This is an older German classic, and certainly a little gem of a game. Several reviewers have noted this game is fairly simple, and there can be no doubt about that, but that doesn't keep this from being a great addition to a games closet.

The object is to get your detective to x number of points (45?) the fastest. No players know which color marker belongs to which player, and since any player can move any color, you want to keep your information secret for as long as possible. (If they think you are green, you can bet they aren't going to move green very often!)

And that's where the fun comes in. On your turn you roll a single die and move any number of detectives a combined total of the die. So if you roll a 2, you could move 1 detective 2 spaces, or 2 detectives 1 space, etc. Pieces move from house to house beginning with a house worth zero all the way up to 10, then to -3, then back to zero. There is one wooden safe that sits in a house and once a player moves detectives in such a way as to have one of the pieces end its turn in the same house as the safe, every color scores whatever house value it sits on. nThe safe is then placed in a different house and play continues. That's it.

The challenge is in the bluffing and the deducing (especially in the advanced version.) Since there are two neutral colors in the game, and no one really knows who each other are or which colors are neutral, players must carefully manipulate colors in order to see their own color do well without too obviously favoring one. Sooner or later though, you must make a move to score big points at the end to ensure victory. When I play, I encourage table talk and recriminations! That becomes especially fun in the advanced version where, about 3/4 through the game, players write down which color they think belongs to each player and then get bonus points for correct guesses.

This game is simple enough for children, interesting enough for non-gamers, and nasty enough for gamers that it has a universal appeal to it. Not to say everyone will like it, but also considering it is a 20-30 minute game, it really is a great game to be able to pull out after for almost any group.

Although I enjoy Adel Verplichtet by Klaus Teuber more than Top Secret Spies for games of the bluffing style because of it's interesting auction phase as well as it's bluffing options, Top Secret Spies is a great game and well deserving a Speil des Jahres award. I would not recommend this to 'hard core' strategy war gamers though. Personally I wouldn't recommend many of the games to these types of players. It's just a shame that they limit their options to the great war games. There is more to gaming though than these 'advanced strategic' games and games like Top Secret Spies are one of them. Just watching people trying to keep their composure as you try to figure out who is who during the game is a blast!!! People start to get fidgety, they get antsy and if you watch for body language your opponents can say so much to reveal who their spy is, or if they're good, lead you to believe they're a spy they are not. I don't consider it to be a 5 star rated game because it lacks an auctioning element that in my opinion gives Adel Verplichtet a 5 rating, but a 4 is still great!! If anyone tells you this game is not worth buying for adults, don't you 'buy' that!!! Just like Kelloggs Frosted Flakes aren't just for kids, so too is Top Secret Spies. Psst... Keep it low....