Why Do Spies Wear Ties? Because they are Polished – Just Like Slip Strike Card Game

Updated: Jun 24, 2020

Many games contain time travel elements. How many encourage you to knock your husband to another dimension? Slip Strike is a swift engaging game that you can play just about anywhere. It had us laughing and shouting “pew-pew!”

We are continually looking for the right game to take with us when we travel and this game fits the bill.

Overview

In Slip Strike, you are time agents clandestinely seeking out the other spy; in an alternate dimension with a medley of weapons, teleportation, and time- travel. You must discard a card to escape attack by “slipping” away and eventually will run out of options. The end goal is to strike the final blow that casts the other time agent out of the dimension.

Gameplay

Each round, players will secretly decide their next two moves by choosing two cards from their hands and placing them face-down.

Then, players simultaneously reveal their first action: movement cards (move left/right or teleport) are resolved first, and then strike effects (weapons). If both agents play strike actions, they are addressed simultaneously. Then, both players reveal their second action and resolve them.

Cooldown action is the end of the turn. The cards indicate the time out period for the card.

Cooldown 0 – you can return the card to your hand.

Cooldown 1 – the card is set aside face up and returned after the next turn.

Cooldown 2 – the card is set aside face for a turn, then face up for a turn and then back to your hand.

If you want to add more chaos to the game, there are Asset cards. They are upgrades for existing weapons, shields, and substantial new weapons.

Asset Cards

We initially added one Asset card, and the chaos was delightful. Then added two, and that brought it to the edge of anarchy and then added all the Asset cards (not suggested, but we are impulsive) to find the game doubled in time. This was erratic and took away the whimsy.

Lesson learned.

Bits and Bobs

The artwork feels retro and reminiscent of the intro of the old spy movies that start with drawings of spy tools and covert places.

5 Punch board Location tiles
20 Basic cards
2 Agent meeples (with ties)
8 Asset cards

Our Thoughts

The artwork got our attention, and then we read the theme was time travel, and we were all in. The mechanism to “Slip” away is a well thought out addition, and the diminishing factor brings the cool tension. I am an organizer at heart and relished the Cooldown action. The hubby and I played 10 games the night we got the preview game. There were giggles and mild curse words.

The rulebook suggests getting a second deck for a four-player game and will absolutely do that.

We are looking forward to a lively four-player game.

We found Slip Strike to be a game of chance with a big dose of strategy.