Games / Spy Signals
Play Spy Signals, the team word association game
One word, one number, and a grid full of traps. Red against Blue, or everyone together.
- 2 to 12 players
- 15 to 30 minutes
- Teams or co-op
- Bots give clues and guess
Spy Signals is a team word association game. Twenty-five words sit in a grid, and each team has a clue giver who secretly knows which words are their agents. The clue giver says one word and a number, such as "tree 2", and teammates try to tap the right cards. Hit a bystander and your turn ends. Hit the trap and your team loses.
It works for 4 to 12 players split into Red and Blue, and there is a cooperative mode for 2 or 3 where both sides share a board and a limited number of clues. Everyone joins from their own device, and only clue givers see the key. Bots can give clues, guess, or fill a team, so you can play a full game even with three friends.
Why play Spy Signals here
- Red vs Blue for 4 or more players, or a cooperative mode for 2 or 3
- 5 by 5 or 6 by 6 grid, with a standard 400-word pack or an extended 600-word pack
- Clue givers tap cards to aim, and the number fills in by itself
- Choose 1, 2 or 3 traps, and how strict the clue rules are
- Team guessing modes: anyone taps, majority agrees, or a rotating captain decides
- Bots on easy, normal or sharp, working offline from a built-in word list
How to play Spy Signals
Open the briefing room
Host a Spy Signals table and share the code, or practise with bots. Everyone picks Red or Blue, and each team takes one clue giver.
Deal the words
When everyone presses Ready, 25 words are dealt. The starting team has 9 agents, the other team 8, plus 7 bystanders and 1 trap.
Give a clue
On your team's turn, the clue giver types one word and a number. The clue cannot be a word on the board or a form of one.
Guess the words
Guessers tap one word at a time. An agent of yours lets you keep going, up to the clue number plus one. Any other card ends the turn.
Avoid the trap
Flipping the trap loses the game on the spot, so a clue that points near it is risky.
Find every agent
The first team to uncover all its agents wins. Play again with the same teams and the clue giver role passes to the next teammate.
Tips
- Clue givers: a safe clue for 2 words usually beats a risky clue for 4.
- Guessers: say your reasoning out loud or in chat before you tap. Teammates often read a clue differently.
- Keep old clues in mind. The extra guess each turn is your chance to pick up a word you missed.
Screenshots
Spy Signals questions
How do you play Spy Signals?
Two teams share a grid of 25 words. Each team has a clue giver who sees a secret key showing which words belong to their team. The clue giver says one word and a number, and teammates guess words that fit. Find all your agents first to win, and avoid the trap, which loses the game instantly.
Is there a free team word association game I can play online?
Yes. Spy Signals is free on Deal & Roll. Host a table, share the code or invite link, and everyone joins in their browser on a phone, tablet or computer. There is nothing to install and no account needed. Only the clue givers see the key on their screens.
How many players do you need?
Red vs Blue works from 4 players up to 12. With 2 or 3 players the table plays the cooperative mode, where everyone works together against the board. Bots can take any seat, including clue giver, so a small group can still play a full team game.
What makes a clue legal?
A clue is one word made only of letters, plus a number from 0 to 9 or unlimited. It cannot be a word on the board or a form of one, such as Apples when Apple is showing. The table can pick relaxed, standard or strict clue rules. Standard also blocks compounds of a visible word.
How does the cooperative mode work?
In cooperative mode the players split into two sides, and each side has its own key with 9 agents and 3 traps. One side gives a clue about its key and the other side guesses. You have 9 clues by default to find all 15 agents. After that, sudden death begins and any miss loses.
Can bots give clues?
Yes. Bots can be clue givers or guessers on either team. Bot clue givers look for a word that links as many of their agents as possible while staying away from the trap and the other team's words. They use a built-in list of word links, so puns, rhymes and pop culture can confuse them.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. The grid fits a phone screen and you guess by tapping a word. Clue givers type their clue on the phone keyboard and can tap cards to mark which words they are aiming at. There is table chat too, which helps when your team is in different places.