Room Escape Artist

Secrets Agent

Location: at home

Date Played: August 1, 2026

Team Size: 6 players and 1 gamemaster (playing the handler)

Duration: 1.5-3 hours

Price: $80 plus shipping from the UK

Content Warnings: Irreverent references to violence. Hidden romance. Ages 16+ recommended.

REA Reaction

Caution: This review will self-destruct after reading. 

Spy of the Year combined murder mystery, secret agent tropes, and party game mechanics into an irreverently funny and lighthearted introduction to the world of jubensha. It was less James Bond, and more Austin Powers, although you’ll find both archetypes in the game as playable characters. 

As a certified jubensha evangelist, I’m often recommending these games to newcomers, but always with caveats regarding sordid storylines or monstrously complicated narratives. Spy of the Year was the rare exception. It was the perfect gateway game for anyone curious about exploring jubensha without being thrown into the deep end.

With a shorter play time and less intensive reading, Spy of the Year may be an easier sell to a group that’s just starting to dip their toes into jubensha. The tone was lighthearted, and the story was relatively straightforward. I especially liked that the game incentivized players to discover secrets, rather than keeping them. This game was more about showing players a good time than requiring CIA levels of evidence reconstruction.

This accessibility came with a trade-off. As a beginner friendly game, our group of more experienced jubensha players found the storylines less complex than we’re used to and that the roadmap towards the solution felt a little too clearly signposted. The player who played the villain didn’t feel like they had many alternate theories at their disposal to counter the allegations. However, the mini-games were fun, and the characters were funny and entertaining. Even as seasoned players, we found ourselves embracing the game’s campy spy movie silliness. The stakes felt low enough that it took the sting out of the villain being painted into a corner.

Spy of the Year was charming, entertaining, and refreshingly approachable. It prioritized accessibility, momentum, and fun over heavy plots and intricate backstories. As an added bonus, the relatively family-friendly content meant you could play it with your parents or older children without wanting to awkwardly disappear into witness protection afterward.

Who is this for?

• Spies
• Story seekers
• Any experience level
• Players who hate reading but want to try jubensha
• Players looking for a lighthearted and funny jubensha

Why play?

• Spy of the Year was an approachable and funny introduction to jubensha style mechanics.
• For a jubensha, this game was relatively family friendly. You could probably play it with your parents or co-workers without feeling awkward about tawdry storylines.
• There’s an option for the gamemaster to manage the game without knowing the full story, allowing them to play along.
• Party game style mini-games

Story

It’s the Spy of the Year awards ceremony, and only the most accomplished S.E.C.R.E.T. agents were invited. With such an elite group of spies all gathering in one place, absolutely nothing could go wrong… right?

Setup

Gameplay started with reading a short page about your character and backstory. Gameplay then rotated between several rounds of reading a mini-play of scripted interactions, receiving “information leak” cards, group discussion, and a mini-game.

Gameplay

Spy of the Year was a jubensha with an easy level of difficulty. 

Core gameplay revolved around investigating other players and receiving clues with “information leaks.” There were both public and private discussions. 

There were also a few party-style mini-games where the winner received a very slight advantage. These mini-games included elements of light-hearted social strategy, keeping a poker face, and funny improv (only one player needed to improv.)

Analysis

➕ The gamemaster guide book offered 2 options. The gamemaster could read the whole storyline ahead of time, or play along and discover the narrative along with the other players. This flexibility allowed the gamemaster to choose how much of the mystery to opt into. The gamemaster booklet was well organized and helpful. The accompanying soundtrack really added to the international man of mystery atmosphere.

➕ The characters were both fun and funny. Despite everyone technically having the same job title (spy), every character had a distinct personality and a recognizable archetype. The distinct personalities really helped players lean into the silly role playing aspect of the game.

➕ In most jubensha, players are normally rewarded with points for hiding their secrets. Spy of the Year flipped that incentive by rewarding players for solving secrets. This game mechanic leaned into the fun of jubensha, which is discovering all the juicy scandals.

➕/➖ More clarity in the storytelling makes this game very beginner friendly. The evidence will eventually point most players towards the villain. This was great for most of the players… but not so much for the one playing the mole. Giving other characters more plausible motivations to be the mole would have given the villain more breathing room while adding complexity and intrigue to the game. Fortunately, the game itself was lighthearted and humorous. The stakes felt intentionally low, so even when the villain was identified, it didn’t carry the same sting as a more serious game with heavy emotional investment.

➖ At times, the clues felt a bit too heavy-handed, diminishing the satisfaction of making the connections on our own. The game clearly wanted the players to win, but we wanted to feel like we really earned it.

➕/➖ Rather than giving players long booklets to read, Spy of the Year instead told most of its story through a series of mini-plays read out loud by by the players. Those who struggle to read long paragraphs under pressure might find this a welcome change. I actually enjoy complex backstories, and at times I felt a little impatient with the long mini-play script that everyone had to read out loud. Your mileage may vary here.

➕The mini-games were a highlight. They were funny, punchy, and quick. They gave Spy of the Year a party game feel while breaking up the more intense group discussion segments. The rewards from winning the mini-games felt balanced. The winners received a very slight advantage, but not enough to tilt the game unfairly.

Tips For Players

• Many jubensha available in English are translations. Spy of the Year was originally created in English in the UK by Incog Ltd: Arlo Howard, Chloe Mashiter, Hannah Raymond-Cox, and Tom Black.
• Before the game, consider assigning the characters or letting the players choose, so they can wear appropriate costumes or accessories. Getting dressed up is part of the fun!
• Space Requirements: A location with enough room or multiple rooms for players to go off and have private conversations without being overheard.
• Required Gear: There is an accompanying soundtrack with atmospheric music. At a point in the game, there was a video to play in the background. You might want to have a device with a screen and audio available to play the accompanying media. It will also be helpful to provide pen, paper, and maybe clipboards so players can take notes.

Buy your copy of Incog’s Spy of the Year, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Incog provided a complimentary game.