Spy Team
Spy Team Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Overview
Spy Team is a team card game for 4 players.
Players split into two teams and compete to complete three missions before their rivals.
At the beginning of each round, teammates must decide how they will contribute to the mission. However, they are not allowed to discuss their plans. Instead, they must read each other's intentions and come up with the best strategy possible.
Complete your mission by successfully carrying out your team's plan or by causing the rival team's plan to fail. The first team to complete all three missions wins the game.
Components
- 48 Intel Cards (24 cards in each of 2 colors, numbered 1–24)
- 6 Mission Tiles (2 copies each of [1/5], [2/4], and [3/3]), with a side for C.A.T. and a side for B.I.R.D.
- 4 Card Stands (for C.A.T. and for B.I.R.D.)
- 1 Start Player Marker
- 1 Rulebook (JP/EN)
Game Flow
A game consists of up to 5 rounds. Each round is played by following the three steps below.
- Round Setup
- Operation
- Mission Resolution
Divide into two teams of two players, making sure teammates do not sit next to each other. One team takes the C.A.T. Mission Tiles and two Card Stands, while the other team takes the B.I.R.D. Mission Tiles and two Card Stands.
The player who seems to have the most secrets becomes the first Start Player and takes the Start Player Marker.
1. Round Setup
The Start Player shuffles all Intel Cards and deals 11 cards face down to each player. Without rearranging them, each player inserts their cards into a Card Stand. Cards should be positioned so that only their owner can see the numbers. The 4 remaining cards are not used this round and are placed face down to the side.
The front and back of each Intel Card are the same color. As a result, players can only see the numbers on their own cards, but the color of every player's hand is visible to everyone.
Next, each team chooses the Mission Tile they will attempt this round. Starting with the Start Player and proceeding clockwise, each player chooses one Mission Tile in turn.
Each team has three Mission Tiles: [1/5], [2/4], and [3/3]. The numbers indicate the number of Tricks each teammate is trying to win during the round (Tricks are explained in Step 2: Operation).
First, the Start Player chooses one Mission Tile and places it on the table with their target number facing them. The orientation of the Mission Tile also determines their teammate's target number. This is only a proposal and may be changed later.
Next, the player to the Start Player's left does the same for their own team. This is also only a proposal.
Then, the Start Player's teammate reviews the proposed Mission Tile. They may accept it as is, replace it with a different Mission Tile, or change its orientation.
Finally, the remaining player does the same for their team. In this way, both teams determine their Mission Tiles without discussing them.
Once both teams have finalized their Mission Tiles, each player chooses 1 Intel Card from their hand and places it face down in front of themselves, starting with the Start Player and proceeding clockwise.
After all players have placed a card, teammates exchange those cards. Each player inserts the received card anywhere in their hand.
Round Setup is now complete.
2. Operation
Starting with the Start Player and proceeding clockwise, each player plays 1 Intel Card face up to the table.
Cards may only be played from either end of a player's hand—the leftmost card or the rightmost card. Players may play a card of any color, regardless of the colors played by other players.
Once all players have played a card, determine which card is the strongest. This completes one Trick.
Normally, the strongest card is the highest-numbered card among those that match the color of the first card played (the Lead Card).
However, if all four cards played are the same color, Camouflage is triggered.
Camouflage: If all four cards played in a Trick are the same color, the lowest-numbered card is considered the strongest card instead.
The player who played the strongest card wins the Trick. The Trick winner collects all four cards played in that Trick and places them face down in front of themselves as a single pile. This is referred to as winning 1 Trick. To keep track of the number of Tricks won, do not stack Trick piles on top of one another.
The Trick winner leads the next Trick. Continue playing Tricks until one of the conditions described in Step 3: Mission Resolution is met.
3. Mission Resolution
A round ends immediately when either of the following conditions is met.
Mission Accomplished
If both teammates have won exactly their target number of Tricks, their team completes the Mission. The round ends immediately at that moment, even if players still have cards remaining in their hands. No further Tricks are played.
Example: If a team selected the [1/5] Mission Tile, the Mission is completed as soon as the player assigned "1" has won 1 Trick and the player assigned "5" has won 5 Tricks.
Successful Sabotage
If either player wins more Tricks than their target number, making it impossible for their team to satisfy the requirements of its Mission Tile, the round ends immediately. That team's Mission fails, and the opposing team is considered to have completed its Mission. The round ends immediately at that moment, even if players still have cards remaining in their hands. No further Tricks are played.
Example: If a team selected the [1/5] Mission Tile, and the player assigned "1" wins a second Trick, that team's Mission immediately fails and the opposing team completes its Mission.
The team that completed a Mission removes the Mission Tile used that round from the game. Removed Mission Tiles are not used again during the game.
Then pass the Start Player Marker to the player on the left and begin a new round.
End of the Game
At the end of a round, if either team has removed all of its Mission Tiles, that team wins.