The Secrets of Warden Keene
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- Arrives
- December 15, 2026
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The FroGames profile
Read a name carved in marble. Then the date. Then a seemingly harmless phrase. But if you put three tombstones together, you realize that phrase was not random. And Warden Keene's notebook tells you that you're on the right track.
WHAT IT IS
A cemetery on a hill and a notebook full of secrets
Illinois, 1925. You have just inherited the role of caretaker of a small-town cemetery, and with it a mysterious notebook that belonged to your predecessor, Warden Keene. The pages are full of cryptic notes, clues, and connections between the people buried there. Designed by Paolo Mori and Silvano Sorrentino, illustrated by Florian Belmonte, The Secrets of Warden Keene is a cooperative investigative game in which the dead speak through their tombstones.
At the table, you will read epitaphs, dates, and names carved in marble. Each grave tells a fragment of the city's history, and your task is to cross-reference clues, deduce connections, and solve the mysteries that Keene had begun to uncover. There are no dice, no combat: only observation, deduction, and the ability to see patterns hidden among the tombstones. A modular campaign set in standalone or connected scenarios, playable solo or with up to 4 investigators.
What they say abroad
New game, still awaiting field testing. We will follow its release closely and update the profile as soon as we have feedback from the community and verifiable reviews.
— FroGames
"A notebook locked away, epitaphs as your only clues, and graves that are not as silent as they seem."
A locked notebook, epitaphs as the only clues, and graves that are not as silent as they seem.
— Pandasaurus Games
The Secrets of Warden Keene
The game officially supports pure solo play without an app or special rules: read the epitaphs, reason, take notes, deduce. The experience is complete, but it loses the cooperative dynamic of comparing theories that makes multiplayer richer and less prone to tunnel vision.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial review · based on rules, international reviews, and play sessionsThe tools of investigation
What you have in front of you as you dig into the secrets
Warden Keene's notebook
Your starting point. Encrypted pages, mysterious notes, traces of investigations that Keene did not have time to finish. Every scenario starts here.
The cemetery tombstones
Epitaphs carved in stone. Names, dates, commemorative phrases. Some harmless, others full of double meanings. You must figure out which ones hide secrets and which are just sincere memories.
Cemetery map
The location of the graves is not random. Who is buried next to whom tells of family ties, alliances, betrayals. The geography of the dead is part of the puzzle.
Progressive clues
Cards you will unlock as you make progress. Every solution opens new questions, every answer reveals a hidden corner of the city's history.
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each scenario
There are no turns. You proceed through discoveries and deductions, at your own pace.
Each scenario begins with a page from Keene's notebook: a mystery, a question, a starting point. Read it together and decide where to begin.
Read the epitaphs, study the cemetery map, and look for patterns, recurring names, and suspicious dates. Write down your theories and compare insights.
As you make progress, the game tells you to reveal new clue cards. Each discovery raises new questions, opens new areas of the cemetery to explore, and reveals new connections to deduce.
When you think you've figured out the truth, check the solution. The game will tell you whether you've solved the case, which details you missed, and what secret of Warden Keene you've brought to light.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five stages
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The notebook opens
Choose a scenario. Read the first lines of Keene's notebook: a name, a cryptic clue, an unanswered question. The cemetery lies before you, silent. Somewhere among those headstones is the truth.
Read the first headstones
Start examining the epitaphs. Dates, names, phrases that seem harmless. Someone notices a strange detail: a date that doesn't add up, a recurring name. You start taking notes.
Connections emerge
Someone says, 'Wait, this grave and that one have the same surname. And look where they're located.' Theories begin to take shape. Check the notebook and unlock a new clue card. The puzzle expands.
The turning point
An epitaph you've read three times without understanding suddenly clicks. You grasp the double meaning, the allusion, the hidden reference. Everything falls into place, and with it, a piece of the mystery.
The secret is revealed
Check the final solution. Read the truth Warden Keene had begun to discover. You understood some things, but others had eluded you. Close the notebook. The cemetery now has one more story.
🐸Good to know beforehandThree honest things, from friend to friend▼
Good to know beforehand
Three honest things
Fixed-solution replayability
Once you've solved a scenario, you know the answer. You can play the scenarios with different groups, but the personal surprise is spent after the first game. This isn't a flaw; it's the nature of narrative puzzle games: campaign structure, not endless replay.
No step-by-step guide
The game doesn't tell you what to look for. You must observe, compare, and deduce. If you prefer games with clear objectives and guided progression, this might frustrate you: here, the freedom to explore also means the responsibility to figure things out for yourself.
Limited data from verified reviews
The Secrets of Warden Keene is still very new (180 BGG votes), with few established reviews. This profile is based on official data and the game's mechanics, but we don't yet have a broad community consensus. We'll update it as soon as we get more feedback from the field.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How you win and how you fail
Each scenario has a hidden solution. The goal is to discover it through deduction and observation.
Correct solution
- You correctly identified the connections between the headstones and solved the scenario's central mystery
- You deduced the truth hidden in the epitaphs and confirmed your theory with the final solution
- You completed all the scenario's secondary objectives (if any) and unlocked the concluding narrative
Failure (or partial solution)
- You checked the solution before you had figured out all the key connections, missing narrative details
- You only solved part of the mystery, leaving questions unanswered (the game usually doesn't have a clear defeat condition, but you can end with an incomplete understanding)
- You followed the wrong lead to the end and discovered too late that your interpretation was incorrect
The Secrets of Warden Keene is a game for those who love to think without rushing, piece together stories from fragments, and find the truth where others see only marble and moss. If you're looking for atmospheric narrative puzzles and aren't deterred by limited replayability, this cemetery has secrets worth discovering.
💬Frequently asked questionsQuick answers before you add it to your cart▼
Frequently asked questions
FAQ on The Secrets of Warden Keene
What mechanics does The Secrets of Warden Keene use?
It's a pure deduction cooperative game, based on observation and logical reasoning. There are no dice, combat, or resource management: read epitaphs, note connections, compare theories, and unlock clues progressively. The main mechanics are deduction, storytelling, and puzzle solving.
Can I play the scenarios in any order?
It depends on the campaign structure (the game supports both standalone and connected scenarios). Check the manual: some scenarios are independent, while others follow one another and tell a broader story. In general, you can choose the order if the scenarios are modular, but the narrative gains coherence if you follow the suggested sequence.
How long does a single scenario take?
The duration varies widely: from 20 minutes for short scenarios or simple puzzles, up to 4 hours for complex cases or if you play with a group that wants to explore every detail. On average, a scenario takes 60–90 minutes. You can pause and resume whenever you like: there are no timers or mechanics that require continuity.
Do you need to write a lot? Should I take notes?
It's not mandatory, but it helps a lot. Noting names, dates, suspicious epitaphs, and connections allows you to keep track of theories and compare details. Some players use sheets of paper, while others use note apps. If you play solo, notes become even more useful for keeping your place.
Is it available in Italian?
The edition for sale on FroGames is in English. The game is heavily text-dependent (epitaphs, written clues, narrative), so a good understanding of English is necessary. There are no official Italian translations available at this time.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
The Secrets of Warden Keene is a cooperative investigative game for 1–4 players, taking 20–240 minutes, recommended for ages 10+. Designed by Paolo Mori and Silvano Sorrentino and published by Pandasaurus Games, it is based on deduction and storytelling: players explore a 1925 cemetery, read epitaphs on headstones, and use a cryptic notebook to discover the city's secrets. Main mechanics: cooperative game, deduction, puzzle solving. Medium-light weight (2/5), suitable for gateway gamers and fans of narrative games with limited replayability. Available on FroGames.it.
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
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