James Bond board game SPECTRE will let you play - and finally win - as 007 villains
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Upcoming James Bond bond game SPECTRE will put players in the knife-tipped shoes of 007 villains as they compete to become the biggest baddie in the criminal organisation.
SPECTRE: The Board Game isn’t based solely on the latest film in the Bond series - which shares its name - but instead draws from a number of Bond movies, old and new, in which the villainous Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion and its members make an appearance.
Two to four players each control a famous member of SPECTRE, from leader (and noted cat fan) Ernst Stavro Blofeld to From Russia with Love assassin Rosa Klebb and Skyfall’s Raoul Silva. In a manner similar to Disney Villainous - in which players control baddies from Disney classics, each with unique powers and objectives - each Bond villain has a unique plot to pursue inspired by their appearance in the films.
Goldfinger, Dr. No and Diamonds Are Forever - in which Blofeld attempts to build a diamond-powered space laser - were all mentioned as possible plots in the game’s announcement, hinting at the inclusion of their respective antagonists.
As well as Bond baddies, SPECTRE: The Board Game will include other characters from the movie franchise, with players needing to fend off the pesky world-saving attempts of 007 himself while also competing with their fellow villains. Unlike Bond's triumphant movie appearances, however, one villain is always guaranteed to come out on top in the board game.
Gameplay involves deploying agents around the world to further your villainous schemes, placing the player’s chosen villain and their henchpeople to perform a variety of actions, including the chance to build gadgets, spy on rivals and blackmail opponents on your way to the top, as well as specific actions based on the villains’ appearances in the series. The board game will also feature familiar locations and weapons from the James Bond films.
Behind SPECTRE’s gameplay are designers including Hanabi and 7 Wonders creator Antoine Bauza, and Cash ‘n’ Guns designer Ludovic Maublanc, along with their Draftosaurus co-designers Corentin Lebrat and Théo Rivière. The French group of designers - collectively known as Kaedama - are joined by the design team from publisher Modiphius: Stefano Guerriero, Javier Angeriz-Caburrasi and Juan Echernique.
Modiphius will release SPECTRE: The Board Game next year, having previously adapted video games Dishonored, Fallout and Elder Scrolls, as well as Dune and Star Trek, for the tabletop. The James Bond game will not see a Kickstarter, releasing directly into retail stores in spring 2022.