The original topic library
9UPPER Online is built around 1,790 original card concepts. This library note explains what a concept is, what players can read publicly, and how the three language editions stay aligned while the complete card collection remains part of the room service.
What a concept means
A concept is one stable subject and fact shared by the Hong Kong Traditional Chinese, Taiwan Traditional Chinese, and English editions. The wording can change with the language, but the question axis and the central fact stay matched.
The public card collection contains 24 complete concepts selected for reading outside a game. Those samples include the question, both answer editions, directions, and difficulty. Publishing them does not publish the rest of the playable library.
Two useful card shapes
Most concepts use an opaque front with three player-facing directions. The front creates room for several plausible explanations, while the answer reveals one specific fact after the discussion.
Some concepts use an open topic. Its front names a recognisable subject but asks players to explain a less familiar property, cause, use, or meaning. These cards do not need extra directions because the question already sets the shared field.
Three complete editions
Hong Kong Traditional Chinese uses formal written wording, Taiwan Traditional Chinese uses natural written Mandarin, and English uses clear international phrasing. A language edition is reviewed as a complete card rather than as a word-for-word conversion.
Locale editions share concept order so rooms can use one language consistently. A missing translation is treated as an incomplete card and is not silently filled from another locale.
What stays private during play
The public question and any player-facing directions can travel to every member of a room. The selected answer edition is delivered only to the authorised Truth-Knower before discussion and becomes public at reveal.
The full library is therefore not printed on this page or sent to a player device. The 24 sample cards are a deliberate reading set, excluded from hosted-room draws after publication.
Original writing
Research helps the editors identify a fact and understand its limits. The question, full answer, short answer, and directions are written for this service in original wording, with uncertainty retained when the evidence is uncertain.
The library does not copy, translate, or paraphrase commercial card text. A familiar subject can still be selected when the specific explanation is uncommon and can support a good discussion.
How to use these notes
Read the question design note to understand how a front leaves room for discussion. The review note describes evidence checks, language review, and release checks without exposing unpublished card details.
The statistics note gives aggregate counts and explains why category totals are editorial measurements rather than a public answer key. The sample page is the place to read complete cards before hosting a room.
A reference layer around the game
The public notes explain the structure and editorial choices behind the service. During a real game, the room still decides when to discuss, when to guess, and when to reveal the answer through the service-controlled round flow.