On the Edge (game)

Collectible card game

On The Edge is an out of print collectible card game released in 1994, not long after Magic: The Gathering. The setting and characters were based on the RPG titled Over the Edge. The game's story was set on an island in the southern Mediterranean called Al Amarja, where various factions were fighting for control.

When Atlas Games did not have the finances to publish On the Edge, they partnered with Jerry Corrick and Bob Brynildson and formed a new corporation called Trident, Inc. to publish the game.

The product line consisted of four series and was supported by a player's guide.

The game launched in 1994 with the core series, titled On the Edge. This series included starter decks and booster packs. The starter decks contained 60 randomized cards and the rulesheet in a cardboard tuckbox. The booster packs were made up of 10 randomized cards in a foil sleeve. The card titles are printed in gold letters. The Limited Version had the mid rarity of all three series. The second release was the Unlimited Version and also contains 269 cards. Retail displays contained 60 of these booster packs. Card numbers in this set are preceded by an "A".

The only print product made in support of the line, Surviving On the Edge provided tips, strategy, errata, card lists, and rule variations for the game. This 287 page digest sized book was written by Peter Hentges. While containing detailed information and tips regarding the cards, the Arcana series was not included at the time of printing.

Derek Pearcy reviewed On the Edge for Pyramid #15 (Sept./Oct., 1995) and stated that "All in all, the On the Edge product line is one of the most varied and well supported trading card games out there. It takes a little investment in time but, since the game is both available and popular, not hardly so much in money as most other games and there is no lack of adversaries to fight with over control of Al Amarja."