SpyParty: It's My Party And I'll Spy If I Want To

Do I have to have friends to play, or is there a central server and I can play other people?
There’s a central lobbyserver, so you get to see everybody who’s currently playing, or waiting to play, or just hanging out and chatting with the really awesome and helpful beta community. It’s pretty ugly right now, but it works. It looks like this if you’re curious.

What platforms does it run on?
It is a Windows game, but it actually runs really well on MacOS using an amazing piece of free magic called Wineskin. A lot of beta testers play on MacOS with Wineskin, and one of them wrote up a really nice and easy tutorial in the beta forums walking you through installing everything you need with screenshots and links and everything, and there are a bunch of people who can help you get it set up if you get stuck. Wineskin works so seamlessly that even the game’s auto-updater works in it. It’s kind of crazy, actually.

Is there a single-player mode yet?
Not yet. Well, there’s Practice Mode, but that’s not really a game, it’s more of a way to get used to things as a newbie, or hone your skills as an advanced player. Eventually there will be a single-player mode, but not for a while. However, as I’ve said, the community is incredibly cool and supportive, so come on in, the water’s fine!

Can I read more, or watch a video before I decide?
Definitely! The manual is here, and the Welcome post, which contains the tutorial video, is here. There are also tons of videos on YouTube, and people streaming the game all the time, so check those out too.

Can you take my money some way besides PayPal?
Sadly, right now, no. I know a lot of people have trouble with PayPal, and I’m going to add Amazon and Google at some point, hopefully soon. A couple things, in the meantime: 1. You don’t need to register for a PayPal account in most countries, you only need a credit card; 2. I’ve found PayPal’s email support to be terrible, but their phone support to be actually really good, so if you are having troubles you might try calling them.

Wait, slow down, I came here from the internet, what the heck is this game?
SpyParty is an asymmetric multiplayer espionage game. One player is a Spy at a cocktail party, trying to accomplishing missions while simultaneously trying to blend in with the other guests. All of the missions have subtle tells associated with them, and all of the other guests are AIs controlled by the computer. The other player is the Sniper, looking in at the party from afar, wishing he or she could order a nice gin and tonic. Because the Sniper can’t order a gin and tonic, somebody at the party is going to get shot, and hopefully it’s the Spy. The Sniper only has one bullet, though, so observe the behavior of the people at the party and choose wisely. If this sounds somewhat familiar, you might want to read this FAQ, where I talk about games with similar mechanics.

What’s the deal with this Early-Access Beta?
After over a year in closed beta, SpyParty is finally open to everyone. It’s a paid beta, which is helping me fund the development of the game. I realize paid beta’s aren’t for everyone, and that’s okay, if you’re more comfortable holding off until the game is done, that’s great, you can still follow along with the progress here on the blog or at the social media outlets on the sidebar. I literally have no idea when the game will be done, most likely years from now. It takes a very long time to tune and balance a game that’s trying to be as deep and competitive as Poker or Go. On the other hand, if you like the idea of getting early-access to the game, helping it evolve, and of course getting the final game when it’s released as part of the deal, then this might be for you.

Can I ask more questions?
Of course! I answer a bunch in the comments below, and feel free to add yours if you don’t see it already, and check out the real big FAQ, although it needs a fresh coat of paint.