Red Notice: A Million or Prison
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🐸 A wise frog knows when to split the order… and when to wait for the right leap.
- Arrives
- January 13, 2027
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The FroGames card
Draw four cards. Place the face-down tokens. Resolve in order. You realize you anticipated the wrong move when it's too late to change it.
WHAT IT IS
A global anticipation duel: counterfeiter vs. FBI agent
Gautier de Cottreau and Baptiste Laurent sign a pure 1v1 asymmetric thriller. Angela Farbank travels the world cashing counterfeit checks to reach one million dollars; Jessah Hope, an FBI agent, has unlimited resources and a single goal: arrest her before she succeeds. Set in a world of international counterfeiting, illustrated by Amélie Guinet, published by Catch Up Games in 2026.
Every turn both players see the same four available action cards. Secretly place your tokens on those cards to program when and how to act. Then all tokens are revealed at the same time and actions are resolved in numerical order: travel to nearby cities, cash checks (if you're on the right continent), place or remove radars and roadblocks. The winner is the one who completes their objective — one million for the counterfeiter, an arrest for the FBI — or anticipates the other's decisive move.
What they say abroad
This game will be updated as soon as we have verifiable reviews. For now: it's a pure, asymmetric action queue, with hidden movement and declared bluffing. It looks promising on paper.
— FroGames
"A thrilling chase across the globe where bluffing and anticipation are key."
A breathtaking chase around the world where bluffing and anticipation are everything.
— Catch Up Games
Red Notice: A Million or Prison
FrogScore · FroGames editorial review · based on rules, international reviews and play sessionsWhat's in the game
Components and tools of the duel
Personal world map
Angela secretly records her movements on a private map. Jessah deduces where she is by cross-referencing clues, cashed checks and possible movements. The map is the invisible theater of the game.
Action cards
Every round 4 cards are drawn that determine the available actions for both: travel, cash, draw new checks, place/remove radars and roadblocks. You don't choose what you can do, you choose when to do it.
Programming tokens
You place them face-down on the action cards, then they are all revealed together. The number on the token decides the resolution order: whoever bet on "travel" with token 1 moves first, before the other can react.
False identities and FBI resources
Angela has backup identities to escape arrest if she gets caught. Jessah unlocks new abilities as Angela cashes: the more counterfeit checks circulate, the more budget the FBI receives to counter her.
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each round
Four action cards dictate what you can do. Program them in secret, then resolve them in numerical order.
Reveal 4 cards from the deck: they determine the actions available to BOTH players this round (e.g., Travel, Collect, Draw Check, Radar). No one chooses the cards; they are random.
Both players simultaneously place their numbered tokens (1-4) face down on the action cards. Each token is a commit: that card will activate for you in that order. You cannot change them afterward.
Flip all tokens. Actions resolve in ascending order (all "1" tokens, then all "2"s, etc.). If both players targeted the same action, the FBI has priority. Angela records the movements on her secret map; Jessah deduces.
Angela wins immediately if she totals $1 million. Jessah wins immediately if she is in the same city as Angela at the end of an action (arrest). If no one has won, start a new round with 4 new action cards.
⏱️Your first gameThe play-by-play, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Setup and initial hidden moves
Angela draws the initial checks and chooses her secret starting city. Jessah only knows the continent. Both players look at the first 4 action cards and place their tokens face down. There is already total tension: you are trying to guess what the other player will do before you have even played.
First resolution and first clues
The tokens are revealed. Angela travels and collects the first check. Jessah sees where it was collected and begins to narrow down the possibilities on the map. The counterfeiter now knows that the agent knows something. The hunt has begun.
Mid-game: bluff and counter-bluff
Angela has collected 3-4 checks; Jessah has placed radar in two key zones. Now every move is a double game: Angela pretends to move toward a continent, but does she really want to stay? Jessah blocks a route, or is she bluffing to make her change direction? No one is sure of anything.
The decisive move
Angela is at $800k; two checks remain. Jessah has deduced the likely area and places a roadblock right there. Angela had already programmed to travel to that city: she either uses a false identity to escape or changes plans at the last minute. But the last one has already passed: the tokens are face down and irreversible.
Final revelation
The tokens are revealed. Either Angela collects the millionth dollar and wins, or Jessah catches her in the same city and arrests her. There are no draws, no extra rounds. One of them guessed correctly. The other realizes exactly where they went wrong in reading their opponent.
🐸Good to knowThree honest things, from friends▼
Good to know
Three things you need to know
Total blind commit
Once the tokens are placed face down, you can no longer change them. If you programmed "Travel north" with token 1 and then realize the FBI is waiting for you right there, it is too late. The action queue is irreversible: the entire game is in the programming phase, not the resolution.
Radical asymmetry
It is not a 50/50 balanced game. Angela has perfect information about her own movements, but only wins by completing a long-term plan. Jessah has infinite resources but must deduce where her opponent is. One searches, the other flees: completely different roles, not mirror images.
The action card draw matters
Each round, the 4 available cards are random. If "Collect" appears twice, Angela can make a run for it. If it does not appear for three rounds, Jessah gains time. Tactical variability is extremely high, but in some games the cards favor one role over the other. It is not a flaw: it is the price of asymmetry.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How you win and how you lose
There are no points. Only instant victory or immediate defeat.
Victory
- Angela wins if she totals exactly $1,000,000 by collecting checks (no need to return to the starting city)
- Jessah wins if she is in the same city as Angela at the end of any action (immediate arrest)
- If Angela runs out of false identities and is arrested again, Jessah wins even if the million has not been reached
Defeat
- Angela loses if she is arrested and has no more false identities to escape
- Jessah loses if Angela collects the millionth dollar before being caught
- There are no draws: the game ends as soon as one of the two victory conditions is met
It is a pure psychological duel of 40 minutes where the one who reads the other better wins. There is no other table, no economy, no points: only you, the opponent, and the move you programmed three minutes ago.
💬Frequently asked questionsQuick answers before the cart▼
Frequently asked questions
FAQ on Red Notice: A Million or Prison
What mechanics does Red Notice use?
Action queue (program the actions face down then resolve them in order), hidden movement (Angela moves on a secret map), deduction (Jessah must figure out where she is), total asymmetry and sudden death ending. Bluff and anticipation are the heart of the game.
How long does a game really last?
The box says 20-40 minutes, and it is true. The first games take around 30-35 minutes because you stop to think about the commits. From the third one on, you can play in 25 minutes flat. It is a perfect strategic filler.
Is it balanced or does one role win more?
We do not yet have sufficient data (the game is coming out in 2026), but mechanically: Angela has perfect information about her movements, Jessah has unlimited resources. The balance depends on the action card draw each round. It is not a mirror game: asymmetry is the point, not a flaw.
Is it okay for those who do not like bluffing?
No. The entire game is bluff, deduction, and psychological reading. It is not an abstract where only optimization matters: if one of the players cannot handle the pressure of the blind commit or hates having to get into the other person's head, this game becomes a torture. For some it is beautiful, for others it is not.
Is it available in Italian?
This edition is in English. The game has text on the cards (action and city names), but once you learn the 4-5 basic actions, the required language level is minimal. There are no (yet) official Italian editions or translations.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they have done.
Red Notice: A Million or Prison is an asymmetric deduction and bluff game for 2 players, 20-40 minutes duration, recommended age 10+ years. Designed by Gautier de Cottreau and Baptiste Laurent, published by Catch Up Games. It uses an action queue and hidden movement system: one player is an international counterfeiter who must collect a million in counterfeit checks by traveling the world, the other is an FBI agent who must deduce their position and arrest them. Every turn both players program the moves in secret by placing face down tokens on random action cards, then resolve them in numerical order. Irreversible commits, pure deduction, sudden death ending. Available on FroGames.it with fast shipping.
Red Notice: A Million or Prison
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
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