Cooperative · Trick-Taking · Boss-Battler
Sandmen, Inc.
Chicago, 1956. A team of fringe psychologists have invented a new technology that enables them to enter their patients’ dreams and fight the Nightmares lurking there.
In active playtesting
The Patients’ Nightmares
Meet the Nightmares
Four Nightmares stand between your team and the morning. Each is a fully designed trick-taking puzzle — its own conditions, its own moveset, its own Break Ability.
The Dream’s Inhabitants
Dream-matter
Each Nightmare brings its own dream-matter — fragments of subconscious that complicate the trick. Stun them, deflect them, or let them tax your team all night.
The Operatives’ Deck
The Five Tomes
The deck splits into five Tomes — four drawn from the stuff of dreams (Situations, Places, Figures, Feelings) and a fifth, Clarity, that overrides them all.
Tap a tome to flip it over. Each of the four standard tomes carries eight cards, each offering a choice of two actions. Clarity, the fifth tome, has four cards — and any one of them can be played as any action and override the lead suit.
Status
Sandmen, Inc. is in active playtesting. We’re refining encounter pacing, balance, and component design ahead of a public preview. If you’d like to join the playtest list, drop us a line at playtest@tricoastalgames.com.
Want to dig deeper? Read the current rulebook — a living document that evolves with each playtest cycle.
Want to follow along? Join the Sandmen, Inc. Discord for playtest news, balance updates, and questions for the design team.