Deceive Inc. is a New Multiplayer Action Game With a Dash of Subterfuge

Deceive Inc. is a multiplayer stealth first-person shooter developed by Sweet Bandits Studios and released on March 21, 2023, for PC, Xbox One, and PS5. Following an international ban on national spy agencies, a private corporation named Deceive Inc. soon claimed a monopoly over espionage.

As company employees, players work in teams of three or alone to break into a secure vault, steal the objective, and reach an extraction point. Sounds easy. Well, you’ll also be competing against other spies looking to accomplish the same thing, as deploying multiple agents at once is a company practice. The competitive atmosphere is good for business.

Deceive Inc. Characters and Agents

Deceive Inc. launches with a roster of eight different agents. Players will start with three agents and unlock more by purchasing them with credits, which can only be earned in-game. The low price of five hundred credits per agent allows most players to unlock a new agent every couple of games, allowing them to unlock the full roster quickly. While the game does have a premium currency, called agent bonds, that can be bought with real money, it is only used to buy cosmetics such as weapon inks or agent skins, which can also be purchased with credits or earned through normal gameplay.

Each agent boasts a unique ability, weapon, and passive trait and is divided into four archetypes to help better understand their play style. For example, the gentleman thief Larcin is a Scoundrel agent who can pickpocket valuable items when meleeing rival agents and briefly turn invisible to elude pursuers. Meanwhile, Deceive Inc.’s latest recruit, Squire, is a Vanguard agent who highlights useful objects like keycards and Intel for himself and his team. He also gains a quick speed boost whenever he takes combat damage, making him an excellent character for beginners to play as. 

In addition to this vast roster, each agent has a mastery level that increases as players continue to play as their favorite character. As they level up, they unlock character-themed customization options and modified abilities specific to that character.

Holo-Cover and Gadgets

Of course, no self-respecting spy should go out into the field without some fancy gadgets. One of the most essential pieces of equipment for Deceive Inc. agents is their standard-issue watch. It not only allows them to hack into devices to get Intel and unlock doors, but it also has a function integral to the survival of any field operative: Holo-Cover. This allows players to disguise themselves as NPCs and blend in with the crowd as a civilian. Players can also use it to disguise themselves as staff members and guards to access otherwise restricted areas without drawing suspicion. High-profile actions such as melee attacks, firing your weapon, or getting caught in a place where your disguise doesn’t work will break the camouflage and reveal you as a spy to the guards and any nearby rivals. 

This mechanic adds a dose of paranoia to the game as you accomplish your mission. Players will constantly watch for anyone acting suspiciously and ensure they don’t look out of place themselves. People familiar with games like The Ship or Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood’s multiplayer mode will enjoy this cat-and-mouse gameplay.

Aside from your watch and weapon, Deceive Inc. offers a wide range of gadgets for players to unlock and equip for missions. The Spyglass allows agents to hack Intel from a distance remotely, the Tripwire will blow the cover of any rival that crosses it, and the Shield-Brella can provide some much-needed cover in a firefight. And for those who want to test the limits of the phrase “hide in plain sight,” the Holo-Mimic allows players to transform into particular inanimate objects, similar to the popular Prop Hunt game mode from Garry’s Mod. 

Deceive Inc. Gameplay Review

Agents are tasked with stealing an objective from various Bond-esque supervillains across four maps. The gameplay loop is divided into three stages: Insertion, Infiltration, and Extraction. During the Insertion phase, agents must locate and hack three special terminals to unlock the main vault. Players are shown five possible locations for these vault terminals. Guards and two locked doors protect each one. 

Players gather Intel by hacking various electronic devices throughout the map to unlock doors. Intel is used as a resource to unlock doors and safes and use health and ammo stations. Alternatively, players can look for keycards to open the corresponding doors without paying an Intel cost. Once the three vault terminals are hacked, whether by you or your rivals, the vault doors will open, and the Infiltration phase will commence. 

In the Infiltration phase, players infiltrate the vault area through one of several potential entry points and make their way to the package. These areas are off-limits to civilians, so be sure to don an appropriate disguise and act accordingly. Agents will then break into the secure room and retrieve the package, a gold briefcase, or lie in wait for someone else to steal the package and take it from them! Regardless of who steals the case, the Extraction phase will commence once it’s been swiped.

After stealing the package, the carriers must escape to one of three extraction points, knowing they now have a target on their backs. As the carrier makes a break for it, their location will be periodically pinged to all other players based on a timer and their movement speed. The faster they move, the more frequent the pings. However, the package carrier is granted an ability that reveals other players to them at the cost of consuming Intel.

If a player dies during a mission, they are out. They can continue spectating the match or opt to search for a new game. In Team mode, teammates can revive a fallen ally once per mission. But the team will have to go on without them if they go down again. A game ends if someone successfully extracts the package or if one spy (or group of spies) is left standing.

Overall Impressions and What’s Next for Deceive Inc.

The game features crossplay between PS5, PC, and Xbox One, with relatively short queue times for both Solo and Team modes. Since its launch, the game has gained a small but healthy community of players and attention from several influencers and streamers on YouTube and Twitch. The game's unique mix of stealth and gunplay is fun but may prove challenging for some players for their first few missions. And the limits on respawning could be a downside for those looking for a more casual experience. However, people looking for a multiplayer spy game with high-risk, high-reward gameplay will enjoy Deceive Inc. 

Since its release, Sweet Bandits have teased their first catalog update, Misery Empire, to be released later in April. This update will feature a new Heat system that will dissuade players from taking out innocent NPCs by making trigger-happy spies increasingly vulnerable to damage with each NPC eliminated. It will also introduce tweaks to team revive mechanics, rebalancing to vault rooms, changes to character hitboxes, and adding a new agent to Deceive Inc.’s roster.