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Welcome to Intellexia. The revolution’s done and dusted, but the real work has only just begun. In Classified Information, a two-player spy-themed deduction game, you and your opponent step into the shoes of rival agents trying to outsmart one another. Your job? Protect your secrets while figuring out theirs, all while pretending you’re not sweating through your shirt.
The whole thing centres around one secret suitcase, holding a number that unlocks a three-digit code. Your goal is to end the game holding a card that matches one of your opponent’s code numbers. Sounds simple enough. Of course, you’ll be trying to guard your own suitcase at the same time, while decoding theirs and dodging a few traps along the way.
👥 2 players, ages 12+
⌛ Playing time: 10-15 minutes
📝 Designer: Justin Gunnell
🏢 Publisher: IncrediQuest Games (review copy provided)
How It Plays
At the start of the game, you get three cards. Two go into your hand and one becomes your suitcase, face down. That card’s number determines your three-digit code, made up of the number itself and the ones just before and after it in the sequence. It wraps around from 1 to 9, so if your suitcase card is a 1, your code is 9-1-2.
There’s also an encrypted pile in the middle of the table, which you can mess around with later, and a personal cypher wheel you’ll use to keep track of possible codes. This thing’s surprisingly helpful, and using it to cross things off and narrow down options feels strangely satisfying. You’ll also have three empty guard slots in front of your suitcase. These are for defensive cards you’ll play to block or confuse your opponent.
Turns are short and snappy. Draw one card. Take one action. Cards come in three types, each linked to a guild. Guards are mainly for defence. Assassins are used to take out enemy guards. Sentinels are somewhere in between, able to fill either role depending on what you need.
You can play a card face-up to use its ability. Some let you gather information, others let you interact with the encrypted pile or manipulate cards already in play. You can also play a card face-down as a guard, or slip it into the encrypted pile for later shenanigans. And yes, there will be shenanigans.
Trying to take out an enemy guard is where things get interesting. You pick a target, then compare your attacker’s code to the face-down guard’s code. If any of the numbers overlap, the guard is removed. If there’s no overlap, your attacker is discarded instead. Either way, both players get a little more information. Slowly, you build up a picture of what your opponent might be hiding. Or, at least, you think you do.
The game ends once the deck runs out. You each take one last turn with no drawing, and then it’s time for the big reveal. If your final card matches one of your opponent’s unguarded code numbers, you win. If both players succeed, or both fail, the player with the most guards still standing takes the win. And if that’s also a tie, well, then it’s just mutual destruction.
One thing that really gives the game legs is the way it handles deck building. There are three distinct mini-decks to choose from: Citrine focuses on deduction, Emerald lets you mess with your opponent a bit more, and Ruby leans towards more aggressive plays. You can play with one full set or mix cards between decks, as long as each number from 1 to 9 appears exactly twice and both copies of each number come from the same set. It’s clever, and means no two games have to feel the same.
Visuals and Components
This is where the cyberpunk theme really shines through. The art has a stylish, neon-soaked vibe that gives the game a strong sense of identity without getting in the way of actual play. The card layout is clean and practical, which matters a lot when you’re trying to scan the table for info in a 15-minute game. Important stuff like numbers, icons, and keywords are easy to find at a glance.
All the physical bits feel like they were made by someone who actually plays games. The cypher wheels work brilliantly and feel great to use. The little suitcase tokens add a bit of flavour, the metal start-player coin has a nice heft to it, and the acrylic stands for the cards are a classy touch. Each set comes in its own compact magnetic box that snaps shut securely and includes the rules printed right on the inside. Genuinely, it’s the kind of game you can throw in your jacket pocket and play almost anywhere.
Our Experience
Playing Classified Information felt like a back-and-forth fencing match, where every card played could be a feint, a trap, or the winning strike. Games usually lasted under 20 minutes, which made it really easy to play several rounds back to back. It’s the kind of game that grows on you. The more we played, the sharper our tactics became.
At first, we tried out each of the three decks on their own. Citrine felt like a pure logic puzzle, while Emerald had us second-guessing each other’s every move. Ruby brought out the elbows and encouraged us to go in hard. Later on, we mixed decks and started building custom combinations, which really shook things up tactically. It never felt stale.
The best matches were the ones where we played a best-of-three or best-of-five. That gave us room to adjust, get inside each other’s heads, and even start laying traps based on previous rounds. And yes, it led to a few smug grins and dramatic reveals. It’s that kind of game.
But let’s be real for a second. The theme, while stylish, does feel a bit abstract in actual play. You don’t exactly feel like a spy when you’re turning your cypher wheel and comparing numbers. And while the game rewards deduction and attention to detail over luck, it can be punishing if you lose track of something small, even though all the information is technically available. It’s not unfair, but it’s not very forgiving either.
Still, those moments when you successfully bluff with a decoy guard, or sneak through with a risky final card, feel great. And sometimes, just having more guards in play can win the game for you. There’s more than one path to victory, and that keeps things interesting.
Final Thoughts
Classified Information is a smart little duel of deduction, packed into a surprisingly tiny box. It’s perfect for players who enjoy a bit of mental cat and mouse, especially those who like games where reading your opponent is just as important as the cards you play. If you’re looking for something snappy but thoughtful, this one’s worth a look.
It’s not a party game, and definitely not one you break out with a group. But for two players, especially ones who like head-to-head mind games, it delivers a lot. It’s compact, portable, and surprisingly tense. Just be prepared to lose a few matches before things start to click.
And if you do lose? Just claim it was part of a long con. You were gathering intel. Preparing for the real operation. It works about half the time.
📝 We received a review copy from IncrediQuest Games.
