How to Play Spyfall: Complete Rules Guide for the Hidden-Spy Party Game

Everything you need to play Spyfall in person or online: setup, the secret-location mechanic, the 8-minute round, accusation rules, and strategy for both sides.

Spyfall is a party game where everyone in your group knows the secret location, except one person who is the spy. Players ask each other questions to figure out who the spy is, and the spy tries to blend in by guessing the location from clues. Rounds last 8 minutes. It's social, fast, and works with anyone who can hold a conversation. This guide covers the full rules plus the questions and strategies that actually work.

What you need to play Spyfall

• 3 to 8 players. The sweet spot is 5-7. With 3 it can feel thin; with 9+ rounds drag.
• A way to assign the secret role: paper slips, the official card deck, or a phone app that hands each player their location privately.
• A timer for 8 minutes. A phone timer works.
• A list of locations: at least 30 distinct locations so it's not obvious to the spy. Standard sets include things like Casino, Beach, Hospital, Embassy, Submarine, Movie Studio, etc.

How a round of Spyfall works

1. One player is randomly chosen to be the spy. They are told they're the spy. The other players are all told the same secret location (e.g., "the location is Casino").
2. The 8-minute timer starts.
3. Players take turns asking each other questions. Questions are about the location, not directly about it. Examples: "Are you wearing comfortable clothes for this place?" or "How often do you come here?" Each player asks one person, that person answers, then asks someone else.
4. Anyone can call a vote at any time. If a player suspects another, they say "I accuse [Name] of being the spy." All other non-accused players must vote yes or no on whether they think the accused is the spy.
5. The spy can also reveal themselves voluntarily at any time and try to guess the location.
6. The round ends when: (a) someone is voted as the spy, (b) the spy reveals themselves and guesses the location, or (c) the 8-minute timer runs out (in which case the spy auto-wins).

Win conditions

Three ways the round can end, and the scoring for each:

• Players correctly accuse the spy AND the spy fails to guess the location: every non-spy player gets +1 point.
• Players accuse the wrong person: spy gets +2 points. The round can continue or end depending on house rules; most groups end the round.
• Spy reveals themselves and correctly guesses the location: spy gets +2 points.
• Timer runs out and no accusation has succeeded: spy gets +1 point.

Multiple rounds form a game. Whoever has the most points after a set number of rounds (usually 5-10) wins.

The art of asking questions

The best Spyfall questions thread a needle: vague enough that a spy can't immediately use them as a hint, specific enough that an answer reveals whether the responder knows the location.

Bad questions (too direct)

• "What's the location?" Useless.
• "Are we at the beach?" Tells the spy a candidate location for free.
• "What color is the wall?" Most locations don't have one defining wall color.

Good questions (testing knowledge indirectly)

• "What did you wear today?" Forces the responder to think about appropriate dress.
• "Could you bring your dog here?" Some locations allow pets, some don't.
• "Are you here often?" Tests how naturally they invent a backstory.
• "Who else would you bring?" Reveals if the responder thinks of it as a date spot, family outing, work errand, etc.
• "What's the loudest sound here?" Each location has a distinct soundscape.
• "Would your boss be here too?" Embedded test of whether the location is a workplace, leisure spot, or both.

Devious questions (great for accusing the spy)

• "Pick the most expensive thing here under $100." A spy will hesitate; a true player will name something instantly.
• "Describe the entrance." Most spies haven't pre-built a mental map.
• "Where would you go to be alone here?" Forces topographic knowledge of the location.

Strategy as a non-spy player

• Don't reveal too much in your own answers. If your answer essentially confirms the location ("oh yeah, I love watching the slot machines"), you've leaked the answer to the spy. Be vague.
• Watch reaction time. A spy needs an extra second to invent a plausible answer. Real players answer instantly.
• Track who asked what. A spy often asks questions that are too generic ("how do you feel about being here?") because they're trying to extract information.
• Don't accuse too early. If you accuse on minute 1 and you're wrong, you've wasted the only accusation slot you wanted to use later.

Strategy as the spy

• Listen more than you talk. Every answer from a non-spy player is a clue. Answer your own questions briefly and turn the conversation back to others.
• Ask questions that demand specific answers. "Where would you sit?" or "What would you order?" gives you concrete clues without revealing what you don't know.
• Don't try to be too clever. If you ask a question that only someone who knows the location could ask, you've outed yourself. Ask normal questions.
• Pretend to be slightly puzzled. Real players sometimes are. Looking confused isn't suspicious unless you also can't answer your own questions.
• Pick a moment to guess. If you're confident about the location and feel suspicion building, reveal yourself and guess. The risk-reward is good if you're right.

Variations and house rules

• Custom location lists: the basic game ships with ~30 locations. Many groups build custom lists themed around their work, school, or city. We support custom location lists at gamingrooms.net.
• Two spies: in larger groups (7+), some groups play with two spies who don't know each other. Adds chaos.
• Different timer lengths: 8 minutes is standard. New players can start with 5 minutes; veterans sometimes prefer 10.
• Roles instead of generic players: the original Spyfall game gives non-spy players specific roles at the location ("you are the dealer at the casino"). This deepens roleplay but takes longer to set up.

Frequently asked questions

How many players is best for Spyfall?

5-7 is the sweet spot. Below 5 there are too few suspects, above 7 each player gets too few questions in 8 minutes.

Can the spy lie about anything they want?

Yes. The spy is allowed to invent any details about the location. The risk is that other players will catch inconsistencies between the spy's invented details and the real location.

What happens if everyone accuses the spy on round 1?

If the very first question reveals the spy and a vote succeeds, the round ends and the spy doesn't even get to guess. Usually groups agree to wait at least a couple of minutes before allowing accusations, or the game ends too quickly.

Can you play Spyfall online?

Yes. We built a free Spyfall-style online version at gamingrooms.net where each player gets their secret role on their own phone. Link below. Free, no signup, no installs.

What's the difference between Spyfall and Mafia?

Both are hidden-identity games but with very different mechanics. Mafia is about voting players out across multiple rounds; Spyfall is about asking pointed questions in a single 8-minute round to identify the one secret player.