Spyfall

The art of sounding local

Almost everyone gets the same location, while one player gets only the word Spy. Then the table starts asking questions. The non-spies have to prove they know the location without describing it clearly enough for the Spy to work it out.

A precise answer earns trust but also teaches the Spy. Go too vague and the location stays safe, although now you sound like someone who has never seen it. Every answer is public and every pause looks suspicious. A perfectly innocent player can talk themselves into trouble by trying too hard to sound relaxed.

Ask a question with two readings

Ask something that means one thing to people who know the location and remains slippery to the person who does not. "Would you stay here longer than an hour?" is more useful than asking about an object everybody can picture. Its answer can establish familiarity without handing over the secret.

Questions have to travel around the table. After answering, a player questions somebody other than the person who just questioned them. Two confident players cannot conduct a private interview while everyone else watches.

Wait a moment before starting the timer. Non-spies need to read their location and role. A potential Spy needs a fair chance to remember what kinds of locations exist. If one person is still studying their card when the questions begin, the table has created a suspect for the wrong reason.

An accusation is not a casual vote

Each player may stop the questioning once per round to name a suspect. Everyone except that suspect votes, and the accusation succeeds only with unanimous support.

Without unanimity, the questioning continues and the accuser has spent their one attempt. If the table unanimously exposes a non-spy, the Spy wins. When time expires, the table holds a final vote with the same requirement. The group can suspect anyone it likes, but winning still takes agreement from everyone.

The Spy has another way out. Before being caught in an accusation, they may reveal themselves and name the location. A correct guess wins the round; an incorrect guess loses it. Waiting provides more clues, along with more time for the table to notice the person answering every question with "it depends."

One round or a full game

The official timer is eight minutes. For a first full session, the rulebook recommends five rounds. The Spy earns points for surviving or correctly identifying the location. Non-spies earn points for catching the Spy, and the player who starts a successful accusation gets an extra point.

The group can also treat every round as a small standalone showdown. Decide before dealing. Changing from casual rounds to exact scoring immediately after somebody makes a brilliant accusation has the administrative smell of a coup.

The box and the browser are different things

The official rules cover a physical game for three to eight players with one Spy. Browser implementations often add their own locations, timers, voting systems, player limits, and variants. Some allow multiple spies. Some make the person running the room part of the machinery.

Use the box rules above as the baseline, then read the selected site's room settings before starting. The unofficial browser option listed on this page can handle remote play and local pass-and-play. Its extra modes belong to that site's design. They are not hidden chapters of the Cryptozoic rulebook.

Who should be at this table

Players have to speak without preparing. They may need to bluff as the Spy, and they have to tolerate accusations over something as small as an unfortunate pause. Groups that enjoy reading tone and pulling apart answers have plenty to work with.

When the table is new to the game, make the first eight-minute round unscored. Ask the opening question of somebody who already understands the rhythm. By the second pass around the table, everyone has heard how much an answer can reveal without naming the location. Otherwise, the newest player has to invent the house style while seven people study their face.