Clandestine Preorders

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

Ascension and the Origin of Clandestine
over 1 year ago – Thu, Nov 07, 2024 at 07:26:22 PM

Ascension

In Clandestine, Ascension is the name of the game. (Well, technically it's the name of a different game, but the Ascend action does drive a TON within Clandestine.)  That's why there's an entire board and set of tiles dedicated to Ascension.

• Ascension contributes to 15-25% of your final score.
• Ascension sets the pace (and end) of the game. 
• Ascension lets you acquire a Conjunction card - your personal objective with a unique, powerful game-changing benefit.  
• Ascension adds new, more powerful secrets into your deck.
• Ascension increases your hand limits.
• Ascension grants you an ascension tile - either a one-time bonus or an ongoing benefit.
• Ascension draws new universal followers to the city.
• Ascension rewards the first to a new level with intrigue points (and provides the trailing societies with a unique, minor benefit).
• Ascension is incredibly satisfying each and every time you achieve it and turn that dial!

As any good secret society knows, ascension is your reward for successful devotion and progress. Clandestine ensures that you feel the full impact with an embarrassment of riches in the form of rewards, power, and progression at each and every ascension.

Clandestine - Origins

Five years ago after several plays of Crusaders, Thy Will Be Done - I found myself thinking how much I enjoyed the upgradeable rondel mechanism, but I didn't like how it was detached from the main board.  I started to wonder, "what would happen if all of our rondels were interconnected and our choices directly influenced each others' next actions".  

It wasn't long before I had the concept in prototype form and sat down with several friends to explore the possibility of a game driven by intersecting rondels and a mancala mechanism requiring "splits" as one followed the leader.  

(I love how in the picture above, the shadows are even bigger than the cubes - evoking the future theme of Clandestine and coming out of the "shadows".)

After a few playtests of "moving cubes around", I made enough changes to have a functional and fun set of mechanisms and movement that now needed the appropriate theme.  As players took actions in public and private areas, the idea of a secret society theme started to take shape and was quickly encouraged by dozens of early playtesters - paving the way for what you see with Clandestine today.  

Dice Tower Live

Earlier this week I had the privilege of joining the Dice Tower crew in their studio for a live playthrough of Clandestine.  If you didn't get a chance to check it out yet, I encourage you to watch Zee, Chris, & Wendy as they delve into the world of Clandestine and seek to build the most intriguing society.  Special thanks to all of you who happened to watch live and chime in during the live chat!  

In the next update, as we hit the halfway point of the campaign, I'll dive into another 1-2 societies, sharing details about their asymmetry and secret decks.  As always, if there's anything you'd like to learn more about or like me to consider, please chime in via the comments!

I can't say it enough (and will continue to say it), thank you for helping to bring Clandestine to life!

--Jason

Serpent Keepers ❤️ Intrigue! + Dice Tower Live
over 1 year ago – Mon, Nov 04, 2024 at 05:48:37 PM

I'm sending this update from southern Florida (for reasons to be shared at the end of this update), but first... 

Based on the comments and messages I received, let's first peek behind the curtain of the... Serpent Keepers!

Peace is an egg, perfect yet fragile.  It needs a watchful parent to nurture it, and to protect it from hungry snakes.

With Intrigue being the "victory points" in the game, you'd think ALL societies would ❤️ Intrigue (and you're not wrong).  The Serpent Keepers have found a way to take advantage of that shared desire by using intrigue as a type of bait in order to maintain balance across the city.

I typically tell players the Serpent Keepers are the most complex society to play (it's not easy being green...) at least on your first play. This gives some players hesitation before choosing it while causing others to instantly gravitate toward the challenge.  

The Serpent Keepers' advantages include a Society Path with an extra REVEAL action - making secrets easier to obtain.  As a result, they start with a bigger hand-limit for Secrets.  Additionally, they're the only society with the Ascend space on the inner left chamber as opposed to the inner right chamber).

What makes the Serpent Keepers more complex? Their secrets work together via a two-step process.  Many of their secrets allow them to "INITIATE" a space, placing an intrigue token from the supply onto an action space.  A subset of their secrets serve as traps, designed to be "PRIMED" on initiated spaces.  

When those PRIMED spaces are used in the future, the trap triggers - always giving a bonus to the Serpent Keepers - and, sometimes, giving a bonus to an opponent that triggers it.  Alternatively, some of those "traps" distract and slow down opponents if they trigger the space, thus giving players pause before opting to use a space PRIMED by the Serpent Keepers.  The more intrigue tokens on that space (or adjacent spaces) the more powerful the effect of those traps.  As a result, while they may be a minor nuisance (or reward) early in the game, they can be quite intimidating (or lucrative) late game.

With Mesoamerican inspiration, the Serpent Keepers are an ancient and well-connected group dedicated to the preservation of social order. They count politicians, diplomats, and even kings among their number, and use their influence to fight what they perceive as the universe's natural decay into chaos (symbolized by the eponymous "serpent"), ensuring that peace (and their own power) reigns supreme.

Personally, the character art for Serpent Keepers is my favorite of the five societies.  From a gameplay standpoint, I find myself making the most adjustments in my playstyle when playing the Serpent Keepers depending on the player count and the other societies in the game.

One note I'd like to make about ALL societies is that their secret decks (which get stronger as you ascend to new levels), typically have a "sow" then "reap" curve where your early secrets encourage you to put components around the city and your more powerful secrets allow you to reap rewards for the number of components you've sown around the city.  

Now that you know more about the Serpent Keepers, are you likely to choose them for your first play, or, hold off and tackle them once you've played one or more of the other societies? (Share your thoughts in the comments.)

Dice Tower Live - Tomorrow (Tuesday) Nov. 5th at 9AM CST / 10AM EST.

I (oddly) flew out of a chilly Chicago in shorts this morning in preparation for my arrival in a balmy South Florida this afternoon.  First thing in the morning (Tuesday), I'll be making my way to the Dice Tower Studios to join the crew for a LIVE playthrough of Clandestine!  

If you're able, please join us LIVE (and if not, be sure to watch it later on YouTube when you can) as the Dice Tower crew assumes control of their secret societies to see if they can emerge the most INTRIGUING in Clandestine!

Coming Next? 

In future updates I'll continue sharing:

• peeks behind the scenes of each society
• highlights from my personal design diaries
• details about the ascension board and tiles &
• my favorite gameplay evolution - the CONJUNCTIONS

In the meantime, keep sharing your thoughts and questions in the comments and sharing the campaign with your friends! More to come soon and hopefully I see many of you tomorrow in the Dice Tower Live chat!

Warmly (literally - thanks to the balmy Florida air...)

--Jason