Androids, replicants, cyberpunks. In the distant future, the world consists of dark alleys dimly, but colorfully lit by neon lights from shops, billboards, and facades. A city that never sleeps. A grim futuristic vision of our possible future. The world of Blade Runner, Cyberpunk, Deus Ex, and System Shock, but also of Classified Information. In this fast-paced micro deduction game for two players, the players try to crack each other’s code.
From the publisher, I was allowed to test the extended version of Classified Information. A box full of modular fun. Multiple sets of cards, luxurious components, and parts to play as you wish, but essentially, this is a micro game, and players only need 18 cards and a notepad to play. If you want to play a game on the go without taking the whole box, you can put together a set and add the components to a cardboard magnetic folder or the included pouch.
Now more about the game itself. In this fast deduction game, players try to crack each other’s code or at least make a correct match at the end of the game. If you know you have a match without this part of the code being protected by a Guard of another player, you win this dark duel.
Each player gets a random card. This card is now your secret code. The game contains multiple cards with multiple purposes. Each card has a central number, a faction, an action possibility, and the code. The code card remains hidden during the game, but the other cards from the deck are used during the game to play.
Classified Information is a kind of Love Letter meets Mastermind. A game with a small footprint that plays quickly. All cards have special actions, making the game dynamic and reactive. Players can use their cards for the action, thereby discarding cards, but they can influence the course of the game and the position of themselves and the opponent or gain information about the hidden card or the played Guards. Players can also play cards as Guards to protect their code, but these Guards may also reveal essential information.
What is worth mentioning is the modularity of the game. You can mix and match different cards, and by using one of the cardboard envelopes or the pouch, you can easily take the game with you on the go. Because the game is very fast, you can also easily play multiple rounds in a row.
