Queen of Spies
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You start the chapter with three trusted operatives and twenty minutes before the Gestapo arrives. You decide who to send on a mission, who to leave in a cell to resist interrogation, and who to sacrifice. At the end of the chapter, if the network is still standing, you reread the names of those who survived and feel that they were real people.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
A clandestine spy network in occupied Belgium during the First World War
Queen of Spies is a narrative solitaire game set in occupied Belgium during the Great War. Designed by Liz Davidson (Leder Games' Solo Games Specialist, author of the Beyond Solitaire channel) and David Thompson (Undaunted, Valiant Defense), published by Salt & Pepper Games. The game is inspired by Belgian resistance networks like La Dame Blanche and historical figures like Louise de Bettignies, who operated under the pseudonym Alice Dubois.
You play as Alice, a former journalist turned spymaster, who manages a secret network from the town of Saint-François de Sales. You recruit operatives, train them (even pigeons become messengers), and send them on missions through country cottages, church cellars, and workshops. Each chapter lasts 20 minutes, and three chapters form a complete hour-long story. The core mechanic is the Success Bag: you draw tokens that determine success, failure, lost time, and the attention of the authorities. Those arrested end up in a cell and must be rescued before they break under interrogation and betray the network.
What they say abroad
"handsome, if uneven, solitaire perspective on resistance and spycraft"
an elegant, if uneven, solo perspective on resistance and espionage
— Space-Biff!
This is a first read, based on the rulebook and previews. The game will be released in Q3 2026 and the page will be updated after the first games in the editorial office. At the moment, it promises an interesting narrative bag-building system, reliable designers, and an underexplored setting (occupied Belgium in the Great War deserves attention). The stated tension between time management and risk management seems credible.
— FroGames
Queen of Spies
Designed exclusively for solitaire play. No multiplayer version exists. Each story is a chapter-based campaign where you manage the network, draw from the Success Bag, and face interrogations and arrests. The experience is that of a narrative puzzle under time pressure.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · first reading: based on rulebook and official presentation, will be updated with first playsThe network's tools
Key components and mechanics
Success Bag
The heart of the game: a bag with success, failure, extra time, enemy attention tokens. You draw to resolve actions. The composition worsens if the network loses control.
Operatives
Character cards with specialized abilities (infiltration, manipulation, technical). You recruit them, train them, send them on missions. If arrested, they go to a cell and can betray under torture.
City Locations
Cards representing cottages, church cellars, pubs, stations. Each location offers different actions: training, recruitment, prisoner management, specific missions.
Pigeon markers
Yes, you train pigeons. They serve as messengers to communicate critical information. One of the main scenarios revolves around their training and use.
Recommended sleeves 58 cards in 2 sizes ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting your cards with clear sleeves to make them last longer.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 64 × 89 mm | 31 |
| 80 × 120 mm | 27 |
| Total cards | 58 |
🎲How to PlayThe rules in four steps▼
How to Play
The flow of each round
Each round lasts about 3-4 minutes. Real game time counts: a chapter is played in 20 minutes, a complete story in an hour.
Choose which operatives to send on missions, which to let rest, which to use for managing emergencies (prisoners, safe houses, training). Each operative has specific skills.
For each key action (mission, infiltration, recruitment), you draw one or more tokens from the Success Bag. Results include: clean success, success with cost (time/attention), failure, arrest.
Arrested operatives go to jail. At the end of the round, they are interrogated: if morale is too low, they betray. Alert tokens in the Bag represent increasing enemy attention.
Each round consumes time. You must balance progress towards the chapter objective (e.g., complete three tasks) with network management (freeing prisoners, reducing Alerts). Chapter end: scoring.
⏱️Your First GameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The network at the beginning of the chapter
Read the mission briefing. Arrange the city location cards, shuffle the Success Bag with initial tokens. You have three trusted operatives and a clear objective: photograph documents, train pigeons, infiltrate a warehouse. The timer starts: twenty minutes of real game time to complete the chapter.
First actions, first complications
You send an operative on a mission: choose the location, spend the action, draw from the Success Bag. Partial success: the mission progresses but you attract attention. An Alert token enters the bag. You already understand that every future draw will be riskier.
The first arrest
An operative is captured. The card goes to prison, a new tension appears on the table: at the end of the round, they are interrogated. If they break, they will betray other members. You must decide: do you send someone to bribe the guards? Do you organize an escape? Or do you sacrifice the operative and accelerate the mission?
The last available turn
You have completed two out of three objectives. Time is running out. The Success Bag is full of Alert and Troop tokens. You draw: critical failure. The operative on mission is arrested, but the mission is complete. You have one turn left to free at least one of the prisoners before the final interrogation.
Chapter end and scoring
Final interrogation: an operative breaks, betrays two names. The network loses members but the mission is successful. You calculate the score based on completed objectives, surviving operatives, and the final composition of the Success Bag. Marginal victory. You prepare the next chapter with a weaker network.
🐸Before You KnowThree honest things, from friends▼
Before You Know
Three things you need to consider
It just came out, limited data
With only 28 votes on BGG and expected release Q3 2026, it's impossible to know if the three stories will hold up for ten plays or if they become repetitive. Previews are positive but long-term replayability is yet to be verified.
Real-time timer and pressure
Each chapter lasts 20 minutes of real clock time. It's not a bluff: the game is designed to make you feel the pressure of time. If you suffer from analysis paralysis, this system will force you to decide quickly.
The Success Bag can be frustrating
The bag-building system means that luck exists. You can manage the composition but an unlucky draw can send your best operative to jail at the worst possible moment. It's not a deterministic puzzle: accept that sometimes Alice loses.
🏆Victory and DefeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
Each chapter has victory conditions (point scoring) and immediate defeat conditions. A complete story (three chapters) has a final cumulative score.
Victory
- Complete the chapter objectives (e.g., three mission tasks) within the time limit
- Keep Alice out of prison at the end of the chapter
- Accumulate points based on: completed objectives, surviving operatives, clean final Success Bag composition
Immediate defeat
- Alice ends the chapter in prison (immediate defeat)
- Alice dies during interrogation in a cell (immediate defeat)
- The Success Bag becomes too chaotic: too many Alert or Troop tokens make it impossible to complete objectives
Queen of Spies promises to tell the story of espionage as daily work under pressure, not as an action movie. If it works, it will be a rare and precious narrative solo game. If it doesn't, we will at least have learned who La Dame Blanche was.
💬Frequently Asked QuestionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about Queen of Spies
Is it a rigorous historical game or does it just use the setting?
It is inspired by real events and figures (La Dame Blanche, Louise de Bettignies) but the designers have created a fictional city and original stories. The goal is to convey the stress and danger of espionage work, not to reconstruct specific events in a documentary way.
How difficult is it? Do I need experience with solo wargames?
BGG weight 2/5 (medium-light). The rules can be learned in 15-20 minutes. The difficulty comes from risk and time management, not complex rules. No experience with hex-and-counter is needed; it's closer to a narrative with hand management than a tactical wargame.
Are the three stories linked or can I play them randomly?
The three stories are independent; you can tackle them in any order. Each has three chapters (20 minutes each). There is also a short introductory/tutorial scenario. It's not a legacy game: no permanent changes, you can replay one whenever you want.
Is the Success Bag too random? Can I control the risk?
The Success Bag is the mechanical heart: you draw tokens to resolve actions. You can influence the composition (by reducing Alerts, managing Troop tokens, using operative abilities) but you don't eliminate luck. If you're looking for a deterministic puzzle without dice/draws, this isn't the right game.
Is it available in Italian?
No. The edition for sale is in English (texts on cards, rulebook, narrative scenarios). The game is language-dependent: you need to read briefings, location cards, operative cards. There are currently no announced Italian editions.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they did.
Queen of Spies is a narrative solo board game designed by Liz Davidson and David Thompson, published by Salt & Pepper Games in 2026. Set in occupied Belgium during World War I, the game puts the player in the shoes of Alice, a former journalist and leader of a clandestine spy network. Each game unfolds through chapter-based stories (20-60 minutes), with hand management mechanics and a unique bag-building system called the Success Bag. Suitable for players aged 10 and up, Queen of Spies combines tactical decisions, risk management, and historical narrative in a tense and reflective solo experience. Available on FroGames.it.
Queen of Spies
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
📸Do the images match the actual product?
The photos on the website often come from BoardGameGeek and are intended to give you an idea of the game. They may vary slightly from the version you receive. The content declared by the publisher is always binding.
📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
We always strive to provide the correct content, but minor variations are possible due to reprints or updates. The information comes directly from the publishers. If you have any questions, please contact us!
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