Best Spy Board Games
The eagle has landed! Our top picks for Best Spy Board Games are complete and ready to go.
This selection of games includes word associations, party favorites, and more strategy-based options to appeal to spies of all kinds. So get ready to go undercover as you complete missions and crack codes. Read on to reveal clues to decide which game suits you best.
🏆 Our Top Picks for Best Spy Board Games
In a hurry? Take a quick peek before you go.
Best Party
Best Bluffing
Best Overall
#1. Spyfall 2
Players: 3–12
Playing time: 15 Minutes
Go incognito in this social, interactive game. This party favorite has people playing the roles of detectives or spies by asking clever questions.
Players are each given either a location card or a spy card. Ask each other revealing questions to determine the secret agent in your midst. Race to uncover the identity of the spy before he or she finds the secret location.
Spyfall 2 is just like the original, but with extra cards for a higher player count. It also comes with 2 spy cards instead of one, making it a little more challenging to guess those undercover agents.
#2. Spyfall: Time Travel
Players: 2-8
Playing time: 15-45 minutes
Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.
Travel to the future-or the past-in this spin on the classic favorite Spyfall. The Time Travel edition is set up just like the original. However, these locations can be set in any time period around the world. Is it 2052 in Tokyo? 1492 in the Americas?
Be clever with your questions- and even more so with your answers-to gather intel. Careful not to reveal too much. Catch that spy before they uncover the mystery location.
#3. Codenames
Players: 2-8
Playing time: 15 Minutes
Can you crack the code?
Codenames is a word-association game that is easy to learn and great for parties. This game is all about playing to your audience and thinking outside the box.
Two teams battle it out to guess their team’s target words the fastest. 25-word cards are spread out on the table in a 5×5 grid. A key card, visible to only the team leaders, highlights each team’s target words.
Team leaders take turns giving a one-word code to their teammates to guess as many cards as directed. I might say bakery to lead my teammates to choose the three words jam, horn, and pie. But exercise caution and strategy! You don’t want your team guessing the enemy’s target words by accident.
#4. Spy Connection
Players: 2–4
Playing time: 20-30 minutes
How are your networking skills?
All good spies use their contacts on the ground. In Spy Connection, players work to create these networks between various locations in Europe. To complete a mission card, you must create a route between all designated locations on the gameboard.
You must complete 7 missions to win the game. However, your network is limited. You’ll need to plan, rearrange, and think on your feet to complete all your missions successfully.
Spy Connection#5. SpyNet
Players: 2-4
Playing time: 30-45 minutes
Be a SpyNet boss.
You are the leader of a secret mission. Work to gather the best team of spies with different skills: tech, infiltration, counterespionage, and enforcement. Work alone or in teams of two.
In teams of two, you’ll have to practice those nonverbal spy skills to communicate and work towards a common goal. Pick up or discard as a means to recruit or deploy potential spies. You can complete a mission to gather points when your team is stronger in the target field than any other.
SpyNet#6. City of Spies: Estoril 1942
Players: 2-4
Playing time: 45-60 minutes
Bom dia! Welcome to the City of Spies: Estoril 1942.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to create the most powerful group of spies in this Portuguese beach town. Players work to gain the most influence over six locations on the board. Some of the locations and spy cards play upon real historical places and people so don’t be surprised if you recognize a few. Take turns placing tile cards to gain points in that location. While area control and location points matter, Estoril 1942 requires more strategy and bluffing than at first glance.
If you like this game, you’ll have double the fun playing City of Spies: Double Agents. This sequel has you venturing in both Estoril and the capital, Lisbon. It allows you to play a double agent with different strategies and abilities. This version can have up to 5 players, so invite that extra friend along!
#7. Spy Alley
Players: 2-6
Playing time: 45 minutes
Put on that poker face to play this game of bluffing and strategy.
It’s a battle of nationalities down Spy Alley. Each player has a secret identity or nationality. You must collect all the necessary spy gear for your nationality and make it to the winner’s space unscathed. But beware — if a player guesses where you’re from first, you’re out! If they guess incorrectly, their spy status is revoked.
Let’s see who can out-spy the spies.
#8. The Resistance
Players: 5-10
Playing time: 30 minutes
An oppressive Empire is trying to take control. The Resistance must band together to make sure this doesn’t happen.
In this social, collaborative game you must use teamwork and clues to decide which players amongst you are Resistance Operatives and which are Imperial Spies. Think Werewolf but without any eliminations and more detailed missions. In each round, the Resistance plans an attack on the Empire.
A leader will assign plans to some of the players to carry out this attack. After some deliberation, the designated players will either secretly complete or sabotage the mission. If the mission is successful, the Resistance wins. If it fails, the Imperial Empire wins. The first group to win 3 rounds is victorious.
Will the Resistance have what it takes to fight their oppressors? Or will the Empire prevail? The only way to know is to play!
#9. Cold War: CIA vs. KGB
Players: 2
Playing time: 30-60 minutes
It’s the Cold War and players battle it out to gain power and influence across the globe. In this two-person card game, players will either be the CIA or the KGB. This game is simple to set up, yet requires some complex plays and strategies to keep you guessing.
Let the battle begin! The game starts by turning over the Objective card which displays the target number of attack points. You must get as close as possible without going over, blackjack-style, to win the objective.
Choose one agent to represent each specific mission. But choose wisely — the agents each have different skills that can affect the outcome of the objective.
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB#10. 1955: The War of Espionage
Players: 2
Playing time: 15-45 minutes
Get ready for an espionage-style tug-of-war!
1955: A War of Espionage is a fun, easy-to-learn game with a board for tracking points and artistic cards.
This spy versus spy game takes place in…you guessed it…1955! It’s your job to win the support of 6 key countries, split into red or blue teams, during the Cold War. On a turn, use two action cards. Action cards can be used as Special Actions or as Influence Points. Special Actions can do many things including giving you extra cards, moving your spy, or causing a revolution. Influence Points move specific country markers closer to you on the board.
There are two ways to win. Get all three of your country markers to the final space on your side. You may also get your opponent’s home country marker locked on your side to win.
Wrap-Up
We hope you enjoyed our list of the best spy board games! If you love espionage, undercover dealings, and following clues, you’ll love these excellent spy party games and strategy games. Have you tried any of the games on this list? Did we miss any of your favorites? We’d love to hear what you think! Drop a comment below and let us know.
