Clandestine Preorders

Custom Trays, Bone Vessel Mini, & Solo Modes
over 1 year ago – Wed, Nov 20, 2024 at 07:06:44 AM

We're in the final countdown of the campaign and I greatly appreciate every one of you who's pledged, followed along, and/or read these updates.  Today I want to share a bit more about some of the deluxe elements that are included in EVERY copy of Clandestine backed during this campaign.  Additionally, I'm excited to provide details about the solo mode for those of you (myself included) who love a game with a great solo mode.

Custom Trays

We all know that truly great deluxe games come with an excellent storage system to hold the hundreds of components and cards in place elegantly while helping to keep setup and cleanup simple!  Bryce Cook designed the fantastic trays for Legacies and I've partnered with him again (under his new company - Black Magic Inserts) to create the custom tray solution for Clandestine.

The custom trays will include:

• A main tray to keep all of the larger components neatly organized with room for sleeved Relic, Conjunction, & Solo cards
• TWO resource trays with lids to simplify the setup of shared components like Public Leaders, all Followers, Gold, Intrigue, Chaos, & Deep Alchemy Tokens
• Individual player trays with lids to hold each society's Secrets (including sleeved versions), starting tokens, Society Leaders, and Alchemy Tokens

I'll keep you apprised of the designs of these trays as they're solidified over the coming months.

Bone Vessel Mini

While I chose to go into this Kickstarter campaign with the game fully stretched, I contemplated one single stretch goal - a relic mini that could serve as a container. Ultimately, it didn't feel right to dangle a single item out there for backers that was dependent on reaching a certain level so before launching I made the decision to include the Bone Vessel Mini from the start - honoring that "fully stretched" philosophy and rewarding each and every one of you for supporting the Clandestine campaign.

In addition to my strong desire to provide you with a cool and functional mini as a thank you for backing Clandestine, the idea for the mini came from two other sources.

First, a fellow designer friend - Rob - has opined multiple times during games over the years - usually after hearing someone say "Oh, it's my turn? I thought it was still her turn...".  At that point, Rob would reliably share "You know, every game should come with something you pass to the next player when you're done with your turn." Clearly that stuck with me (because it's a great idea)!

Secondly, for much of the design of Clandestine, players would earn an energy with most actions (all but Purge & Ascend), and regardless of iconography changes, players would forget their energy half of the time.  My friend and one of the lead playtesters for Clandestine - Dave - finally asked "Why don't you just have people take energy with EVERY action."  While I had my original reasons, that made so much sense. After some quick modifications to the alchemy trades - that became a permanent rule in Clandestine.  Step 7 of the player turn (showing your turn has ended) involves taking an energy token.

Combine the two ideas above with the desire to have a mini for all backers of Clandestine and - voila - the Bone Vessel Mini was born. Finish your turn, take an energy token from the mini, pass it to the next player and the game flows along smoothly!

Solo Modes

Enjoying games with a group of people is a wonderful way to spend an evening.  Another great way to spend an evening is to enjoy a game by yourself - as a puzzle to solve or a challenge to confront.  About 30% of my personal gameplays are solo rather than with groups. I recognize the value of a high-quality solo mode in games and have assembled several "cool factors" into the solo mode for those who love the challenge of brain vs. cardboard. Those cool factors include:

• TWO solo opponent options (described below).
• SIX difficulty levels
• Easy to control opponents w/ clear and quick actions
• Use of the ascension board as a "timer"
• A solo deck showing "intent" to allow you to somewhat anticipate the solo society's plans
• Ability to insert a solo opponent into a multiplayer game for adding 2-, 3-, & 4- player challenges.

One solo opponent (the Most Holy) - places tithe tokens onto fundraise spaces which reduce the amount of Gold you're able to generate and siphons it into their society.  Additionally, it traps universal followers in its society longer - converting them into society leaders over time.

The other solo opponent (name to-be-finalized, but think government-esque) - places conservation tokens on relics, ultimately adding them to their museum which in turns, slows down the passage of followers across their sidewalk.  Additionally, they deploy inspectors into YOUR society, reducing the strength of your chamber actions and possibly preventing you from scoring specific chambers at game end.

The solo deck (which has cards removed based on the difficulty level) consists of 18 cards each with 6 pieces of information (and works for BOTH of the solo opponents).  

The items on the left side foreshadow the targets of the solo player on its next turn.  For example, on the card below, you can see the solo player will:

• Target Swords relics / ascension tiles
• Gain a chaos token
• Take an action with the Public Leader having the most strength

Given that information, you can adjust your plans knowing whether or not it's possible the solo player can....

• Ascend to the next level (given the target suit)
• Take a potential action you want (given its preferred leader)

On the solo society's turn, the next card from their deck is revealed and placed alongside the previous card so now the intent is shown with their actual action.

Testing has gone VERY smoothly on the solo mode and the next steps include:

• Finalizing the values and card distribution for each of the six difficulty levels
• Completing art and graphic design for the solo society paths & cards
• Testing and adjusting the ability to integrate these opponents into multi-player games.

I'm very excited about the way the solo mode has come to fruition and also enjoy tackling each of the opponents with the different societies, finding ways to adjust my tactics to overcome their moves and/or speed to ascension.

Thoughts & Next Update...

Are you a solo mode player? What aspects of the solo design most intrigue you?

What are do you think of the vision for the custom tray design and the bone vessel mini?

The last update during the campaign will focus on the final society, the Blue Army.  Get ready to learn about the society best suited to control the overall pace of the game.

Looking forward to sharing more as we wrap up the campaign.

--Jason

Garden Club ❤️ Gold! + Alchemy Trades
over 1 year ago – Tue, Nov 19, 2024 at 06:47:34 AM

Hello again! As promised, here's the next deep dive into Clandestine's societies (#4 of 5).  Today we'll take a peek behind the curtain of the...Garden Club!

For those that watched Stella's Short & Sweet from Meeple University you got a good taste of her vision for running the Garden Club...

To be truly enlightened, one must want for nothing... and with us, you shall never want for anything money can buy.

When playing a game of Clandestine with the Garden Club, you'll quickly find the streets lined in gold.  That gold is not for anyone's taking, though, but rather gold that the Garden Club has invested from their own coffers so every time ANY player uses that part of the game, they'll be collecting on their investment from the bank.  That's right - your actions will make them rich!

The advantages of the Garden Club are straightforward in that they have the easiest access to Gold within the game.  With their ability to invest and a Fundraise space within their society chambers, the Garden Club can usually build up a quick engine for cash - allowing them to focus on all of the other aspects needed to become the most intriguing society as they passively rake in gold.

When players are new to Clandestine or looking for an "easy" society to play, the Garden Club is my recommendation.  Everyone understands the value of money.  Combine that with the fact that the first alchemy section gives you ways to regularly spend extra cash, the Garden Club can often feel like they've got the hang of things pretty early (but that doesn't mean they're the most likely to win!).

The Garden Club is a collection of businesspeople who look out for their mutual interests. While most of its members are law-abiding, the upper echelons of its hierarchy secretly control the city's black markets, and couch their criminal secrecy in layers of metaphor and superstition that has confounded even the most dogged investigators.

My favorite aspect of the Garden Club is how approachable it is for players - especially those who might be apprehensive about taking on a game like Clandestine.  The Garden Club allows less experienced players to feel smart and productive while playing whereas for experienced players, the Garden Club provides a unique challenge to find ways to use Gold (the lowest value resource in the game) to unlock ways to maximize their scoring and intrigue.

Alchemy

All societies have access to a table of Alchemy Trades (think of them as "bonus" actions or "executive" actions) allowing you to enhance your society on your turn (or even on other players' turns).

The available trades are the same for each society, however, the conversion rates vary significantly.

Each society starts with one or two alchemy tokens (with the ability to earn up to three tokens). Tokens are required to perform a trade in one of three alchemy sections (or on a conjunction if you choose one with a unique alchemy trade).  

If you want to perform MORE than one trade in an alchemy section, there are deep alchemy tokens you can acquire which will allow you to perform two (or more) trades in the same section each round.  The good news is at the start of your turns you get to retrieve any alchemy tokens you've used since your last turn.

Alchemy is one of those aspects that allow you to combo great moves while continuing to augment your society.  The ability to perform much of the alchemy on other players' turns helps to keep the pace of the game moving and reducing downtime between player turns.

The Home Stretch

As we approach the final 48 hours, now's the time to ask any questions you've been holding back.  Take advantage of this time when I'm willing to reveal more secrets!

While you're going to hear more about the solo mode and the final society (Blue Army) in my coming updates, are there other aspects of Clandestine you want me to wrestle out of the shadows and shine a light on?  Let me know in the comments!

In the meantime, stay intriguing and be ready for another update shortly...

--Jason

Weeping Masks ❤️ Chaos! + Professor Meg at BoardGameCo
over 1 year ago – Sun, Nov 17, 2024 at 03:26:24 PM

With just 4 days left in the campaign we look poised for a strong finish. In this update I'll showcase another society as well as a new preview video that was just released!

Let's take a peek behind the curtain of the...Weeping Masks!

Don the mask, discard your self, and become an instrument of vengeance.  Those who escaped the law will not escape you.

Chaos tempts players into making aggressive decisions during their plays of Clandestine and I always say "a little chaos isn't bad".  When the Weeping Masks enter the city, be prepared for the chaos to be amplified as they wield it as a tool!

The Weeping Masks' advantages include the ability to SOW chaos around the city, relic map, and other societies in ways that benefit them.  Additionally, the Weeping Masks are able to take chaos they've accumulated and turn in into Intrigue Points when they purge.  To help them handle all of that chaos, they have an extra Purge space in their society chambers.

I love introducing the societies to gamers only to see the eyes of the most harmless looking players light up when I tell them the Weeping Masks love to sow chaos throughout the game. They can't snatch that player mat from my hands fast enough!

The Weeping Masks are the society that most directly have the ability to mess with your plans.  Their secrets let them sow chaos on relics, public spaces, and even opponent's alchemy sections.  Chaos on the board makes things a bit easier for the Weeping Masks and a bit harder for their opponents.  Additionally, when an opponent takes an action (or relic) with chaos, the token moves to that player's mat and must be purged. 

Monsters walk the streets, above the law and immune to punishment. Rather than suffer this injustice, the Weeping Mask takes matters into its own hands. Its members don terrifying masks and accost the guilty, then scatter back to the undercity before their identities can be discovered. Theirs is the wrath of the common people who are denied justice, and their actions are meant to terrify: the guilty should not feel safe in this city.

Personally, the Weeping Masks have been my favorite society to watch playtesters experiment with.  You've got to approach them differently given the risks (and potential rewards) that comes from accumulating a lot of chaos.  They regularly fill their chaos track up (and yes, you can overfill it), but have to be careful with timing and placement of leaders to be sure they can clear that abundance of chaos in time to turn them from negative points to positive points.

New Preview Video - Professor Meg at BoardGameCo

We're excited to share the latest preview video for Clandestine - this time brought to you in a crisp and easily consumable format from Professor Meg over on BoardGameCo

Next Updates?

In the final days I'll share details on the two remaining factions (Garden Club & Blue Army), as well as more details on the custom trays, bone vessel mini, and the solo mode!

If there's anything you want to hear about, please add your thoughts in the comments.  

Wishing you a "chaos-free" start to your week!

--Jason

Conjunction Junction, What's Your Function? + Playmat Design
over 1 year ago – Thu, Nov 14, 2024 at 06:49:33 AM

We've got one week left in the campaign! If you haven't yet, please be sure to visit Clandestine's page on Board Game Geek and become a Fan, a Subscriber, or even rate the game if you've had a chance to play it!

Now, on to the update I've been most looking forward to sharing - the Conjunctions!

What are these Conjunctions and why are they called that? 

From the earliest designs of Clandestine, I envisioned players trying to build some divine pattern.  The first versions of these patterns were - um... I'll admit it... they were ugly and confusing.  Relics had a grey or blue pattern on their edges and corners that needed to be assembled into a convoluted shape.

Fast forward a couple of years, and in lieu of whatever mess that is in the image above, the conjunctions (which up until this point had been called "glyphs") evolved to something more straightforward - focusing on the arrangement of relic suits around your society.

Then, during a playtest with several friends in preparation for GenCon 2023, Randy ascended to level 2 and was prompted to select a glyph.  He hadn't yet assigned any relics to his society so he promptly shuffled the available glyphs and chose one at random.  I was mortified.  I wanted this to be one of the most impactful decisions in the game, but Randy showed me it was anything but... (Thank you, Randy!)

Enter my favorite design decision since the original vision for the intersecting rondels... These cards needed a higher purpose!  THIS is the moment the Conjunctions in their current form were born.  Your copy of Clandestine includes 24 Conjunction cards (and at most, 6 are available each game - 1 more than the player count - so you've got a TON of variety and replayability available).  

When you first ascend to level 2, you'll have a choice of one of the available Conjunctions for the duration of the game. These not only show you the pattern which you need to match with your assigned relics to score intrigue points and unlock your most POWERFUL secret, but they also provide a unique game-changing effect.

They may provide an alchemy action just for you...

...a major one-time bonus...

...or a unique action to use at various points for the duration of the game.

The delight and ingenuity of players I've seen in all of the playtests since the Conjunction cards were introduced helped reinforce that the Conjunction cards had finally reached their potential and were the unique and impactful decision I originally envisioned.  You will certainly be analyzing them to determine the one that best fits your playstyle each time you ascend to Level 2!

Why are they called Conjunctions?  Many secret societies draw on inspiration from the heavens - placing extraordinary significance on the proximity or alignment of specific celestial objects (aka Conjunctions).  That also served as the inspiration for the design of the card back.

Playmat Design

For those with the Fully Ascended Pledge (and those who opt for the neoprene mat add-ons), you'll receive 5 neoprene mats to help you organize all of your cards and components during gameplay.  

After choosing your society, you can use the graphic under the Clandestine logo to remind you how to setup pawns on your Society Path and then place your Society Tableau over the logo.  The remaining visible areas of the neoprene mat will show you where to place your assets throughout the game.

Some of the best moments in the game will occur when you first fill the spot to the left of your tableau with your chosen Conjunction.  Additionally, you'll love reducing the stack of Locked Secrets to the right of your tableau as you add those more powerful cards into your Secret Deck to the left.

What do you think of the Conjunctions? Are you as excited about them as I am?

Are you a neoprene mat fan? What do you think of the design and layout?

Looking forward to introducing you to another society in detail in the next update.

--Jason

P.S. I know I'm showing my age with the title of this update, but I can't think of the word "conjunction" without hearing that old Schoolhouse Rock tune in my head... Do you know the one I'm talking about?

Mariner's Union ❤️ Relics! + Blue Peg Pink Peg
over 1 year ago – Mon, Nov 11, 2024 at 07:46:45 PM

Let's take a peek behind the curtain of the...Mariner's Union!

All that may be seen, may be understood.  All that may be understood, may be mastered.  Let the great work begin!

The antiquities you'll be able to acquire as the Mariner's Union would provide enough content and adventures to make a lifetime of Indiana Jones movies.

The Mariner's Union's advantages include an extra Discover space in their society chambers, a bigger hand limit for Relics, and an uncanny ability to manipulate the Relic Map.  When playing the Mariner's Union, you'll want the Relic Map close to you because you are going to be interacting with it in a big way throughout the game.  

Players are ecstatic when they start to reveal the secrets in the Mariner's Union deck - especially those that start to transform the Relic Map.

The Mariner's Union has the ability to add additional spaces to the Relic Map, bypass some of the travel costs for relics in the higher rows, and even start to collect energy as opponents take the Discover action.  If you enjoy altering the game board, having LOTS of interesting relics to choose from, and unlocking unique discounts, the Mariner's Union is for you!

Originally established as a tradesman's union, this society has grown into a tight-knit array of shipping moguls and trading companies. Their members are technical and practical, and their hierarchy is draped in the nautical trappings of their craft. They seek to document the metaphysical mysteries of the world, and have created a web of explorers and pirates who funnel magical Relics into their laboratories.

Personally, the Mariner's Union has my favorite "Ascend" art of all of the societies.  I can FEEL and HEAR the crackle of energy in their chamber!  From a gameplay standpoint, I find myself trying to optimize the relics I'm choosing to assign to my society spaces, while also targeting relic suits that are going to yield me my preferred bonuses on the ascension board.

The Mariner's Union is a popular first choice when playing Clandestine and one which gives you permission (and encouragement) to explore the variety of relics available in the world.

New Review - Blue Peg Pink Peg

If, like me, you enjoy the portable & informative medium of podcasts, Blue Peg Pink Peg just published their review of Clandestine.  Check out what the gang had to share after a couple of plays (here's a hint - there are many more plays planned in their future!).

Secret Society Theme

As shared in an earlier update, the mechanisms for Clandestine were the original inspiration for the game.  As playtests continued, it became clear that there was some sort of "public" and "private" element to the game that had to fit well with the eventual theme.

I started reading up on the history of secret societies and thought this could fit well in the middle ages.  The first box art (and convention banner) was actually created by Diego Sanchez as I started leaning into that era.

Around the same time I partnered with Jovial Graphics to really bring the world of Clandestine to life.  After a couple of calls, it was evident that to fit thematically, we needed to pull the timeline forward significantly, landing in the Belle Epoque Era (I had to look it up too...).  Once we made that change, we had a LOT more to be able to draw from in terms of societies to influence the playstyles as well as terminology (like Ascend, Purge, Reveal) to better align with the gameplay.  

While I originally loved what Diego had done for the world of Clandestine, I similarly fell in love with the imagery Meredith Dillman was able to create with the final box art for Clandestine. (Did you notice that if you rotate it 180 degrees, you see the "private" version of each society?)

To further elicit the Secret Society theme, Morgan & Scott at Jovial Graphics developed some incredible thematic and flavor elements that have been infused throughout the entire game - from relics, to secret titles, to flavor text.... the theme can be found in each and every layer of the cards and components of Clandestine.

Up Next? 

In the last few days I'll:

• Introduce you to the remaining factions
• Dive into the Ascension Board, Conjunctions, and more!
• Share the direction of some of the various components like the playmats, bone vessel mini, and more

Is there more you wanted to hear or learn about? Now is the time to ask! Feel free to comment on this Update or on the Campaign Page.  I'm here for you and want to make sure Clandestine is the game that you're thrilled to pull off of your shelf for game night.  

Have a great week and stay tuned for another update before you know it!

--Jason