
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,979
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Archon: Glory & Machination
- 2–4 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2013

Rules assistance for Crisis: Spies
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Crisis: Spies is an expansion for Crisis released in 2017 for 1–5 players, 45–120 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Sotirios Tsantilas and Pantelis Bouboulis and its main mechanics are Commodity Speculation and Worker Placement.
Two promo tiles that can be added to the Employee mix at the beginning of the game. When drawn, they are assigned to the player last in the VP grid, and can be used during Production to gain money, resources or VP for their employer. After each round, they are assigned to the player last in VP.
Crisis: Spies supports 1–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Crisis: Spies is 45–120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Crisis: Spies for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Crisis: Spies belongs to these categories: Economic, Political, and Industry / Manufacturing. Its main mechanics are Commodity Speculation and Worker Placement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Crisis: Spies are: Sotirios Tsantilas and Pantelis Bouboulis. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Crisis: Spies as an expansion for Crisis. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Crisis to use it. Check that your edition of Crisis is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.