The Resistance

So, I sat down last night with my gaming group and we popped open a fresh board game box.  There is really nothing better than taking the wrapping off a new board game, popping it open, and being greeted by that factory sealed freshness.  The artwork on the box, pieces, and cards is clean and very appealing.  The game did not take very long to learn, and we started playing right away.

The mechanics of the game don't get in the way of the game.  This is important!  The setup of the game is the most crucial part of the game.  We had a five player game so we pulled out 3 good guys (the resistance) and 2 bad guys (the corporate spies).  You mix them up and pass them out randomly to everyone at the table. 

Each player then looks at his or her card without revealing it to the others. This is where you find out if you are truly part of the resistance or a spy tasked with sabotage.  All players, after examining their card and discovering their allegiance, lower their heads and close their eyes. After a few seconds, the spies will look up and lock eyes with their partners in subterfuge. This process usually ends in an exchange of few traitorous smiles. The spies then quickly lower their heads again to avoid detection by the resistance agents that are about to return their attention to the other players.

Words alone cannot describe how fantastic this game mechanic is!  If you are a spy, you now know the identity of the other spy (or spies), and you need to work in concert, without verbal communication to take down the resistance. 

At this point, you figure out who is going to be the first team leader. As the team leader, you need to pick the team that is going on the current mission.  Everyone votes if the mission is a go or not.  If everyone at the table votes that the mission is a go, your fate is now in the hands of the people on that mission.  You deal a “Mission Fail” and “Mission Success” card to each person on the mission. 

Now, without revealing the card, you hand one of the cards to the mission leader. If you are a member of the resistance, you can ONLY play a success card. If you are a spy, you can play either card. It takes only ONE “Mission Fail” card to tank the whole mission! 

After the team leader shuffles up the mission cards, he or she will (hopefully in a dramatic fashion) flip over the cards... If a “Mission Fail” card is revealed, you KNOW that someone on that mission was a SPY! …but which one?

I can't tell you how much fun I had playing this game!  The rules are very slim and get you into the game very quickly.  The version of the game I purchased came with the first full expansion. This expansion added story elements into the game and really made the game that much better.

If you want a more in-depth look at the game, you can watch this amazing video of the full game (without expansion) in play on TableTop.