Customer Reviews

Spy Alley

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a wonderful game for kids around 8-12 years old and probably older, because it involves some good chess-like thinking along with some Stratego-like mindreading efforts and a little poker-faced bluffing thrown in. It has been exciting to see my boys gradually figuring out all the twists and turns that this game can take. If one is the first to figure out a new strategy, the excitement is almost unbearable as he approaches the finish -- trying to keep a straight face before his brother figures out what he is up to!
The basic premise of the game is that each spy must get to his/her base before the 'enemy' guesses his/her identity. Everyone is a spy and must collect spy equipment along the way to home base; e.g. the French spy needs French equipment. But if you buy French spy equipment, you risk giving away your identity. So you buy... German spy equipment. Etc.

From the first moment my family opened the box, to this very day, we still get the same feelings of excitement, escapism and suspense when ever we play Spy Alley.

Each player becomes a spy by drawing a spy identification card and assume that identity. They then try to uncover their opponents' identity while trying to keep their own identity a secret. Your mission is to collect the required codebooks, keys, passwords and disguises and make it to your embassy in Spy Alley without being detected or to remain the last spy to retain their identity. It's a simple game with lots of twists, but suprisingly intense. There is a bit of chance with the roll of a die, but there is also plenty of strategy! To throw people off your trail, you can acquire items from the other nationalities, you try to anticipate how the other spies will use their move cards and free gift cards, you also have to know when to risk going down Spy Alley and the possibility of being exposed! Watch your body language, it can give you away! It's exhilirating to experience the thrill of hunting and the paranoia of being the hunted! Spy Alley will bring out some interesting sides of family and friends. Among the many benefits of this game, it has helped sharpen our thirteen year old's reasoning skills. She has also developed quite an ability to bluff!

The strategies are endless and it's a game that never gets old. I recommend playing with three or more players. It's a great family game and, without question, Spy Alley is a game that would put even the great James Bond on the edge of his seat!

Study what your opponents purchase to deduce thier identity, and collect your country's spy materials and land on your embassy to win. Earn money, buy tickets, get gifts... a cross between Monopoly and Clue, that's sure to be played again and again.

Better with 3-6 players, but can be played with 2 in a pinch (quick game).

Carolyn K., webmistress, Hoagies' Gifted Education Page, and my 9- and 13-year-old reviewers du jour...

My folks gave this game to us for Christmas '99, and we like it a lot. I make PC Games for a living so I like to play new board games to see what is new and exciting. I like this one. It's not a revamp of Monopoly.

The gist is you must guess the identity of the other players. (Players are randomly assigned to be a spy from a country at the beginning of the game.) Game play involves going around the board collecting items necessary to complete yourself as a spy, and guessing who is who. Bluffing by purchasing the wrong items is a good strategy, as is buying the necessary items from other spies. There are move cards to use instead of a single dice roll and random gift items to draw from the card pile instead of purchasing them.

This game can be played by an adult with children without it favoring the adults who are presumably better at games. There is enough random chance as well as strategy to be interesting for multiple replaying of the game.

Best if 3 or more people play but two can play and still have fun.

(No knowledge other than simple math and bluffing skills will be gained by playing this game. But then some games should just be fun and this is one of them.)

Spy Alley is a suspenseful family game for two to six players ages 8 to adult. Each player is given a secret spy identity (French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, German or American) which they must protect while accumulating four things: their password, disguise, codebook and embassy key, and then hustle back to their embassy before the other players discover who they are. In order to accumulate all of these things, they must make their way around the board, bluffing and counter-bluffing.

Anyone who loves Clue but wants a little something different should not hesitate to pick up this great game!

We bought this game for our 10yr old cousin for Christmas and it was a big hit !! We were so thrilled to hear from his mother who thanked us over and over again and told us how much he loved it. He had recieved Apples to Apples from Santa and had played it everyday until this arrived in the mail. It is now his new "favorite" game. It is so hard to shop for kids in this age range, and this, in my opinion, makes a great gift for older kids. It beats video games, and toys that are tired of easily and promotes quality time spent with family and friends.

My wife and I got this game shortly before heading back to the family homestead for the holidays. We played it with my entire family (ranging from a third grader through my grandparents) and everyone had a blast. This is one of the first games my wife or I will suggest now, and no one we've played it with has not liked it.

This game is one of my all-time favorites. I could play it over and over again and never get bored! Fun to play with the whole family, this guessing game rocks!

My 7 year old and 10 year old regularly beat my husband and I on this game. They're good at being spies! It's fun for everyone every time. This game and Cranium Cadoo are the top 2 picks for us when it comes time to play a family game.

My husband and I enjoyed this game. Even though it was just the two of us playing, there was enough suspense and variety to keep us interested. I'm looking forward to the next family gathering, because playing with a group would provide even more variation and fun. It's also easy to play the first time yet offers strategic advantages to veteran players.