The Game of the Month series highlights one of the many games in our libraries at Ravenwood Castle and The Malted Meeple. We will briefly describe the game, how to play it, and why we like it. This month’s Game of the Month is written by The Malted Meeple’s Head Game Master – and former Ravenwood Innkeeper – Karington Hess.

Game: Specter Ops

Publisher: Plaid Hat Games

The Gun, as she was called, let out a disappointed sigh as she shouldered her heavy rifle. “Nothing down this corridor. Any trace of her?” The Gun glanced back to see the hunter known as The Beast towering over her.

“Quiet!” He barked as he sniffed the air, “I can smell her… She is close…” His werewolf-like appearance cast a menacing shadow on the floor before him. A sudden flash of light temporarily blinded both hunters. The Gun drew her side-arm but it was too late. The agent had vanished. A third hunter with glowing eyes, dressed in robes approached The Gun and The Beast. “Get up! She is about to access the mainframe!”

“How would you know?” Snarled the Beast.

“It has been foreseen,” whispered the Prophet.

In Specter Ops: Shadow of Babel, 1-5 players engage in a shadowy conflict of stealth and guile.  One player takes on the role of a stealthy agent who has infiltrated a top secret Raxxon facility. There are four unique agents that a player can be, each with their own special powers and equipment.  The other side is composed of 2-4 super-human hunters trying to discover and eliminate the agent before she can escape.

The agent player moves around the board, trying to complete 3 secret objectives before making her escape. By marking her movements on a special pad, the player’s moves are kept a secret. In order to evade the hunters, the agent player will need to make use of her equipment cards and plan her movements carefully. Each hunter has their own unique way of tracking and eliminating the agent. The Beast can smell the agent if she is close. The Gun can set up for a sniper shot that automatically wounds the agent. The Prophet can discern the location of the agent two turns prior. The hunters can also move quickly around the board using their vehicle. If the hunters ever get the agent in their sights, they roll a die in an attempt to wound the agent. If the agent takes four or more wounds, she’s toast!

As the game progresses, the hunters attempt to cut off the agent from objectives and limit her movement. The agent is trying desperately to slip away as the hunters draw their net ever closer. As you play Specter Ops: Shadow of Babel, the tension is high for every player. The hunters may think they have the agent dead to rights just to have her make an impossible escape!

Published by Plaid Hat Games, Specter Ops: Shadow of Babel is sure to keep both hunter and hunted in suspense!

Jim Reed

Jim Reed is a lifelong gamer who started with the original red box Dungeons & Dragons. After spending 20 years in the corporate world, he decided it was high time that work be fun and struck out on his own. Jim now owns and operates Ravenwood Castle, and spends his days ensuring his guests have as much fun as he does.