James Bond 007: You Only Live Twice (Tri-Ang)

Original Release: 1967
Developer: Tri-Ang
Publisher: Tri-Ang
Platform: Board Game
Original Name: James Bond 007: Si Vive Solo Due Volte

James Bond 007: You Only Live Twice (Tri-Ang)

This Italian board game is be a roll and move game (well, spin an move) loosely based on You Only Live Twice, with players moving across numbered squares and lots of routes off to the side. This takes a snake-and-ladders style game and just makes it much, much worse.

For starters, it’s really long: over 360 squares if don’t hit any diversions or get made to move backwards. You spin the spinner in the middle (it’s important to note that this has a 0, so essentially miss a turn) and move that number of spaces.

If you land on an arrow, you need to start moving along the “cul-de-sac”, you have to move all the way along to the end and back before you can start along the main path again. If you land on one of the numbered squares, you’ll need to go back to the instructions to see what happens.

Most of these are “lose three turns”, although there’s even a “lose four turns” and a fair amout are “return to start”, even ones later on. A very small number are positive, but even then it’s just a measly move forward two spaces (and some of these put you on a cul-de-sac). There is some flavour text that works through the events of the film.

If anyone can ever be bothered playing long enough to make it to the end of the main track, you move onto a small final section. Here you use a spinner with different numbers and there are no obstacles. You do need to roll an exact number at the end to win.

Even for a roll and move game, this is particularly terrible. It’s long, tedious and just makes you skip turns or start again a lot. You also have zero input on the game, it’s just do what you’re told.