Review: Agents of S.W.I.N.G.

From the publisher

Agents of S.W.I.N.G. is a FATE-powered Spy-Fi adventure game in which you take on the part of secret agents, working throughout the world in the 1960s and 70s to avert catastrophe, punish evildoers and stop the two superpowers from annihilating each other.

A slimmed down and sped up version of FATE, derived from Cubicle 7′s Starblazer Adventures, SWING simplifies the system and lets you get right into the action.

There are rules for agents, villains, henchmen and goons. There are rules for coming up with nefarious organisations, hints and tips on how to run the game (including a ‘plot stress’ adventure structure) and a ton of starting level PCs so that you can pick up and play right out of the book.

A hit during playtesting at UK conventions, now you can finally get your hands on Agents of SWING and start laying into the enemies of humanity.

Just do it with STYLE.

The Good

I love the crap outta FATE. I really, really do. If the system itself had come out 30 years ago, I think it would be the most popular system today – and I honestly mean that.

FATE does not try to model reality, it tries to model a narrative – and with a game like Agents of S.W.I.N.G., it is an absolute perfect match. And what James did to the system made it even better. He simplified a number of the rules so that there is no Spin any more – instead you generate a SWING Die which can be added to roles at a later point. The Stunts are no longer skill-dependent, which means you can have a lot more freedom with your choice. And finally – if not most impressively – the skills pyramid is gone, so you can spend skill points however you want.

What is this SWING dice thing, you ask? If you beat a target by three or more you generate a SWING dice. When you roll otherwise during the game and get a poor roll, you can choose to use your SWING dice and roll it, replacing one of the other dice.

The Bad

There were some minor editing errors, but far less than you’d expect from a sizable book like this. I wouldn’t even mention it in normal conversation – but since this is a review, it goes in. Any errata is addressed electronically, should you own a print version.

The cooky 60′s and 70′s game universe is also going to cause some people to disregard Agents of S.W.I.N.G. That’s a shame that some people who say “Austin Powers” and pass it by, to their loss.

The Bottom Line

I found Agents of S.W.I.N.G. to be a terrific value for anyone interested in espionage role playing. In addition, it may be one of the the best introduction games I’ve run into so far (with the possible exception of Spirit of the Century, ironically another FATE product). Several factors play into this. The most obvious is that the rules are well written and come with plenty of explanations. I think I also like the FATE system as a method to bring in a new player to gaming. Certainly we know that popular collectible card games have introduced young people to resolving conflict with quantified abilities. Finally, the FATE system seems approachable to a less experienced game master. Imagine some parent with an interest in the spy genre wants to run an RPG for their kids. I think FATE has a lot to offer such an individual. This is not to suggest that Agents of S.W.I.N.G. is only suited for beginners but those folks shopping for a beginner’s game would do well with it.

In conclusion, I was very impressed with Agents of S.W.I.N.G. It’s almost unbelievably comprehensive. The writer raised the bar for clarity and rules explanation. The system seems compatible with most all espionage subgenres. Further, it’s simple enough for beginners and has great role playing potential for more experienced players. I’d highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in espionage-based role playing.

To keep on top of all the latest Agents of S.W.I.N.G. developments follow James’ Postmortem Studios blog.

Product Name: Agents of S.W.I.N.G.
Publisher: Postmortem Studios
Author: James Desborough
Artist(s): Brad McDevitt, Craig Crowe, MJRanum, James ‘Grim’ Desborough
Pages: 344
Theme: Modern Action, Espionage
Price: €14.15 softcover / €7.86 PDF