Inkognito (1976)

Inkognito is a simple yet elegant abstract game from Germany. The board contains a 5 x 5 squared grid, with the squares in two of the opposite corners being of a different colour to the rest, and designated as Castles. Each player has a set of five plastic pieces. These are cup-shaped and placed ‘upside down’ on the board. Inside one cup of each set is a marker which identifies the piece as a Spy.

The objectives of the game are to manoeuvre one's Spy into the enemy Castle and to discover the whereabouts of the opposing Spy. The achievement of either of these will cause that player to win the game.

At the start, the players set out their pieces on the five squares immediately in front of their own Castle, remembering which piece is the Spy. During his turn a player may move any one of his pieces in any direction as many squares as he wishes. A piece is not allowed to jump over nor occupy the same square as another piece. Instead of moving, a player may choose to interrogate an enemy piece. This is done by moving one of his pieces to rest orthogonally adjacent to the piece to be questioned, and on the next turn asking if it is the Spy. The other player must identify the piece so questioned. If it is the Spy, then the questioner has won the game; however if it is not, then the asking player loses his piece, and if the asking piece was the Spy, then he also loses the game. The rules do not state that it is illegal to occupy one’s own Castle, but one must assume that it is, in order to avoid stalemate. Also the rules do not make it clear as to what happens when a player has all his pieces blocked and cannot move on his turn.

Bluffing is an important part of the game. It is not mandatory to interrogate a piece, even having moved into position to do so, neither is it obligatory to remain in position to be questioned. One can thus chase an opposing piece around the board only to discover eventually that it was a decoy, and in the meantime the enemy Spy is well positioned to enter one’s own stronghold.

As it is only permissible to enter a Castle orthogonally, it is possible to set up an impregnable defence, by placing a piece on the squares either side of it. This ploy however, will limit the number of pieces that one can move, and unless one employs the Spy as a defender, increases the chances of one’s Spy being exposed.