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As Protego’s spymaster, rebuild scattered spy crews by clearing a solitaire variant and using each crew’s card powers.
Released 06 Oct 2020
Reunite Spy Crews
Trigger Crew Card Powers
Race Timed Deck Waves
We need your help, Spymaster. Join a world of near-future spies and take on a supervillain in this supercharged take on classic Solitaire. Precision engineered for replayable espionage action.
Developed by Bithell Games · Published by Bithell Games





Protego, a leading spy agency, has been destroyed. As its spymaster, you work with the agency’s remaining analyst to gather the scattered spy crews and confront a threat in a near-future espionage story told through live-action cutscenes and in-game lore.
The card game is based on Streets and Alleys solitaire. Crews are represented by suits, and their face cards have distinct powers that can change the board and help clear cards. The campaign introduces these mechanics as you progress.
Alongside the campaign, Campaign Plus adds limited turns and locked tables, Countdown sends you through waves of decks against a timer, Skirmish lets you choose suits and powers for open-ended play, and Daily Hotspots offer short challenges.
Reviewers who enjoyed the game often praise its live-action spy story, distinctive presentation, and the way crew abilities add a twist to solitaire. Some also value its short, easy-to-pick-up campaign and return to replay it. Other reviews find the card challenges too easy or the campaign too brief, so these impressions vary.
Protego, the world’s leading spy agency, has been destroyed. Only one person can wield C.A.R.D.S to take control of Protego’s scattered spy crews and save the world.
You.
Guided by Protego’s only remaining analyst, Jim Ratio (Greg Miller), you must master the unique powers of each crew in a game of tactical Solitaire like none you’ve ever played before. Guide your crews home in a tale of intrigue where nobody can be trusted. Keep your cool in a world of AI spies and cyber-enhanced operators.
Once you’ve taken back control of Protego, choose from five different modes for endless replayability that fits your preferred play style.
Five modes to suit your play style:
Campaign - A tightly packed story that introduces the game’s mechanics.
Campaign Plus - Limited turns and locked tables require optimal tactics to solve.
Countdown - Test your endurance with wave after wave of unique decks.
Skirmish - An infinite playground to enjoy unlocked crews.
Daily Hotspot – Bite-sized challenges for your crews to face every day.
Beautiful original character artwork and atmospheric design put you at the heart of your own cyberpunk conspiracy.
No heightened game of Solitaire would be complete without full FMV cutscenes, featuring Greg Miller and Inel Tomlinson in an original story from the team behind Thomas Was Alone, Volume, Subsurface Circular and John Wick Hex.
FREE UPDATES The Return of The Merry and The Atlantis Project add new crews, new cards, new music, and new FMV cutscenes featuring Samantha Béart (North Star Rising, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - BBC Radio) and Alanah Pearce (Afterparty, Cyberpunk 2077).
Original soundtrack composed by Jon Everist (Battletech, Shadowrun: Hong Kong, Shadowrun: Dragonfall).
Is this a solitaire game?
Yes-ish. The Solitaire Conspiracy is inspired by a variant of solitaire called Streets and Alleys, but with some small adjustments and the big addition of suit based powers. Campaign, Campaign Plus, Daily Hotspots and Skirmish (choose your own suits and powers) are take-at-your-own-pace experiences that fit into your schedule. Countdown mode is a place to test your skills with nuanced powers against a ticking clock. This game is endlessly replayable.
Are there microtransactions?
Nope.
Is this Bithell Short an entry in the “Circular” series?
No. While our previous Bithell Shorts (Subsurface Circular and Quarantine Circular) have been twists on the text adventure, The Solitaire Conspiracy is a new take on solitaire. We love storytelling and world-building, so it absolutely contains a full narrative experience, which we’re telling via full-motion video (FMV) and in-game lore. We decided to use the Bithell Short name to signal something digestible and original. Thanks for continuing to support these odd experiments between our larger projects.
Do I need to have played other Bithell Shorts games to enjoy this one?
Not at all. The Solitaire Conspiracy is an entirely different game from Subsurface Circular and Quarantine Circular. It tells its own self-contained story set in a world of spies and intrigue. Of course, our games are all set in a shared universe, so expect some mentions of old friends.
If this game is ‘short’, what’s to stop me getting a refund when I’m done?
The Solitaire Conspiracy is our third Bithell Short (and with continued support from the player base our biggest). Our previous two games, Subsurface Circular and Quarantine Circular, both have a return rate of less than 2%. Steam players have shown us that they understand the work that goes into games, and are up for paying for ones that entertain them. Thank you (again).
| Platforms | Windows, macOS |
|---|---|
| Achievements | 20 |
| Age ratings |
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| Controller required | No |
| Website | Official website |
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