Clandestine Preorders

End of Summer Update - GenCon & Secrets of the Serpent Keepers
7 months ago – Tue, Aug 19, 2025 at 07:03:15 AM

As the summer winds down and my kids that are still in school return to school (it's strange to me that half of my kids are in the workforce now!), I wanted to let you know the latest about Clandestine. Specifically, I'll share how GenCon went earlier this month as well as start to dive in to the secrets of each society (starting with the most complex! The Serpent Keepers... as requested in the comments).  Plus, of course, we'll talk about the latest progress getting Clandestine into your hands! Let's get started.

GenCon 2025

In our booth at GenCon earlier this month we focused on introducing gamers to the world of Clandestine through ~45 minute demos all throughout the convention.  

In addition to demos, nearly 50 GenCon attendees played full games of Clandestine on our Kickstarter prototypes and were among the first to use our new samples of the bone vessel mini!

Players couldn't help but comment on how helpful the bone vessel minis were to help them both "remember to take an energy token" at turn end and, to "know when it's their turn to play" as the mini gets passed to them.  

We had 3 sample skull colors and 2 sample base colors for the Bone Vessel mini (which really is anything but "mini" - they have quite the table presence)! Based on overwhelming feedback we're going with the 'dirty' white skull and the darker grey base for the production version.  One neat (and unexpected) side effect that the minis produced is that the eyes actually glow a bit when the light hits them from the right angle! Eeeeeeeeerie....

Secrets of the Serpent Keepers

The main area where each society's uniqueness and asymmetry comes through in Clandestine is in their deck of secrets.  While each society has their own society path leaning into their society's strengths (e.g. the Serpent Keepers have a 2nd Reveal space since they lean heavily into use of their secrets), the individual secret cards are where each society truly comes to life. 

Secrets can ultimately be used in 1 of 4 ways:

• Played (1 per turn) for your society's ability on top OR
• Played (1 per turn) to augment your action or gain resources with the more common "OR" action on the bottom OR
• Discarded as part of the Ascend action to spend the required matching relic strength OR
• Held in your hand until the end of the game to score the point value in the upper left of the card

Let's dive into the secrets of the Serpent Keepers!  The Serpent Keepers are actually the most complicated society in that their secrets require two steps to truly activate.  Their secrets generally have one of two keywords: Initiate and Prime.  Initiate means to take an intrigue token from the supply and place it on a space without intrigue.  Prime means to take the secret they've just played and place it facedown next to an "initiated" space (one where they placed an intrigue token earlier).

The Primed tokens serve as either traps or boons for opponents (and always serve as boons for the Serpent Keepers) while the intrigue tokens on (and sometimes, around) the primed spaces dictate the strength of the boon (or trap).  

Level I Secrets (12)

Eight of the twelve Level I secrets for the Serpent Keepers are focused on step 1 of their 2-step secret process - initiating spaces around the board by placing intrigue tokens on them.  The other four secrets are cards they can "prime" by placing them face down next to a space with one or more intrigue tokens.  In the Serpent Keeper's deck, about half of the prime-able secrets are good for opponents (boons), while about half of them are bad for opponents (traps) weakening the action when opponents take them.

Primed secrets go to the Serpent Keepers' discard pile when they trigger their boon while they return to the Serpent Keepers' hand when opponents trigger the secret - meaning they may make another appearance.  

Ultimately, primed secrets serve as an "I dare you..." to opponents on specific spaces, helping to reserve - potentially powerful - actions for the Serpent Keepers while at times serving to benefit both the Serpent Keepers and their opponent when the opponent is brave enough to trigger a primed location.  

Level II Secrets (9)

When the Serpent Keepers add their Level II secrets into their deck, they not only have a path to Deep Alchemy tokens, but now also have the ability to increase the number of intrigue tokens on the spaces they've already initiated, AND, have secrets they can prime which are powered by both the intrigue tokens on their space, but also the intrigue tokens on an adjacent space.

A savvy Serpent Keeper will seek to initiate spaces that are adjacent to each other in order to capitalize on their stronger secrets which look not just at the intrigue tokens on their space, but potentially one (OR MORE) adjacent spaces...

Level III Secrets (6)

The Level III secrets unlock the most powerful "primeable" secrets - two of which look at intrigue tokens on their space AND ALL adjacent spaces.  Additionally, this unlocks secrets which augment already initiated spaces.  Finally, the Call Upon secret can be used to collect intrigue tokens from the board (important if the Serpent Keepers believe they are unlikely to unlock their Conjunction Secret and want a late game way to cash in on their previous initiation of spaces).

Level IV Secrets (3)

The Level IV secrets for the Serpent Keepers all provide ways to gain intrigue tokens based on their earlier actions.  The more they've leaned into the power of their secrets, the more intrigue points they're likely to rake in by playing these secrets.

Conjunction Secret (1)

The Serpent Keepers' most powerful secret - unlocked by assigning relics around their society to match the pattern provided by their Conjunction - allows them to reap the rewards of their earlier game actions by picking up ALL of the intrigue tokens they've laid around the game board.  If any secrets have been primed by the Serpent Keepers, it's crucial that they wait to play this secret until their very last turn since it renders all of their primed secrets "inert" leaving no intrigue tokens remaining on the board.

What do you think - are you going to tackle the Serpent Keepers on your first play of Clandestine now that you know the secret to their secrets?!?

Production Progress

My graphic designer and I are actively reviewing and fine tuning the final components of Clandestine and intend to submit our files to our manufacturer - Panda - just after the Labor Day holiday in the US.  (Specifically, we're tweaking the punchboards, adjusting the solo mode difficulty cards, and taking a couple more detailed passes through the rulebook.)

I look forward to being able to share soon that the files are in the hands of the manufacturer because that's a huge milestone.  In the meantime, thanks for your patience and continued support.  If you have opinions on which society's secrets you'd like to see next (Blue Army, Garden Club, Mariners Union, or Twilight Masks), let me know in the comments.

Take care and have a great week!

--Jason

June Update - Scoring & GenCon
9 months ago – Mon, Jun 23, 2025 at 07:11:06 AM

Hello wonderful Clandestine backers!  This update focuses on:

• Our latest progress, 
• An overview of scoring in Clandestine, and
• Details about GenCon 2025

Progress

Clandestine progress continues as we're nearly done reviewing and fine-tuning files to share with the factory.  I've given a final approval on ~85% of the components in the game and we're actively working on getting the last few pieces "right" before sending everything to the factory.  The rulebook is one of those outstanding items which will be the last piece finished before submission.  Thank you to all of you who took the time to review and share comments on the draft rulebook I provided in the last update! Your feedback was extremely helpful and is something we're continuing to work through.

Additionally, the factory has completed the sample mold for the bone vessel mini (something we kicked off early knowing that miniatures can take the longest) and they've started building the actual mold.  Here are some pictures of the sample mold I received. 

All Deluxe copies of Clandestine include the Bone Vessel mini.  It's intended to be passed to the current player and was designed to store the energy tokens (including the upgraded acrylic versions) so you can take an energy token at the end of your turn and pass the Bone Vessel to the next player.  The Vessel can be placed on the stand (with a press fit to hold them snugly together) or even used without the stand while still sitting sturdily (and eerily) on your table.

Scoring Intrigue

Success in Clandestine comes from amassing the most Intriguing Secret Society (having the most Intrigue Points).  Most of your actions will help you generate Intrigue Points which are totaled at the end of the game.  A scorepad is included with the game to make tallying scores easier.

Level Squared

Each society starts at Level I (one) and the game end is triggered when a society reaches Level V (five).  Players score either 1, 4, 9, 16, or 25 points based on their final Level.

Conjunction Matches

Throughout the game, players can assign relics to the six spaces around their society path to upgrade their actions in those spaces.  When Ascending to Level II (two), players choose an available Conjunction card which - in addition to a unique benefit - shows them a pattern of relics which will reward them with 2 Intrigue Points for each chamber slot with a matching card suit assigned. Players can score up to 12 points from Conjunction matches.

Assigned Dark Relics

Most Dark Relics provide end-game scoring based on certain achievements.  Dark Relics can only be assigned to the two innermost slots in your chambers.  Most Dark Relics can yield ~6-12 points each, however there are a few which can score more if you lean heavily into their benefit.  Players generally score 0-20 points total from Dark Relics.

Relics Spent to Ascend 

When Ascending, you must spend a combination of relics and/or secrets with matching icons.  Secrets used to help you Ascend go in your discard pile, but Relics used to ascend are tucked under the top of your tableau and score you points at the end of the game based on their value in the upper left (ranging from 1-3).  Relics used to ascend generally score players 15-25 total points.

Secrets in Hand 

Secrets still in your hand at the end of the game score you Intrigue based on their value in the upper left (ranging from 1-4).  Players generally score 3-16 total points from secrets in their hand.

Society Leaders on your Society Path 

Each player starts the game with 2 Society Leaders on their Society Path but has the potential to get a total of 6 Society Leaders on their path (through alchemy).  Each Society Leader on your Society Path at game end is worth 3 points with players generally scoring 9-18 total points from Society Leaders.

Universal Followers on your Society Path

Universal Followers on your Society Path are each worth 1 point at the end of the game.  Players generally score 5-12 total points from Universal Followers.

Intrigue Tokens & Tiles (variable)

Throughout the game there are opportunities to collect Intrigue Tokens through specific actions and/or secret cards.  Additionally, the Ascension Board has a number of tokens that grant Intrigue for being the first society to reach a new level (or for reaching level V).  Players generally score 5-40 total points from Intrigue Tokens & Tiles.

Chaos

Chaos tokens collected throughout the game builds along the chaos track on the left side of each player's tableau (and can be cleared through the purge action).  Players lose points at the end of the game based on the highest space on their chaos track with a chaos token in it.  Players generally LOSE 0-10 points from Chaos.  

The Twilight Masks have a special ability where they score points for Chaos they've cleared throughout the game.  They earn 3 points for every 2 Chaos tokens they've cleared during the game - generally earning 12-24 points from cleared Chaos.

GenCon 2025

We will once again have a booth at GenCon 2025 in Indianapolis (Booth #1255).  If you're attending, please stop by to say hello and check out or even demo Clandestine.  In addition to the booth, we'll be running several games of Clandestine which are in the events list.  Finally, we'll also be playtesting a potential future game in the First Exposure Playtest Hall (intrigued?!?).

In upcoming updates, we'll share more about the specific Secret decks of each society.  If you have a preference for which one(s) I feature first, share your thoughts in the comments!  As a reminder, the societies are:

• Blue Army (controls the public)
• Garden Club (invests Gold)
• Mariners' Union (great with Relics)
• Serpent Keepers (Primes spaces with hidden boons... or traps)
• Twilight Masks (formerly Weeping Masks - thrives on Chaos)

In the meantime, keep playing games and having fun.  

--Jason

Rules Review, Solo Mode, Progress, & GenCon
11 months ago – Fri, May 09, 2025 at 10:43:33 AM

Hello All--

I'm excited to provide this latest update on Clandestine's progress.  I've even got a special activity for those of you who love to make sure your rulebooks are complete, thorough, and accurate! 

Rules

We've made a lot of revisions to the rulebook from the preview we had provided on the Kickstarter campaign page.  It's now ~99% complete and I'd love your help getting it to the 100% mark! For those that are interested, check out the Rulebook for Review and feel free to add any comments to highlight errors, areas of ambiguity, opportunities for clarification or any other ideas you might have.  We’ll refine the rulebook based on your feedback to ensure it’s as clear and polished as possible.  (Note: I can't promise we'll implement every suggestion, but I can promise that we'll consider every suggestion.  The more eyes that are on the rulebook - the more likely we are to avoid mistakes and provide the utmost clarity for you and other gamers when you get Clandestine to your table!)

Please add any comments you may have directly to the rulebook  by May 26th. (Simply click "Add a Comment" directly in the document to share your thoughts.)

Solo Mode

While I absolutely love gaming with friends and family, I also find something special about playing games solo - as a unique puzzle to solve.  With Clandestine, I've created not just one, but TWO solo opponents to each serve as your Nemesis for you to try your hand against. 

Solo Mode - Nemeses

The Most Holy competes with you by diverting both funds and followers into their religious order in an attempt to maximize their own converts and fortunes.

The Silver Guard is a secretive government organization - attempting to acquire relics for their own nefarious goals under the guise of preservation by sending agents to monitor (and ultimately, commandeer) relics while also sending agents into your societies to verify the legitimacy of your order while stifling your ability to accomplish your aspirations for intrigue.

Each Nemesis offers SIX difficulty levels.  The level will vary the Nemesis':

• Starting setup
• Intent deck makeup &
• Scoring values

Solo Mode - Intent Deck

The Nemesis' turns are quick and easy to manage via their Intent Deck. The Intent Deck consists of cards with two halves.  

One half shows you what the Nemesis plans to focus on during its next turn - helping you anticipate the Nemesis' possible moves (e.g. what Suit might it target.. What leader location might it target, etc.).

The other half of a Nemesis' turn is determined with the next card in the Intent Deck and only revealed when it takes its turn - dialing in its precise action(s) for the turn.

If you're intrigued by the solo mode, I encourage you to check out more details on pages 26-31 of the rulebook.

Progress / (US) Tariffs 

In the rulebook, you'll see that we've done a LOT to clean up and drive better consistency across all components in Clandestine over the last few weeks (more consistent graphic design throughout, crisper iconography, and subtle details to increase thematic immersion on each society's unique components). 

We're continuing to fine tune the language on the cards and implementing (+testing) the feedback from the development team about specific card tweaks/balancing.

Once we progress the rulebook finalization to 100% and complete the balancing noted above, we'll be ready to submit our files to our manufacturer - Panda.

Panda is widely viewed as one of the premier manufacturers of board games.  I am thrilled to partner with them in bringing Clandestine to your table and am certain that their quality and expertise in manufacturing will provide you with a copy of Clandestine that will withstand many - MANY plays!

At the moment, there are some incredibly high tariffs being imposed on products manufactured in China and delivered to the US. I currently have NO intention of passing on tariff costs to any of my backers, but I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that - at their current 145% levels - the tariffs will hurt me significantly.  While I work with many great partners to bring games to your table, Brookspun Games is a one-person company.  If sustained at this level, they are likely to deter me from any future game design/publishing endeavors.  Here's to hoping they're resolved soon for all of our sakes...

I'm continuing to monitor the tariff situation and will coordinate with Panda on the best timing/approach to initiate production of Clandestine and will keep you informed in my future posts.  We still have the ability to deliver Clandestine this fall, but that timing remains contingent on the tariff situation (and how much of a backlog Panda and freight shippers have when we initiate production).

GenCon

Brookspun Games will be at GenCon again this year and you'll have the chance to visit us at Booth #1255, PLUS, an opportunity to play Clandestine on one of our prototypes. 

Check out the Event Registration Page to add Clandestine to your Wish List or to Sign Up when registration opens on May 18th.

Summary

For those with an eye for detail, NOW is your chance to review and provide comments on the rulebook! I welcome your feedback (by May 26th).

For those who enjoy playing games solo, see above (and the rulebook) for details about the TWO solo opponents that Clandestine offers you. 

Visit us at GenCon in Indianapolis this summer at Booth #1255 and sign up to play Clandestine on the GenCon Event Registration Page.

Thank you as always for your support of Clandestine.   Your excitement, enthusiasm, and encouragement are great motivators for me to make sure Clandestine is the best game it can be! I look forward to providing you with additional updates soon.

Have a wonderful weekend!

--Jason

Charging Cards in BackerKit - Monday, March 31st
about 1 year ago – Fri, Mar 28, 2025 at 07:36:48 AM

Hello Clandestine friends!

This is a quick update to remind you that we'll be charging cards in BackerKit on Monday, March 31st (~4pm CDT).  

As a reminder, while your reward pledge was collected in Kickstarter, BackerKit is where you have the opportunity to add anything to (or upgrade) your initial pledge as well as pay for shipping and taxes and - most importantly - provide your address so I know where to ship your rewards when they're ready.

In a couple of weeks, I'll provide a much more robust update, but I wanted to be sure to remind you that you'll see this charge from Brookspun Games processed at the end of this month as promised.

If you have yet to complete your survey in BackerKit, now is a great time to do so by going to this link!

If you're moving, don't worry - you'll still have plenty of time to change your address if needed.  We'll update you when we're getting close to locking in addresses.

Thanks so much and stay tuned for a more detailed update in mid-April.

--Jason

Custom Trays & Pledge Manager Reminder
about 1 year ago – Fri, Mar 07, 2025 at 02:18:02 PM

Hello all! 

Clandestine preparation continues to proceed well and I'm delighted to share some pictures with you in this update - specifically of the custom trays that all of your copies of Clandestine will contain!  As for completion since the last update:

• All art has been finalized
• Graphic design clean-up is nearly complete (making sure all Clandestine components give off the same "vibe" while clearly conveying what you need to know while playing the game)
• External development is complete thanks to our friends at Kicktester

Additionally, I wanted to remind that you if you haven't already, please complete your BackerKit survey (pledge manager) by the end of this month so we can be sure your copy can find its way to you later this year.  Over two-thirds of you have completed the survey (Thank you!).  As for the rest of you, now is a great time to complete yours.  Cards will be charged in the pledge manager (for shipping, taxes, add-ons, etc.) at the end of March. I'll be sure to send another reminder just before that happens.

Custom Tray Layout

For those that love great organization inside their game boxes, here's a look at the tray system for Clandestine (complete with room for sleeved cards AND - you're hearing it here first.... - the planned expansion!!!).  Take a look at what Bryce from Black Magic Inserts has put together.

NOTE: Colors are to show contrast only and are not the actual colors of the trays.

Bryce designed the trays for Legacies which have been a huge hit for all of those who own the deluxe copy of my first game and I must say he has developed another EXCELLENT set of trays for this next deluxe offering from Brookspun Games.

In my next update, I should have the rulebook ready for your review and feedback.  If you have any questions in the interim, please feel free to comment on the update or send me a direct update on Kickstarter.

That's it for now.  Have a great weekend and - for those of you that observe daylight savings time - don't forget to turn your clocks ahead an hour on Sunday!

--Jason