Board Game: Campaign Ends July 20, 2018
When first hearing about Shady Agents, I thought it sounded very similar to Werewolf or The Resistance. It wasn’t until I really started reading in to how the game is played on Kickstarter that I realized my mistake. The game is similar to Werewolf or The Resistance in that you have a role to play but other than that there’s not much of a comparison. You and your friends are all undercover agents. However, some of you have defected and no longer fight on the side of justice. You must investigate and figure out who’s who. The concept of the game sounds like it might be convoluted but once you read the directions you learn that it is actually a pretty quick and simple game to play.
The game starts out with everyone receiving a role card facedown as well as two tools, one med kit and one bullet. The game is played in two rounds. In round one you have two options, you can Make a Move or Call for an Interrogation. If you choose to Make a Move you will choose one of your tools and slide it facedown to another player. Only the Agent who received the tool can see what they’ve been given. If you believe someone is on your team you want to pass them a med kit but if you think someone is an enemy go ahead and light them up with your bullet. The med kits will add one point each at the end while a bullet will reduce by one. If you decide that you don’t have enough information to hand out your tools you can give up a tool in order to Call for an Interrogation instead. This allows you to draw an Interrogation card. Starting with the next clockwise player begin your interrogation. If a player is a Law Abiding Agent they must tell the truth but if they are a defector they must lie to you.
The game’s second round is where everyone distributes what they have left for tool cards. This time going counter clockwise everyone takes their remaining tools and sends them to players they believe to be on their team. The game ends with the person who went first in round one. This is followed by everyone revealing their role cards. Then tools are turned over and points are added up. The team with the highest points (aka most med kits) wins.
Board games are one of my favorite things to do with my friends and this one seems like a perfect addition to my collection. It is simple enough that people can drink and still follow what’s happening but the lies and stories that will be told are bound to make the game fun and exciting. I also like that there aren’t a lot of moving parts to this game. That means it will be portable and easy to bring on trips or out camping. With the fun concept and simple gameplay, I think this game will quickly become a group favorite. I can’t wait to receive my copy of the game in November. The game is available on Kickstarter until July, 20 2018 so make sure you pledge soon for your own copy.