PVP. Versus. Competitive. All of these are words that I don’t particularly look for when looking to pick up a new game. As somebody who was raised on NES RPGs and games like Contra, I’ve always been more inclined to pick up a cooperative game as opposed to a competitive multiplayer title like Call of Duty, just as an example. SpyParty, by indie developer Chris Hecker, may have just changed my entire perspective on competitive gaming.

At this stage in development you’ve probably at least heard of SpyParty. It was a huge hit at last year’s PAX Prime and was nominated for the Seumas McNally grand prize at last night’s IGF award ceremony. Still, if you’re not clear on what the game is allow me to explain it a little bit:

SpyParty is a two player, competitive game where one player plays as a spy and another as a sniper. The objectives vary depending on the level, but essentially the spy must complete a series of tasks without being too obvious and the sniper must stop the spy from completing said objectives.

To create a better sense of “cloak and dagger” type gameplay, the game doesn’t tell the sniper when a certain task is completed. Instead the game will send out hints that the object was recently completed. For example, one of the objectives in the game I played was to converse with a double agent. The keyword for the conversation was “Banana Bread.” So at some point during the game, should the spy attempt to complete this part of the mission, you’ll hear out loud a voice say “Banana Bread.” From there the sniper knows that one of the people in the conversation is attempting to complete that mission. Of course, there’s usually a couple of conversations going on with multiple people in each so it’s not a direct giveaway, but it helps cull the prospective targets.

It’s an interesting system that really speaks to me. Most multiplayer games these days are so focused on the simple mechanic of: shoot him, get points, die, respawn, repeat. Nothing about it really requires you to use your brain, to think about what you’re doing, or to assess the consequences of making an incorrect kill (you lose in SpyParty if you shoot the wrong person). SpyParty requires all these things and is a better, more methodical pvp experience because of it.

The game is still heavy in development so we probably won’t be seeing the game get a release anytime in the near future. Still, with a game this unique and of this quality I’m willing to wait for Chris Hecker to perfect this masterpiece and give me a competitive game that I can really enjoy.

By the way, don’t get too attached to the current art work. If Chris Hecker is to be believed, it’s all temporary. He’s working on the core mechanics and plans to create better art in the future prior to release.

[SpyParty]