
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,174
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Corporate America
- 3–6 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2013

1984
Rules assistance for Spitting Image
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.
Spitting Image is a board game released in 1984 for 2–6 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 15 and up. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding.
The game is based on the popular 80's television series of the same name... Each player is a world leader with three scandals to protect. The object of the game is to expose all the other players' scandals before they expose yours. No dice are involved. A player may choose to move between one and six spaces clockwise around the board. The player then follows any special instructions written on the space that he or she lands on (these include collecting a Dirty Tricks Card, collecting a cash handout from the Hush Fund, calling a Press Conference, using the Shredder, hiding in a Safe House, or Passing The Buck). A non-player character, the Journalist, is moved the same number of spaces clockwise around the board. If the journalist lands on a space occupied by another player, one of that player's three scandals is placed in the middle of the board and auctioned off to the highest bidder. The player who wins the scandal card may then try to expose it by first landing on a Press Conference square, and then making an accusation against the player whose scandal it is. The accuser may choose to blackmail the accused and accept a cash payment in exchange for a temporary reprieve, or the players contest the accusation using Dirty Tricks. If the accusation is successful, the scandal is removed from the game and the accuser gets $50 Million as a reward. If unsuccessful, the accused gets a scandal back and receives $10 Million compensation. Once all a player's scandals are exposed, he or she is out of the game. If the player who owns the scandal gets to The Shredder before being accused at a Press Conference, he or she takes the unexposed scandal back. Play continues until only one world leader remains with any unexposed scandals... He or she is the winner!
Spitting Image supports 2–6 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 Spitting Image is 90 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 Spitting Image for ages 15 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.
Spitting Image belongs to these categories: Humor, Movies / TV / Radio theme, and Political. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding. 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 catalogue lists Spitting Image as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.