Deceive Inc. Beginner’s Guide: Tips & Tricks for Spies in Training

by Mike Alexander / Game Guides, Tips & Tricks / 27 Sep 2023

I know there are an awful lot of them but I can safely say that I have seen every single James Bond movie… Yes, even the ones dating back to the 60s, my dad is a huge fan. There have been a few games in my lifetime that try to emulate that style and feeling of groovy 60s spy films, but none of them have gotten as close as Deceive Inc.

Sweet Bandit Studios and Tripwire Presents’ multiplayer, first-person spy game is fun, colorful, and full of exciting gameplay that will put your skills to the test every single match. There’s no doubt this indie game is impressive, but it’s also quite difficult.

That’s why I’m here with this Deceive Inc. Beginner’s Guide that will hopefully allow you to survive longer than ten seconds in a match, because that’s all I could muster at the beginning. Completing objectives and avoiding detection takes a mix of calmness, skill, and sneakiness that has to be learned. So let’s stop wasting time and get into the tips & tricks!

Find a Spy You Like

Deceive Inc. is an online multiplayer game in 2023, so that means that you’re dealing with individual operators with their own equipment and abilities like Rainbow Six Siege rather than the nameless, faceless husks you might have encountered in the early 2010s. Right off the bat, you’ll probably be at a disadvantage, as people who have been playing the game longer will have access to better spies with better equipment.

But you can’t do anything about that until later. When you first start, you’ll have access to three spies: two vanguard classes and one tracker class. The two vanguards play mostly the same but have different weapons and gadgets, and the tracker is basically a sniper class. If you wanted to post up somewhere high and take out spies who think they’re in the clear because they aren’t being watched, then the tracker is a viable option.

But most will go with one of the two vanguard classes. Either way, I’d recommend you try them all out to see who works best until you unlock more spies to work with. Once you do, you can start preparing for the next tip.

Keep Them Guessing

In order to survive in a match of Deceive Inc., you need to fool the other spies into thinking you’re just an NPC. If that means going extra slow, sitting in a chair for a while, and avoiding objectives that seem busy, then that’s just what you have to do. I made the mistake of trying to go quickly in my first few matches, which led to me being made and taken out. Every. Single. Time.

When you stop to observe the other characters in a map, you realize how easy it is to spot another human character. Are they sprinting? Are they going from intel point to intel point without stopping? Do they seem to be moving in an otherwise frantic manner? It’s probably an opponent. Stopping to notice these things also makes it easier for you to know what to avoid, so make sure you spend the time to observe in every match.

Use Your Gadgets

At the beginning of each match, you can outfit your spy with any number of gadgets, and you unlock more as you raise your level. Make sure to check what you have for each match because sometimes your survival will come down to what you brought in with you.

Whether it’s a decoy, a turret, or a remote hacking device, don’t forget what you have on you. Having your cover blown and dropping a turret as you run away will usually give you enough time for your cover to regenerate and blend in, and you can usually take down your pursuer as they frantically search for you as well. Just remember to keep your cool.

Switching Cover

Speaking of the cover mechanic, remember to assume new identities as required. You might need to look like a guard to access a security area, or a server to get into a staff area, but you might also just need to look like someone else to shake an opponent who is tailing you.

When you do this, try to make sure you’re changing covers with as few other people around as possible. I’ve had several experiences where I changed covers in a hurry in a crowded area, which allowed an enemy spy to spot me and kill me immediately. If you have to, tail your target cover until they are alone, then quickly change cover and get out of there. Your ability to do that will probably determine whether you win or lose a match in many cases.

Mike Alexander

Mike has been playing video games since he was able to hold a controller, having been fascinated by Sonic 2 on his mom’s Sega Genesis. That fascination and passion for the art form has grown exponentially nearly 30 years later, and he doesn’t see that fading away anytime soon.
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