Detective City of Angels: How the Secret Cabal Promos Change Cases
By Van Ryder Games | Published: 2026-11-03
Category: How-to Guides
The Secret Cabal promo pack adds one Grift and one Favor card to Detective City of Angels. Here’s how to slot them into a case without breaking the deduction flow.
Quick answer
Treat the Secret Cabal promos as optional case modifiers: add the Grift card to the suspect pool and the Favor card to the player pool only after you have built the base case, then re-check that every clue still points to a solvable answer.
Why these two cards are easy to mis-slot
The pack contains exactly one Grift card and one Favor card, and both were originally tied to The Secret Cabal Kickstarter campaign. That narrow origin makes them feel like collector extras rather than standard case components, so players often either leave them in the box or drop them in without checking how they interact with the case’s existing suspect and favor structure.
The practical risk is not complexity but placement: a Grift card that lands in the wrong suspect pool can make a case feel arbitrary, and a Favor card added after players have already planned their turns can create a sudden rules question mid-case.
When to leave the promos out
Skip the promos for a first play or a teaching case. The base case already asks players to track suspects, clues, and favors; adding two campaign cards before anyone knows the normal rhythm makes it harder to tell whether a loss came from the promos or from the case itself.
Also leave them out when you are playing with a group that relies on the printed case setup for speed. The promos are optional, and a smooth session is worth more than forcing them in.
Step-by-step: adding the Secret Cabal promos to a case
- Build the base case first: Set up the case exactly as the rulebook instructs, including suspects, clues, and favors, before you touch the promo pack. Common mistake: shuffling the Grift card into the suspect deck during initial setup, which can hide a required clue behind an optional card. Photograph or note the base setup so you can compare a promo game against a normal one.
- Place the Grift card deliberately: Decide which suspect pool or location the Grift card should join based on the case’s existing tension, then place it face down with that group. Checkpoint: confirm the case still has at least one clear path to the solution after the Grift is added. If you cannot explain why the Grift is in that pool, move it or remove it.
- Add the Favor card to the player side: Put the Favor card where players normally access favors, and announce it before the first turn. Common mistake: slipping it in mid-case after players have already spent their favor budget, which creates an unfair timing advantage. State the Favor card’s availability out loud so no one misses it.
- Run a rules check before play: Read both promo cards once more after setup and confirm they do not contradict the case’s printed instructions. Checkpoint: if either card references a component or phase not present in your case, set that card aside rather than improvising a ruling. A two-minute check prevents a mid-case stall.
- Debrief after the case: After the case ends, ask whether the Grift and Favor changed a decision or only added noise. Common mistake: assuming the promos improved the session without comparing it to a base-case play. Keep the promos in your rotation only if the group can name one specific moment they changed.
Product facts
- Detective City of Angels: Secret Cabal Promos: The pack includes one Grift card and one Favor card, previously available only through The Secret Cabal Kickstarter campaign. Because the pack is two specific cards rather than a full expansion, you can test them in a single case without committing to a new campaign or rules layer.
Detective City of Angels: Secret Cabal Promos
