Neotropolis

Neo 2024 was the year we stopped issuing two different pieces of hardware for Hunters and Bounties. After Proto-PDN split the roles in 2023, we built one device for everyone: the PDN MK I, configured by lighting and firmware instead of fixed wiring and baked in design. A small OLED and a second button gave players more feedback on the device without adding another rulebook at intake.

It was our first custom PCB season. PDN software went open source, more makers started showing up in the thread, and lead engineer Elli Furedy would take the story to Hackaday Supercon later that year. We also started talking with Neo organizers about NFC for screen-free interactions down the road.

The build did not cooperate. Boards landed late, assembly hurt, and design problems showed up the moment we scaled. 64 PDN MK I units still made it to the Mojave. A refreshed player intake film kept the booth focused on character instead of explaining rules from scratch. Watch the 2024 player intake film or browse player intake films from past years.

About 100 players shared those 64 nodes all weekend. Demand beat inventory; PDNs changed hands every day. It was the first year anyone broke 100 points on the hunter board. Reggie Bloodletter finished with 115 captures; Detective was one point back at 114. Reggie became Alleycat's first repeat champion in 2025, but the rivalry started here.

Before the board closed

We hid final standings until closing ceremony again, on purpose. With minutes left, Detective was still in range of the top hunter slot and ran for one last duel before the board locked. The clip below is those last minutes on the floor. The hunt did not go his way, but the scramble is the point: in-character urgency and a reason to talk to strangers.

OLED surprises, 28-screw enclosures, and what we changed before Neo 2025 live on the dispatch page.