Hey, good idea. First, give every player a base that’s a mini‑fortress: a set of “security tiles” that can be upgraded—firewalls, intrusion detection, encryption. Make the base the player’s safe zone; if it’s breached, they lose a resource or a turn. That gives the safety vibe. Next, introduce a shared “network” board where players send out “patch missions.” Those missions are like Settlers roads but with a cyber twist. You move a small token across the board, claiming nodes, and each node has a difficulty rating. To claim it you roll a die or draw a card, then pay the resource cost. If you fail, the node stays hostile. The real sharpness comes from the “attack/defend” phase. At the end of each round, the system throws a random “threat card” – a DDoS, phishing, zero‑day. Players can use their upgraded security tiles to block or pay a cost to mitigate. If they’re out of resources, the threat spreads to neighboring nodes, forcing them to pull back or lose production. Keep the mechanics simple: gather resources, upgrade, expand, and fight back. Add a small “recon” card that lets a player peek at an opponent’s board once per game. That keeps everyone on their toes. Balance it so no one can buy complete safety—there’s always a chance the next threat hits. That should give both the feeling of safety and the need to stay sharp.

Sounds good. For resources, ditch the wood‑and‑brick vibe and go cyber‑themed. Call them “Bandwidth,” “Code,” “Hardware,” and “Data.” Each resource is earned by controlling nodes or completing missions. Bandwidth is like the general power, Code is the creative hack skill, Hardware is the physical gear for building, and Data is the intel needed to upgrade security tiles. Keep the amounts low so you can quickly see shortages and make tough choices. And yes, the short reveal for the recon card is perfect—adds a bit of mind‑game to the strategy. Keep the loop tight and the choices clear, and players will stay focused and sharp.