The official homepage for the Locals game! Come on over and meet the Locals!
Hello! If you’re reading this, it means you’ve found a New York Local card, or you at least found the link.
If you do have a Local, congratulations! Read on—there’s a lot to explore.
If you don’t have a Local—no worries! There are plenty of ways to find them, which is why this page was set up in the first place, and you can still do and learn a lot on here!
So, first thing’s first:
Simply put, Locals are small characters found in the seen and the unseen parts of our world. They can take on many different shapes, and you can find them practically anywhere. It really is a big world out there!
If you have a Local Card, you might be wondering: great. What do I do with it?
Great question, and you have a few options:
Local cards are linked to a larger network which is constantly expanding and evolving as we learn more about the relationship between their world and our own. Check the codes and corresponding webpages from time to time—you might catch a surprise!
Even if you just want to hold onto it, that’s fine too. They chose you, and they’re just happy to be along for the ride.
Right now, there are a few Local Decks in circulation, plus rare cards which only show up a couple times every new release. Some cards will only be produced once, ever. You can tell these unique cards by the fact they have a number in the upper right corner, instead of the typical FC (which stands for free card or frontier card).
Remember—each Local card isn’t just unique to its Local, but to the person who found it. Any drawings, markings, signs of age, signatures of any kind, make that Local and that Local card unique. So while most Local cards aren’t rare by default, they may become rare over time, just by… well, being around you.
Locals love hide and seek. Part of the fun they have is taking up residence in a new place and waiting for someone to accidentally stumble across them.
That’s why, even if there’s a Local stand near you, keep your eyes peeled—they can show up anywhere, at any time. If you find a good spot and you’ve got a card or two to spare, give it a shot. The person who finds them next may never know it was you, but they’ll know one thing: the game goes on. And there’s always more to explore.
These aren’t rules—they’re just some of the ways we’ve come up with, for now, to have some fun with Locals. There are endless possibilities and they are, quite literally, as limitless as the imagination.
That being said, we’d be foolish not to recommend caution in some areas. Reckless, or cruel, behavior towards the environment can spoil your experience in the game. Plus, you never know when you might cross a boundary line you can’t go back from—and in our personal experience, sometimes there’s something on the other side of that boundary line. So take care.
The first Local card was created on accident and inspiration. Fun has a tendency to fall in your lap when you’re not even looking. So look, but not too hard, and you might just turn a corner into some place big, full of adventure, and with so much just waiting for you to explore. Or at least come over and say hi.
Take care, have fun, and as always, stay curious.
This is the very first prototype we have of a Local Bridge, a link between our world, and the world of Locals -- one part of it, anyway.
Instructions: Use the D-Pad on the left to move (If you're on a computer, you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard!). Use the circle button on the right to select items and interact with the world (Try ordering from the deli counter!).
It's a big world, and there are plenty of adventures to be had, people to meet, mysteries to unravel, and a whole frontier to explore. Have fun, take care, and stay curious! Go get 'em!
Note: The connection is very new and a little fragile. Comms have not been configured yet, but they are in development -- sit tight! If you come to this page and see a warning and no window, just refresh, and it'll come back!
Leave messages, post photos, and work together (or not?) to explore the world of Locals.
Some Resources
The hidden frontier: generative habitats and the search for consciouness through the computer
Hint: if you read this document on your phone, select "Print Layout" for the best view.