This game is now available for purchase at:

https://capacle.itch.io/before-the-storm

Before the Storm is a solo journaling RPG about the electric stillness before a high-stakes operation—a heist, an assassination, a stealth infiltration. You are already in position: perched in the shadows, breath held, waiting for the moment to strike. The job is minutes away, but your mind is racing, your senses heightened. This is the calm before everything changes.

If you’ve played other solo journaling games that use a deck of cards, you’ll feel right at home with Before the Storm. During play, you’ll draw cards, each tied to a specific prompt. The suits break down into four categories:

• Hearts (Feel)

• Clubs (Think)

• Diamonds (See)

• Spades (Hear)

Each card gives you a moment: something you sense, remember, question, or notice in the shadows while waiting for the right moment to act. A leading question guides your reflection: about your state of mind, your past, your doubts, or your instincts. 

But that’s just half of it.

Alongside the narrative, you’ll be playing a custom variation of poker solitaire. As you draw each card, you place it onto the table, building a grid. Your goal is to form the strongest possible poker hand in a straight line—horizontal, vertical, or diagonal.

Each new card must be placed adjacent to the last. Your entire layout must fit within an imaginary 5x5 grid. If you place a card outside that space, the grid shifts—and you’ll lose any cards left behind. The rules are quite simple (less than three pages), but the strategic tension builds fast (I have to say, this card mechanic works surprisingly well as its own solo puzzle game).

When you finally complete a line of five cards, the game ends. That line becomes your poker hand, and its strength determines your emotional and mental state in the final moment before action.

From there, you can leave the scene as a cliffhanger. Or jump into your system of choice to play out the mission itself. If you’re using Before the Storm as a plug-and-play, your final hand can offer narrative momentum—or even mechanical advantages and complications, depending on the system you’re using.

I envisioned this as a low-profile crowdfunding campaign. The game is already 99% complete, including text and layout.

My goal is to raise a bit of money while I finish polishing, playtest a little more, and offer the game at a discounted price during this final phase. Here’s what you can expect:

• The game text is fully written and laid out. A first revision pass is done, and I’ll be giving it a second pass to add any final clarifications or tweaks.

• The game will be released no matter what. Funding or not, you’ll get it.

• One simple reward tier: For $10, you’ll get the PDF + a coupon to order the print-on-demand version from Lulu at cost (estimated at $6.39 + shipping). The print version will go live once the revised edition is finalized.

• Want to help others? You can increase your pledge to generate community copies for folks who can’t afford the game.

• No stretch goals. I’m keeping this simple and sustainable. The more support this campaign receives, the more breathing room I’ll have to cover my expenses while wrapping it all up.

Your reward includes:

Cezar Capacle is a Brazilian tabletop game designer, currently based in Madeira Island. Creating since 2016, he has dedicated his full time to game design for the past four years, and has released more than 30 games since. His games are known for their light rules and quirky mechanics, offering singular gaming experiences. He has spoken in favor of creators of the Global South, and his claims ended up on an article on Dicebreaker.

Career highlights

Credits
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