Spies/Secret Agents

A card game of stealth and sneakiness! Players act as spymasters, collecting sets of cards in order to complete missions. Only the greatest player will be declared The Ace Of Spies! By taking two cards at the start of each turn, you'll build up a selection of Agents, Tools, Intelligence and Locations that will allow you to hopefully finish more missions than everyone else. More missions mean more points - as long as they're complete! If they're left incomplete by the end of the game, they score negative points and pretty much ensure you're not going to win...

Four separate decks are needed to play the game. The Mission Deck cards state what combinations are needed in order to complete a mission. The more specific the requirements the more points the completed mission is worth - some can be very difficult to finish but will prove very lucrative, but there's always the risk they'll count against you.

The other decks represent three different cities - London, Paris and Berlin - and contain the Agents, Tools, Intelligence and Locations you'll need. Intervention cards can be used as instants and will allow you to turn the game in your favour (as long as you play them at the correct time. Should that all important card you require be lost in the discard piles, you may be able to retrieve it, but that'll come at a high cost.

Between two and five spymasters can attempt to become the Ace of Spies! May the most devious and sneaky win!

It is an empire of changing flags. The old crown fell, and many stepped forward to claim it. That was two centuries ago.

Now the barons and the princes swear loyalty to whichever claimant-emperor garrisons the nearest army today. The clergy sell their sermons for the highest bidder, and spies whisper promises to mercenary generals.

You are the one true ruler of the broken Empire of Lyssan, and it's up to you to put the pretenders (the other players) in their place before their endless squabbling tears your nation apart. You (and others) will attempt to take control by using castles, knights, nobles, priests, and spies:

Knights hold territory and fight masterfully.
Nobles hold territory, support priests, and fight poorly.
Castles hold territory, spawn new units, and protect knights and nobles.
Priests manipulate influence and support spies.
Spies assassinate priests and other spies, and have the devastating power to steal other players' court cards.

Lyssan is an intense board game of strategy, cooperation, and betrayal for two to four players. The winner is the player who claims the most trophies, and each trophy can only be claimed by a single player. One trophy card might call for the player to control the most mines, the next to have most spies deployed, and the next to have the most sophisticated court. An upcoming trophy is revealed each turn, requiring strength, cunning, and adaptability to win.

Lyssan combines tightly designed euro-style rules with the interactivity and flavor of an epic wargame. Lyssan has slim rules comparable to many family friendly games. Yet the play is as rich and interactive as the crunchiest, most grognard-friendly wargames. And Lyssan plays fast. A typical game of Lyssan runs a full hour quicker than comparable games.

Lyssan combines:
A map to be conquered (like Risk)...
...with a few different unit types that act a few different ways each (like Chess or Diplomacy) ...
...with cards that let players pull off devastating surprise moves or permanently improve their abilities. To play one card, you discard others. (Like Race for the Galaxy) These cards can be very powerful, but they can also be stolen by spies. The whole landscape of the game can change in the blink of an eye as ownership of a card changes hands. Get one of your spies into a rival's castle, and you can take over his improvements or turn his own followers against him.

All interrupting effects have been stripped out of the game, so each player can complete their turn quickly, without waiting for the others. The game has been designed from the start to allow timed play, like a tournament chess match. This is good for players who want extra-brisk play, or who just have one slowpoke at the table who needs to be reined in.