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How to play Spyfall (2026): Spyfall is a party game of sharp questions and nervous answers. Everyone at the table knows the secret location except the spy, who has to bluff along and figure out where everyone is before getting caught. This guide covers Spyfall 2, the standalone sequel sold today, which adds 20 new locations, room for up to 12 players and an optional second spy. It follows the official Spyfall 2 rulebook, including the round timer, the three ways a round ends and scoring.
Get the game: Spyfall 2
The box holds 240 cards in 20 location decks of 12, plus zip bags for each deck and the rulebook. You only need a phone for the timer. It costs about $28.
Price band: $20–$30 (about $28) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Spyfall 2 contents
Each location deck has ten location cards with the same picture and two spy cards. Location cards also show a role at that place, such as a Taster at the Candy Factory. Locations include a Vineyard, Coal Mine, Jazz Club, Cat Show, Stadium and Retirement Home. A full list is printed in the middle of the rulebook so the spy can see every possible answer.
One spy or two?
Agree before the first round. The rulebook suggests one spy with six players or fewer and two spies with nine or more; it is your choice in between. Twelve players always use two spies, and beginners should start with eight or fewer players and one spy. With two spies, the spies do not know each other and work for rival secret services.
Setup for each round
- Return the unused spy cards to the box so each deck has ten location cards plus one or two spy cards at the bottom.
- The dealer picks a random zip bag without looking, takes cards from the bottom of the deck equal to the number of players, shuffles them and deals one to each player. The rest of that deck stays out of the round.
- Everyone looks at their card secretly and places it face down.
- The dealer starts the timer. The dealer plays as a normal player, and the next round’s dealer is the player to their left.
Round length
| Players | Suggested timer |
|---|---|
| 3 to 4 | 6 minutes |
| 5 to 6 | 7 minutes |
| 7 to 8 | 8 minutes |
| 9 to 10 | 9 minutes |
| 11 to 12 | 10 minutes |
Asking questions
The dealer asks any player a question by name: “So tell me, John…” Questions usually relate to the location but do not have to. Answers can be anything. The player who answered then asks someone else, but never the person who just asked them. There are no follow-up questions, and the order is up to the players based on who seems suspicious.
Non-spies want to prove they know the location without making it obvious. Ask a Sprinter why the referee disqualified them and the spy instantly knows you are at the Stadium. Be vague but not too vague, or you will look like the spy yourself.
Three ways a round ends
- Time runs out. Players vote on suspects one at a time, starting with the dealer and going clockwise. The suspect does not vote. A unanimous vote reveals that player’s card. If nobody is unanimously convicted after everyone has been voted on, the spies win.
- A player makes an accusation. Once per round, each player may stop the clock, name a suspect and call a vote. If everyone except the suspect agrees, the round ends. With two spies, everyone except two players is enough. If the vote fails, restart the clock and keep playing.
- The spy reveals. At any time, a spy may stop the clock, reveal their card and guess the location from the rulebook list. With two spies, the second spy must also reveal and guess. The spies win if either guess is right. A spy cannot guess after someone else has stopped the clock.
Scoring
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Spies win | 2 points to each spy |
| A spy stopped the round and guessed correctly | 2 more points to each spy who guessed right |
| The table unanimously accused an innocent player | 2 more points to each spy |
| Non-spies win | 1 point to each non-spy |
| You started the successful accusation | 1 more point to you |
With two spies, if one spy is caught, the other scores like a non-spy. Play the number of rounds you agreed on, such as the five the rulebook recommends for a first session of about an hour, and the most points wins.
Tips for better rounds
- Play your role. A Nurse at the Retirement Home answers differently from a resident, and the game is funnier for it.
- Spies should guess when they are fairly sure. Waiting too long gives the table time to vote you out.
- Do not argue about the location during a vote. Your reasons can hand the answer to the spy.
- Owners of the original Spyfall can mix bags from both games, using base Spyfall rules with one spy.
Love hidden-role games? Compare more in our best social deduction party games and party games for large groups.
Spyfall questions
How many people can play Spyfall 2?
Three to twelve. Use one spy for small groups and two spies at nine or more players.
How long is a round of Spyfall?
Six to ten minutes depending on player count, from six minutes for three or four players to ten for eleven or twelve.
Can you play Spyfall 2 with the original Spyfall?
Yes. Mix the bags and use the original Spyfall rules with one spy, keeping the same number of cards in each bag.
