How to play the spy game

The idea in one paragraph

Everyone in the room shares one secret word — a place, a food, a job, a situation. Everyone except the spies, who are told only that they are the spy. The group then asks each other questions about the word. Citizens are trying to work out who does not know it. The spies are trying to blend in well enough to survive, and to work out what the word is from what everyone else says.

The tension is that both jobs pull against each other. Answer too vaguely and you look like the spy. Answer too precisely and you hand the spy the word.

Setting up

1. Players. Set the number of people in the room, 3 to 12.
2. Spies. One spy for 3–5 players, two for 6–8, two or three for 9+. The game caps spies at half the group.
3. Word. Leave it on Random word to draw from the built-in bank, or switch to Custom word and type your own.
4. Timer. Eight minutes suits most groups. Pick No timer if you would rather vote whenever the group is ready.
5. Names (optional). Type everyone's name and the game will tell you who starts by name instead of "Player 3".

Dealing the roles

Press start and pass the phone around the circle. Each player taps the card, reads it privately, and taps again to hide it before handing the phone on. Nobody should see two cards — the person holding the phone is the only one who should be looking at it.

Once the last player has looked, the game moves to the discussion screen and tells you who asks the first question.

The discussion

The first player asks anyone a question about the word. That person answers, then asks someone else. Keep going until the group wants to vote or the timer runs out.

Two rules make this work:

• Never say the word. Not even as part of a longer sentence.
• Never ask a question only the spy could fail. "Is it indoors?" is a yes/no a spy can guess. "What is the worst part of being there?" is not.

If you are stuck for what to ask, there is a list of questions that reliably separates people who know the word from people who are guessing.

Voting and winning

Any player can call a vote. Everyone points at once, on a count of three, so nobody follows the crowd. The player with the most votes reveals their card.

• They were a spy — the citizens win that accusation.
• They were a citizen — the spies win.
• The spy names the word — a spy who is caught may guess the word. If they get it right, they win anyway.

With two or more spies, decide before you start whether catching one spy ends the round or whether the citizens have to find them all. Finding them all is much harder and makes for a longer game.

Common mistakes

• Answering in one word. "Yes." tells nobody anything and makes you look like a spy hedging.
• Going around the circle in order. Ask out of order so nobody can prepare.
• Voting too early. A vote on turn two is usually a coin flip that hands the spies a win.
• Describing the word to prove yourself. This is the most common way citizens lose — you convince the table and hand the spy the answer in the same breath.

More on both sides of this in the strategy guide.

Frequently asked

How many people do you need for the spy game?

Three to twelve. Five to eight is the sweet spot — enough people that the spy can hide, few enough that everyone gets to speak in a round.

How many spies should there be?

One spy for 3 to 5 players, two for 6 to 8, and two or three for 9 or more. More than that and the citizens rarely win.

How long does a round take?

Five to ten minutes. Eight minutes is a good default for a group of six; shorten it if rounds are dragging.

Can you play with only one phone?

Yes — that is the whole design. The phone is passed around, each player taps to see their role privately, and then it is set down for the discussion.

Do you need an app or an account?

Neither. It runs in the browser. You can add it to your home screen if you want it to open like an app and keep working offline.

What happens if the spy guesses the word?

The spy wins. That is why citizens should answer in a way that proves they know the word without naming it or describing it too plainly.

Can you play with kids?

Yes. The words are everyday things — places, food, jobs, situations. Younger players do better with a longer timer and only one spy.