About
Do It Yourself SPY is an action comedy storytelling game where you cooperatively work with found objects from your pockets, house, office, or yard. You’re a group of spies who are training to do missions without any high-tech gear. So on this retrieval mission, you have to make gadgets as you go.
Player Goal: To be ingenious with what you’ve got and what happens.
Players
3-9+ players
Ideal = 6 players
(Variation for 2 players)
Ages
10-100
Play Time
30+mins (3+ players)
20mins-1+hr (online)
Genres
Spy
Party Game
Comedy Adventure
Pro-Social, Co-operative
Improv Storytelling Game
GM-Less, Dice-Less, One-Shot RPG
The game is light on the role-playing (no lengthy character creation or roll-playing) and game (no competition to win), and accentuates a short comedy adventure with improv storytelling and physical props.
Comments by Cardboard Edison judges:
— “The props mechanic is very clever.”
— “This certainly stands out from other improv games, especially through its scenario cards and use of props.”
— “The use of physical objects in an improv board game is something I have not seen before and will make for replayability.”
PLACE PLAY MODE
Room Play: Play with objects from rooms in your house or office.
Pocket Play: At a convention or festival? Play with objects on your person & immediately around you.
Remote Play: Playing online? Play with objects from rooms in your house or office, with other players via videochat/Zoom.
Stage Play: Play with a cast, and with your audience.
Randomiser Play: Use the online randomiser to play your own RPGs, or for writing group prompts!
…and any other ways to play you imagine!
CORE MECHANISMS
Improvisation
Storytelling
Gadget, Found Object, Mission+ Randomisers
Incongruous Juxtaposition
Prop Function Mapping
Shared Goals, Tasks, & Resources
Interruption
Role-Play