Below is a list of terms and slang used in SpyParty:
Action Test: (also: AT) A game mechanic where a spy's skill can improve or worsen their performance at a mission.
Ambassador (also: Amba): A cast member, identified by a purple arrow over their head, who is the subject of the Bug Ambassador and Fingerprint Ambassador missions.
AI: (short for Artificial Intelligence) A character at the party controlled by the computer.
Animation Cycle: Characters performing an action of indeterminate duration (such as examining a statue) will go through an animation sequence and return to a neutral pose every few seconds. The time from one neutral pose to the next is a single animation cycle. NPCs don't (usually) interrupt an animation cycle.
AT: See "Action Test".
Bait: The sniper misleading the spy. For example, the sniper may point their laser away from their top suspect to make them think they're not being watched, in the hopes of catching them doing a tell.
Banana Bread: (also: BB) The code word used in the Contact Double Agent mission. Some players refer to the mission itself as "Banana Bread" or "BB."
Banana Split: To contact the double agent and immediately leave the conversation circle in hopes of being lowlit. Also called "Banana Bread and Bail."
BB: See "Banana Bread".
Behaviorism: A sniper strategy that relies less on hard tells and more on the general behavior of the characters. Compare: Camping.
Bug Ambassador: (also: Bug) A mission in which the spy must plant a listening device on the Ambassador.
Camping: Deliberately focusing on a limited number of things and ignoring others. Compare: Behaviorism, Tunneling.
Cast: Characters who have been selected for a particular role in the party. The cast members include the Ambassador, the Double Agent (and suspected double agent), and the Seduction Target. Cast members are never the spy.
CC: See "Conversation Circle."
Characters: The people at the party. One of them is the spy; the rest are NPCs.
Civilian: A partygoer that is not the spy.
Clank: To leave a statue pad without setting down the statue first, making a conspicuous "clank" sound.
Contact Double Agent: (also: Contact) A mission in which the spy must join a Conversation Circle containing the Double Agent and speak the code word "banana bread."
Conversation Circle: (also: CC) A special kind of pad where characters congregate and talk.
Cough: The penalty applied to a spy who gets a red action test or moves during the Contact Double Agent mission. Doing this will cause the spy to cough noticeably.
Cover: (also: Occlusion) When the sniper's view of an action is obstructed. Using cover is an important spy tactic.
Cycle: See "Animation Cycle."
DA: See "Double Agent."
Damon: The security agent at the party. Can never be the spy.
Dancing: (also: Dodging) To move erratically as the spy when you believe that the sniper is attempting to shoot you, in the hopes of causing the sniper to accidentally shoot a civilian, or delay them long enough for the mission completion timer to expire.
Dossier: A haven of information essential for newcomers. The Dossier contains info of characters, venues, missions, and more.
Double Agent: (also: DA) A cast member, identified by a yellow arrow over their head, who is the subject of the Contact Double Agent mission.
Double Modern: A former SpyParty map which was a variant of Modern. In terms of gameplay, it was equivalent to Terrace.
Fidgeting: See "Twitching."
Fingerprint Ambassador: (also: Fingerprint) A mission in which the spy must lift the Ambassador's fingerprints from objects he or she has touched.
Flag: A persistent indicator to the sniper that a mission has occurred.
Framing: To make a civilian look suspicious to the sniper.
Highlight: (also: HL) To mark a character as suspicious. See also: Lowlight, Neutral Light.
Inspect Statues: (also: Inspect) A mission in which the spy must examine a certain number of statues.
Laser: The visible beam of light that shows the spy the general direction of the sniper's gaze.
Laser burn: When the sniper focuses their laser on a particular character for an extended period of time, in an attempt to pressure the spy into making a mistake.
Lowlight: (also: LL) To mark a character as not suspicious. See also: Highlight, Neutral Light.
Map: A party venue where the characters interact with one another. Each map has its own unique configuration that affects gameplay.
Microfilm: (also: MF) An object which is transferred by the spy from one bookcase to another as part of the Transfer Microfilm mission. The microfilm is too small to be seen. Also used to refer to the mission itself.
Misdirection: A spy tactic in which they coerce the sniper to look somewhere else while they perform a spy action.
Missions: Tasks the spy can perform at the party. The spy can win by accomplishing missions before the game clock runs out.
Mission Type: One of the three rules that can be used to determine whether a spy has won:
- Known x (or Kx): For example, "K4" means "The spy must complete four missions, all of which are known to the sniper."
- Pick x of y (or Px/y): For example, "P3/5" means "The spy will activate five missions, three of which (chosen before the game starts) must be completed to win. The sniper knows which five missions are active and that the spy must complete three of them, but not which three."
- Any x of y (or Ax/y): For example, "A3/5" means "The spy will activate five missions, three of which must be completed to win, but can choose which missions to perform during the game. The sniper knows which five missions are active and that the spy must complete any three of them."
Modern: A former SpyParty map. In terms of gameplay, it was equivalent to Balcony. Moderne is visually descended from Modern.
Natural Highlight: A trait of a character that causes them to stand out.
Neutral Light: (also: NL) To remove a highlight or lowlight from someone. See also: Highlight, Lowlight.
New Art: Refers to maps or characters that have had the final artwork created for them, replacing placeholder art. The distinction is made because the old art is still in the game because old-school players are nostalgic for them.
Normal Action: An action by a character that is not unique to the spy. Spies can perform normal actions with the left mouse button or the A button on a controller.
NPC: Short for "Non-Player Characters," a character at the part that isn't controlled by the spy.
Occlusion: See "Cover".
Old Art: Refers to maps or characters using placeholder artwork until the final artwork could be created. Old art is still in the game because old-school players are nostalgic for them.
OP: Short for "overpowered." Something in the game that the speaker feels is too advantageous. (Usually, they're talking about Mr. D's cane-side bug.)
Overtime: (also: OT) When gameplay continues after the spy's clock has reached zero, because the spy completed their last mission with less than 10 seconds left on the clock, or their last mission completion is pending.
Pad: The marked areas on the floor visible to the spy where certain actions become available.
Panopticon: (also: Panop) A map which was the predecessor to Library. It is still available in the "Old Art" maps.
Pathing: The path a character takes as they walk in the party. "Good pathing" or "bad pathing" generally refers to how closely a spy mimics the pathing of an NPC.
Purloin Guest List: (also: Purloin) A mission in which the spy must steal the guest list from Toby.
Replay: A SpyParty feature in which you can review a game played previously, easily seeking to any time during the game and viewing it from any angle.
Rudeness Zone: An area near a character that NPCs will try to avoid entering.
Rushing: Attempting to complete missions very quickly, often at the start of the game while the sniper is still orienting themselves.
SDA: See "Suspected Double Agent".
Seduce Target: A mission in which the spy must repeatedly stand close to the Seduction Target and flirt with them.
Seduction Target: (also: ST) A cast member, identified by a red arrow over their head, that is the subject of the Seduce Target mission. The seduction target is not visible to the sniper.
Sniper: One of the two players. The sniper attempts to detect the spy at the party and shoot them. The sniper can also win if the game clock runs out without the spy having completed their missions.
Spectation: A feature that allows you to observe a game while it is being played by others.
Spy: One of the two players. The spy attempts to accomplish Missions without getting shot by the sniper or the game clock running out.
Spy Action: An action that only the spy can perform. Spy actions are assigned to the right mouse button or the B button on a controller. See also: Normal Action
Suspected Double Agent: (also: SDA) A character visible to the sniper who may be the double agent. Only visible to the sniper and can never be the spy.
Swap Statue: (also: statue swap or swap) A mission in which the spy must exchange a statue for one of a different model.
Tell: Actions or behaviors that help differentiate a spy from the other characters. The sniper is looking for tells to identify the spy, while the spy is trying to minimize and hide their tells.
Time of Chaos: (also: ToC) The time at the beginning of the game when all the characters are in motion heading toward their initial positions. A spy may wish to capitalize on the confusion of the Time of Chaos to get off a hard tell.
Toby: The waiter or bartender. He can never be the spy and is involved in the Purloin Guest List and Fingerprint Ambassador missions.
Transfer Microfilm: (also: Microfilm or Transfer) A mission in which the spy must remove a microfilm from one bookcase and insert it in another.
Tunneling: From "tunnel vision," when the sniper inadvertently becomes too focused on a particular character or mission to pay adequate attention to others. Compare: Camping.
Twitching: When the spy makes a small adjustment in their position, usually because they missed a pad or are too far away from the Ambassador or Seduction Target. Generally a bad thing to do, although pro spies may twitch when they judge that the sniper isn't looking.
Yomi: The concept of every action having a counter action, a central concept in SpyParty.
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