlock the next Ascension. Ten steps up, each one changes the math.
In writing
Free run. Cosmetic hulls.
All five captains and the full three-act run are free, permanently. The shop offers optional cosmetics across nineteen categories — skins, card backs, name effects, map themes, frames, damage numbers, cursors, profile banners, combat backgrounds, stamps, card finishes, soundtracks, voice lines, profile titles, energy orbs, HP bar styles, map node themes, card borders and title-screen ambience — plus in-game ⊙ Doubloons you can also earn by playing. No pay-to-win, no loot boxes, no advertising.
Void Doctrine is operated by the Operator and is currently in early access. Cloud-saved runs may be reset between major patches.
FAQ
Quick answers
Is it really free?
Yes. All five classes, every card, every relic, every event, every boss, every act. Cosmetic skins / card backs / map themes are optional purchases — see the shop.
Do I need an account?
No to the demo — one fight, no signup. Yes to cloud-saving runs, leaderboard submissions, and the daily challenge.
How long is a run?
A full three-act run takes 45-90 minutes. A single act on its own runs 15-30.
Mobile?
Plays on phones — combat has its own compact layout, hand snap-scrolls, long-press inspects any card / relic / enemy. AddVoid Doctrine to your home screen for a fullscreen launcher.
Why a browser game?
Lower friction. No download, no launcher, no install. Everything you need to cast off is one click away. More about the project.
The lanes are open.
Pick a captain. Cast off. The first run is short, and the next one is sharper for it.