Generate and shape resources during the action phase, then spend imagination in the buy phase only on cards that improve the current seven-night plan.
The action phase produces and positions; the buy phase commits the deck's future. Dreamcards' official description says action cards move through the deck and accumulate imagination points. Those points then acquire cards in the buy phase. The useful question is therefore not “what is the strongest card?” but “what purchase makes the next several action phases more reliable?”
Action phase checklist
- Read the visible card text and current Resource Preview.
- Check which character is selected and whether an active-effect indicator is present.
- Use cards in an order that preserves access to the next required effect.
- Track imagination before using an effect that may end or redirect the phase.
- Compare the final visible result with the preview before reporting a mismatch.
The developer's Resource Preview update says selected characters can change resources gained or spent. That means two visually similar turns can produce different totals without being a bug. Record the character and active effect whenever testing a sequence.
Buy phase checklist
Enter the shop with a named objective. A purchase should improve draw access, strengthen the current strategy, help produce conscience, or answer a monster mechanic. Buying a card simply because imagination is available can make later hands less consistent.
Dreamcards supports six mixable strategies and more than 100 cards. This page does not publish an unverified universal tier list. Read current card text and prefer purchases that connect to effects already working in the run. If two choices look equal, choose the one whose condition is easier to meet with the current deck.
A simple review after each night
After the score comparison, write down the limiting step:
- not enough imagination to buy the needed card;
- too many low-impact draws;
- conscience conversion arrived too late;
- the monster's current form invalidated the usual sequence.
Change one cause, then test again. That preserves evidence about what improved the run. Use the beginner guide for the full seven-night loop and Resource Preview for pre-action checks.
Sources
QUICK ANSWERS
Questions players ask next
What happens during the Dreamcards action phase?
Official store copy says cards move you through the deck and accumulate imagination points during the action phase.
What is imagination used for?
Imagination is spent to acquire cards during the buy phase and strengthen the deck for later nights.
HELP SHAPE THE NEXT UPDATE
Missing an answer—or found something outdated?
Send the exact game problem, platform, and version. Corrections are reviewed before expansion requests.