Word Spies Rules

Word Spies is a team deduction game where a single one-word clue must guide operatives to their own agents and away from everyone else. Sharp clue-giving and lateral thinking win the day.

• 25 word cards arranged in a 5x5 grid
• Key card showing 9 red, 8 blue, 7 bystanders and 1 assassin (or 9 blue, 8 red)
• Roles: 1 red spymaster, 1 blue spymaster, the rest are operatives

1. The starting team (the one with 9 cards) goes first.
2. The spymaster gives one word and a number connecting their own team's words, e.g. "Tree 3".
3. Operatives discuss and tap one word at a time. They may keep guessing on their color up to the number plus one.
4. Touching a bystander, an opponent's word or the assassin ends the turn (or the game).
5. Teams alternate turns.

• Clues must be one word plus a number (a Korean compound word counts as one).
• You cannot use any visible grid word, parts of it, or its pronunciation or translation.
• Zero and infinity (∞) are allowed: 0 lifts the guess limit, ∞ means "any of our words".

• Win: the first team to reveal all of their color wins.
• Instant loss: any team that taps the assassin (black) loses immediately.