Spy — rules, tactics, and how to play
Spy is a Spyfall-style social deduction game for 3–12 players in which every player is told a secret location and a role except the spy, and the group asks each other questions until they either expose the spy or the spy names the location.
- Players
- 3–12 players
- Length
- ~10 minutes
- Type
- Social deduction
Runs in your browser · no download · no account
Spy is a game of questions with no good answers. Everyone at the table has been told the same location — a hospital, a submarine, a wedding — and given a specific role there. Everyone except one player, who knows nothing and has to survive on inference alone.
The tension comes from the fact that both sides are playing the same instrument. Ask a question that is too pointed and the spy learns the location from your question. Answer too specifically and the spy learns it from your answer. Answer too vaguely and everyone starts looking at you.
The location board stays visible on screen the entire round, and yes, the spy can study it openly. That is deliberate: the spy is not trying to guess blind, they are trying to narrow eighty possibilities down to one before someone calls a vote. Tap tiles to cross places off as they are ruled out.
Spy is part of
What you need
- One phone, passed around at the start of each round
- 3 to 12 players who can see and hear each other
- 6, 8, or 10 minutes on the clock per round
- A willingness to answer questions badly on purpose
How to play Spy
Everyone secretly gets the same location and a funny role — except the spy, who gets nothing but nerves.
Go around asking each other questions about the place. Answer like you belong there, but stay vague — the spy is listening for the location, and weird answers get YOU accused.
The location board stays on screen all round. Yes, the spy can study it openly — that's the game. Tap tiles to rule places out.
Anyone can call a vote at any time — it pauses the clock. Tap to vote for your suspect; ties trigger a revote, and a second tie puts the clock back on.
Catch the spy and every innocent scores +1. But a caught spy gets one last guess at the location — right = steals the round for +4.
Accuse an innocent or let the timer die, and the spy escapes (+2) — then takes a bonus guess for +4. Don't let it get to that.
Play a few rounds (new location + new spy every time), then hit the podium to crown the smoothest liar 👑.
Scoring and winning
- Catch the spy and every innocent player scores +1.
- The spy survives — because you accused an innocent, or the timer ran out — and every spy scores +2.
- A caught spy gets one last guess at the location. Name it correctly and they steal the round for +4 instead.
- A surviving spy also gets a bonus guess, upgrading their escape from +2 to +4 if they name the location.
- Play several rounds with a new location and a new spy each time, then crown the smoothest liar on the podium.
Spy strategy and tips
- Ask questions only someone at the location could answer, but which do not name it. "How long have you worked this shift?" beats "Do you like the operating theatre?"
- Answer with feelings rather than facts. "Honestly, I hate it here" is true almost anywhere and tells the spy nothing.
- Never ask the person who just asked you. Bouncing questions back and forth between two players is how the rest of the table loses track of who has been tested.
- As the spy, ask broad questions early and specific ones late. Your first job is to survive to the point where you have narrowed the board.
- As an innocent, watch for the player who never initiates. A spy usually prefers answering to asking, because answers can be improvised and questions cannot.
- Calling a vote pauses the clock, so use it as a pressure tool. Even a vote that fails will make the spy reveal something under scrutiny.
- Two spies who do not know each other will sometimes accuse each other very convincingly. If a vote feels too clean, it might be.
Variants and house rules
Two spies
Available with five or more players. By default the two spies do not know each other, which means they can waste an entire round hunting each other. Turn on mutual identification if you want them cooperating instead.
Location packs
Four packs of twenty locations each — Classic, Modern Life, Wild, and Dubai & Travel — with eight distinct roles per location. Pick a pack to match your group.
Short rounds
Drop the timer to six minutes. Fewer questions means more guessing, which suits big groups where eight minutes can let everyone hide.
No-board hard mode
House rule: nobody looks at the location board, including the spy. Much harder for the spy, and it forces innocents to be far more careful, since a wrong accusation is now nearly fatal.
Spy FAQ
How is Spy different from Spyfall?
It is the same core game — one player does not know the location — rebuilt for a single phone. This version adds eight themed roles per location, a visible location board you can tap to eliminate options, per-round scoring, and a persistent podium across rounds.
How many players does Spy need?
Three to twelve. Six to eight is ideal. With three or four players a second spy is disabled automatically, since spies must never approach half the table.
Can anyone call a vote, or only on their turn?
Anyone can call a vote at any moment, and doing so pauses the clock. Ties trigger a revote; a second tie restarts the clock and play continues.
What happens when the timer runs out?
The spy escapes and scores +2, then gets a bonus guess at the location for a possible +4. Letting the clock die is the worst outcome for the innocents.
Does the spy get to see the list of possible locations?
Yes, and that is intentional. The spy is deducing which of the eighty locations is in play, not guessing from nothing. Innocents can tap tiles to eliminate them as the round narrows.
What do the roles actually do?
Nothing mechanically — they are flavour, and they are the best part. Your role gives you a specific, slightly ridiculous perspective to answer questions from, which makes it much easier to sound like you belong.