You’re wandering through the Industrial District of New Los Angeles at night, maybe just trying to grind out some mechanical levels or find a specific NPC for a basic mission. Then you see it. A quest marker that feels a bit... different. If you’ve played Monolith Soft’s Wii U masterpiece—or the 2025 Definitive Edition that finally brought it to modern consoles—you know that House of Cards Xenoblade X isn't just another fetch quest. It’s a weird, slightly uncomfortable, and surprisingly deep look into the fractured social hierarchy of the last remnants of humanity.
It’s about Ma-non. It’s about greed. Mostly, it’s about how easily things fall apart when people get desperate on a hostile alien planet like Mira.
The Setup: Getting the House of Cards Quest Started
To even see this mission, you have to be somewhat deep into the game. We’re talking Chapter 8 territory. You need your BLADE level up, and you definitely need to have finished "The Ma-non Ship" affinity requirements. The quest kicks off with a Ma-non named Lularita. Ma-non are usually the comic relief of Xenoblade Chronicles X, right? They’re obsessed with pizza and talk in that high-pitched, inquisitive tone. But Lularita is stressed.
Basically, she’s been scammed.
She got involved in a gambling ring. In the world of NLA, where resources are supposed to be strictly managed by BLADE, a black market for entertainment and "luxury" has cropped up. The "House of Cards" refers to both the literal gambling and the fragile nature of the peace between the humans and the Xenoform immigrants.
Why the Location Matters
The quest sends you to the Commercial District. This isn't just flavor text. The Commercial District is where the cultural clash of Xenoblade Chronicles X is most visible. You’ve got human shops right next to Ma-non tech stands. When you go looking for the people who took Lularita’s money, you aren't fighting giant monsters in Primordia. You’re navigating the shadows of a city that’s trying to pretend it’s still on Earth.
It feels noir. Honestly, it’s one of the few times the game stops being a "planetary exploration" sim and starts feeling like a gritty sci-fi detective novel.
🔗 Read more: First Name in Country Crossword: Why These Clues Trip You Up
The Meat of the Mission: Tracking Down the Scammers
You’re looking for a specific group of humans who are exploiting the Ma-non’s technological naivety. See, Ma-non understand complex physics and faster-than-light travel, but they don't really "get" human deception. They assume if a human says "this game is fair," then the game is fair.
The quest leads you to talk to NPCs who are surprisingly tight-lipped. You have to use the "Follow Ball" (R+X) frequently here because the navigation in NLA can be a nightmare with all the verticality.
- The First Lead: You find a guy near the coffee shop who hints at a "private club."
- The Confrontation: Eventually, you track the ringleaders to a secluded area near the docks.
The writing here is sharp. The scammers don't think they're villains. They argue that since the Ma-non have all the best tech, humans deserve a way to "level the playing field" economically. It’s a messy, realistic look at xenophobia that the main plot often glosses over.
Complexity in Choice
Like many of the best side quests in Xenoblade Chronicles X, House of Cards Xenoblade X gives you choices. These aren't just "Good" or "Bad" buttons. Your decisions impact the "Affinity Chart," which is the massive, sprawling web of relationships that tracks every named NPC in the game.
If you go in guns blazing, you solve the immediate problem, but you might miss out on the nuance of why these people were gambling in the first place. Some players prefer the peaceful resolution, which involves a bit more running around but results in a "healthier" Affinity Chart outcome for the Industrial District.
If you mess up the dialogue checks? Well, you might end up with a dead NPC or a permanently soured relationship between the Ma-non and the human faction involved. That’s the beauty of this game. Your actions have consequences that last for the 100+ hours you'll spend on Mira.
💡 You might also like: The Dawn of the Brave Story Most Players Miss
The Rewards (Is it worth the headache?)
Let's be real. You're doing this for the XP and the Miranium. But "House of Cards" also unlocks further quest chains involving the Ma-non ship's internal politics. If you want to see the "Pizza" questline through to its end (which is unironically one of the best parts of the game), you have to handle these smaller social disputes first.
You get a decent chunk of credits. You get some specialized Ma-non gear—which usually has high Electric Res or Beam Res, perfect for the mid-game fights in Sylvalum. But the real reward is the lore. You learn that the "House of Cards" isn't just the gambling ring; it’s the entire structure of New Los Angeles.
Technical Tips for Completing the Quest
If you’re stuck, check your clock. Some of the NPCs required for this quest only spawn during the "Late Night" or "Early Morning" time slots. You can change the time at any orange rest bench.
Don't forget to check your inventory for "California Sunsets" or other rare collectibles if the quest asks for trade-ins. Often, these "social" quests have a hidden requirement for local items found in the Noctilum or Oblivia regions. If Lularita isn't talking, you probably need to go find a specific piece of scrap metal or an alien fruit first.
Why We're Still Talking About This Years Later
Xenoblade Chronicles X is a game about survival. Most RPGs make you feel like a hero. This quest makes you feel like a social worker with a Gatling gun. House of Cards Xenoblade X highlights the friction of two very different species trying to live in the same apartment building (the Ma-non ship is basically an extension of NLA).
It’s not about saving the world. It’s about making sure a small, blue alien doesn't lose her life savings to a jerk in a suit. That's why it sticks with you. It’s small-scale stakes in a large-scale world.
📖 Related: Why the Clash of Clans Archer Queen is Still the Most Important Hero in the Game
Actionable Steps for Completion
To finish this quest with the best possible outcome for your Affinity Chart, follow these specific steps:
1. Optimize Your Party: Bring characters with high Influence or those who have history with the Ma-non, like Lin. While it doesn't always change the dialogue, it feels right for the "lore" of the mission.
2. Check the Time: Set the in-game clock to 0:00 (Midnight). Most of the shady characters involved in the gambling ring won't show their faces during the bright daylight hours of the Commercial District.
3. Save Before the Final Choice: There is a point where you choose how to handle the ringleader. If you want the "Perfect" Affinity Chart (where no lines are red/broken), save your game manually before talking to the group at the North Founders Dock.
4. Invest in Ma-non Tech: After the quest, visit the AM (Arms Manufacturer) terminal. Completing "House of Cards" often bumps your level with Candid & Credible, which is the manufacturer that provides some of the best light armor and status-effect weapons in the game.
5. Follow the Paper Trail: Once the quest is marked "Complete," don't just run away. Talk to the NPCs nearby. Often, a new "speech bubble" (the yellow ones) will appear, giving you the epilogue of what happened to the money. This is how you fill out those elusive hexes on the world map.
6. Transition to "Ma-non Navigation": Use the momentum from this quest to head to the Ma-non ship and look for Lularita’s friends. This opens up the "Great Ma-non Migration" sub-plots which eventually lead to unlocking some of the most powerful Skell weapons available before the endgame.
If you’ve been ignoring the social quests in NLA to focus on your Skell's flight module, go back. Missions like this are what give Mira its soul. Without them, it’s just a big map with pretty monsters. With them, it’s a story about the end of the world and the messy business of starting over.