How to play Spyfall: from setup to the first question

A location is shared by everyone except the spy. Use questions and careful answers to discover who is guessing.

  • 3–10 players in this tool; choose the number of spies before dealing.
  • One shared phone or an online room with separate devices.
  • Keep identities private. Questions and discussion happen in person or on your call.

One phone: pass, reveal, and hide

  1. Choose the player count, spy count, and round length. Keep random locations or add your own content.
  2. Start the game and pass the phone in the shown order. Each player enters a name, privately reads the card, then hides it.
  3. Non-spies see the shared location and their own job. Spies see their spy identity without a location. Once all cards are hidden, use the host controls and timer.
Set up one-phone Spyfall
Set up the players, location source, spies, and timer before dealing.
Set up the players, location source, spies, and timer before dealing.
A non-spy privately sees a location and job. A spy receives a different card without the location.
A non-spy privately sees a location and job. A spy receives a different card without the location.

Online: create a room and invite your group

  1. Create a room and choose Player or Moderator mode. In Player mode the host receives an identity; a Moderator does not take a player seat.
  2. Share the invite link or room code. Players join with a nickname, and the host starts when everyone is ready.
  3. Read only your own card. Ask questions in person or on your call. In Player mode the host can start and finish an on-screen vote; Moderator mode keeps discussion and voting outside the room UI.
Create a Spyfall roomJoin an existing room
A player’s private room view contains their identity, round information, and the player list. Room codes here are examples.
A player’s private room view contains their identity, round information, and the player list. Room codes here are examples.

Agree on the rules before you start

  • Do not say the location or show your card to the group. Ask about experiences that fit the location without naming it.
  • Agree in advance how to handle a spy’s spoken location guess and any house rules. The tool does not listen to or judge your conversation.
  • In one-phone play, use the timer and host controls while the group handles discussion and accusations. In online Player mode, use the room’s voting controls.
  • Moderator screens contain secret information. Only the moderator should view or share those screens.

An example of a useful question

“What would you normally bring here?”

At a hospital, a non-spy might say “Something to read while I wait.” The answer fits the place without giving its name away. The spy must infer the location from everyone’s answers.

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