How do you play Spyfall?

Everyone gets a card with the same location except the spy, who gets a card that says spy. Players take turns asking each other one question about the location. Everyone answers. At the end of the round, the group votes on who the spy is, or the spy names the location. A correct guess or a correct vote decides the round.

How do you play Spyfall without cards?

Write a location on every slip of paper except one, which says SPY. Fold, shuffle and hand them out. Use a phone timer. One person can also use a location list and message each player their location privately on a group chat.

How many players do you need for Spyfall?

Three is the practical minimum and it works best with 5 to 8. In bigger groups you can add a second spy. Check the rulebook for the official limits.

What are good questions to ask in Spyfall?

Ask open questions that anyone at the location could answer but that a spy could not guess easily. "What do you usually wear here?" is good. "Is this a hospital?" is not allowed, because it names the location. Vague questions help the spy. Very specific ones help the spy too if the answers are obvious.

Is there a game like Spyfall on one phone?

Yes. The Imposter game works on one phone: you pass it around, each player sees their word privately, and one player gets an Imposter card instead. It uses single-word clues rather than questions. Duoo has one called Imposter.

How to Play Spyfall: Rules, Locations List and a No-Cards Version

The rules

Players: 3 or more, best with 5 to 8. Time: about 8 minutes a round. Needs: a location for the group, a way to tell one person they are the spy, and a timer.

Here is how Spyfall-style games usually work. The exact timer and scoring in the official game may differ, so check the box if you own it.

Choose a location. The group, or a host, picks one location from a list. One person, picked at random, is the spy and does not get the location.
Deal the cards. Every player except the spy looks at the location in secret. The spy only knows they are the spy.
Start the timer. Set it for about eight minutes.
Ask questions. One player starts by asking another player a question. That player answers, then asks someone else a question. You may not ask the person who just asked you.
Stay vague, but not too vague. Questions and answers should be about the location without saying where it is. If you are too clear, the spy works it out. If you are too vague, the group suspects you.
Accuse. At any time a player can accuse someone of being the spy. Everyone votes. If the vote is unanimous, the accused player reveals their card.
The spy can end the round. If the spy thinks they know the location, they can announce it and guess. A right guess wins the round for the spy. A wrong guess loses it.
Time up. When the timer ends, everyone votes on who the spy is.

Scoring

A simple system for several rounds:

Spy is caught: every non-spy scores 1. The player who first accused the spy scores 2.
Spy is not caught, or names the location: the spy scores 2.
A non-spy is wrongly accused and the vote is unanimous: the spy scores 4.

Play until each person has been the spy once and count the points.

A worked round

The location is Airport. There are five players. Dana is the spy.

Ali asks Ben: “How long do you usually spend here?” Ben says “Longer than you want to.”
Ben asks Cat: “What do you carry?” Cat says “As little as possible.”
Cat asks Dana: “Who do you talk to most?” Dana, who does not know where she is, says “Whoever is in charge.” It is a safe answer, but a little off.
Dana asks Eli: “Is it busy today?” Eli says “Always.”

The group thinks Dana’s answer was too broad. They accuse her. She is the spy, and she gets a final guess. She says “Train station” and is wrong. The group wins.

Spyfall locations list

You can use these for a paper version. Mix them to suit your group, and pick places that people have actually been to.

Everyday places: Supermarket, Hospital, School, Library, Post office, Bank, Restaurant, Café, Gym, Hair salon, Laundromat, Petrol station, Pharmacy, Bakery, Barber shop.

Travel and transport: Airport, Train station, Airplane, Cruise ship, Bus, Taxi, Hotel, Campsite, Motorway service station, Ferry, Subway.

Leisure and nightlife: Cinema, Theatre, Beach, Swimming pool, Zoo, Amusement park, Night club, Bar, Casino, Bowling alley, Museum, Art gallery, Concert, Football stadium, Ski resort.

Work and institutions: Police station, Courthouse, Fire station, Embassy, Army base, University, Newsroom, Film set, Construction site, Farm, Factory, Space station, Submarine.

Events: Wedding, Funeral, Birthday party, Christmas market, Carnival, Graduation, Circus, School trip.

Easy mode for beginners: Beach, Restaurant, School, Hospital, Cinema, Airport, Zoo, Supermarket.

Hard mode: Research station, Spa, Monastery, Lighthouse, Orchestra rehearsal, Bakery at 5am.

If you want to choose a random one, use spin the wheel with the list pasted in.

3 ways to play

1. Buy the official game

Spyfall is a real board game sold by its own publisher, and Duoo is not affiliated with it. The box includes location cards and a timer. It is a good buy if you play often. The official game has its own location sets, so you will see places that are not on the list above.

2. Make a Spyfall-style game with paper

Pick 10 to 20 locations from the list above and write each on a slip.
For each round, take one location slip. Make a slip for each player. Write the location on all of them except one, which says SPY.
Fold, shuffle and hand them out. Everyone looks in secret.
Set a phone timer for eight minutes.
Play. Use a random order generator to pick who asks first.

To play with a second spy, add another SPY slip. The spies do not know each other.

3. Play a similar game on one phone

The Duoo Imposter game is built for one phone. You pass the phone, each player taps to see their secret word or their IMPOSTER card, and then you talk it out. It is not the same as Spyfall: instead of questions about a location, players give single-word clues. If you like the spy idea but want less setup, read how to play the Imposter game and use the imposter game words.

Variations

Two spies. For 8 or more players. Neither spy knows the other. A spy who guesses the location wins for both.

Silent spy. The spy may not speak until asked. This makes them easier to spot, so allow one free question at the start.

Video call. A host messages each player their location privately. Everyone asks questions in order, and the host acts as a timer. Vote by a countdown and a reaction emoji.

Themed locations. Use only one set, such as film sets or holiday places. Answers get more specific and the game is harder for the spy.

No accusations. Skip mid-round accusations and have one vote at the end.

Tips

If you are the spy, listen first. The first two answers tell you the category.
Ask questions that only someone at the location could answer, but that would not give the place away to a listener.
Do not be the first to give a specific answer. Wait until another player has set the tone.
If you are not the spy, avoid giving answers that would work in many places. The group will wonder why.
If you get a question you do not understand, answer shortly and ask a question back. A spy often stalls.