Shadow Network

I went into Shadow Network expecting intrigue, covert moves, and at least a hint of spy-thriller tension. Instead, I found a fairly dry game that seems to have pasted its espionage theme onto a much more conventional core. The coat is a trench coat; underneath is an accountant with little cards.

At its core, the game is set collection: you gather the right elements and combine them to make progress. There is also a small dose of engine building, enough to give some sense of development, but not enough to transform the experience or give it a distinct identity.

The interaction, at least in the basic version I played, does not create the atmosphere promised by the theme. I did not feel as though I was playing an espionage game, with bluffing, misdirection, or decisions that resembled covert operations; instead, you mostly manage your own set of options and your small engine. From the rulebook, the advanced modules appear to add more flavour and interaction, but my KS copy did not include them, so I cannot judge them in practice.

The gameplay is not bad; it simply has nothing that made me want to remember it or recommend it enthusiastically. Perhaps the advanced modules improve it substantially, but with what was in my box, Shadow Network had almost none of what I would expect from a spy game. Not impressed.