What is, in your opinion, the best espionage RPG out there?

jdrakeh · Wednesday at 6:00 PM

I'm planning out my Next Year In Tabletop in advance and I'd like to dedicate a few sessions to an espionage RPG. I'm familiar with many (Top Secret, Top Secret SI, James Bond, Spycraft, etc), but I need some help sussing out which is best for a short campaign, so I'm asking the fine people of ENWorld what they think the best espionage RPG is.

Umbran · Wednesday at 8:50 PM

So, the best espionage-feel I've experienced in and RPG in years came from playing Blades'68.

jdrakeh · Wednesday at 9:05 PM

Umbran said:
So, the best espionage-feel I've experienced in and RPG in years came from playing Blades'68.

I don't think it's available via normal retail channels yet, is it?

Aldarc · Wednesday at 9:28 PM

jdrakeh said:
I'm planning out my Next Year In Tabletop in advance and I'd like to dedicate a few sessions to an espionage RPG. I'm familiar with many (Top Secret, Top Secret SI, James Bond, Spycraft, etc), but I need some help sussing out which is best for a short campaign, so I'm asking the fine people of ENWorld what they think the best espionage RPG is.

If I told you, I'd have to kill you.

Fenris-77 · Wednesday at 9:30 PM

There's another cold war espionage FitD game called Minutes to Midnight, but I haven't played it. I do think that FitD would be a great system for espionage. I also think that the Resistance Engine from Rowan. Rook, and Decard would do espionage really well, but I have no idea if a game like that has been written.

Whizbang Dustyboots · Wednesday at 9:31 PM

Night's Black Agents. Just remove the vampires. Or not.

Fenris-77 · Wednesday at 9:33 PM

Whizbang Dustyboots said:
Night's Black Agents. Just remove the vampires. Or not.

Such a great game.

I think several iterations of Gumshoe would be great picks. NBA is one, and Swords of the Serpentine is another (translated for setting etc etc).

Thierry-Advent · Wednesday at 9:49 PM

There is The Spy Game 5e for more action packed spy stories.

Smoke, Shadow, and Subterfuge

The Spy Game: A Roleplaying Game of Action & Espionage takes the mechanics of Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition into the very modern world...

rlyehreviews.blogspot.com

Fenris-77 · Wednesday at 9:55 PM

So not to step on anyone's toes, but I'd rather have a sandpaper colonoscopy that do spy games with 5E. That's just me and my tastes though. I'm sure some people would love it.

Thierry-Advent · Wednesday at 9:58 PM

Fenris-77 said:
So not to step on anyone's toes, but I'd rather have a sandpaper colonoscopy that do spy games with 5E. That's just me and my tastes though. I'm sure some people would love it.

It’s one option among others that was not suggested yet.