Spy Party early access plans announced

A new post on the Spy Party blog , spotted by VG247 , outlines a two-tier pricing plan for indie spy vs.

, outlines a two-tier pricing plan for indie spy vs. sniper game, Spy Party. You can pay $15 for the beta version and get early access to both the game and private beta forums that will help players organise games together. The beta version will be regularly updated, and will be upgraded to a full release when Spy Party eventually comes out.

If you really love Spy Party, and want to support its development using the power of money, you can opt to pay what you want above $50. The $50+ version will be no different to the standard $15 version, but those who pay extra will feature in the credits when the full game comes out. Also, you'll get the warm, fuzzy rush of generosity. You can sign up for both tiers of the beta on the Spy Party site. Don't know what Spy Party is? Let me explain.

In Spy Party, one player is a spy at a party. It's his job to mingle with the NPC revellers. He must covertly complete a series of objectives within a time limit. These might include a task to steal microfilm from one bookcase and deposit it on another, or a challenge to re-order some statues, or make contact with a secret operative.

The tasks are simple, but the party is being watched by player two, who must carefully examine all of the guests through a sniper scope from a position outside of the building. The spy gets to choose which character he plays at the start of the round, which means the sniper has no idea which partygoer he needs to shoot. He much watch the behaviour of everyone at the party carefully, figure out which one is human, and shoot him in the head before time runs out.

As the sniper, it's impossible to watch everyone at once, and you lose the game instantly if you shoot the wrong person. As the spy, the tell tale red flash of a laser sight lets you know where the sniper is looking. The resulting cat and mouse stand-off is sickeningly tense. It's quite brilliant, which is why we included it in our feature on the biggest upcoming indie games.