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In 1995, former KGB Major General Oleg Kalugin and ex-CIA Director William Colby collaborated in an unexpected way: they made a video game.
Nearly 30 years later, The Great Game: The Making of Spycraft uncovers the story behind the multi-million dollar espionage game that brought together Cold War power players, the up-and-coming video game publisher Activision, and full-motion video — the cutting-edge interactive technology of its time. You can watch it right now, above.
Polygon’s first feature-length documentary is bolstered by new interviews and narration by Jamelle Bouie, New York Times Opinion columnist and co-host of the Unclear and Present Danger podcast. In the mix are award-winning filmmaker and author Ken Berris; actor Kirk Woller; writer and tech analyst Christina Warren; historian and curator at the International Spy Museum, Dr. Andrew Hammond; New York University professor and author Maya Vinokour; and FMV expert and game critic Justin McElroy.
Years ago, when my colleague Clayton Ashley and I first sat down to play Spycraft: The Great Game, we were drawn to it by its inherent mystery: how did a game with such ambition and history fade into obscurity? Today, we hope you join us in exploring that question, while dusting off this important piece of video game history and giving it the attention it has so long deserved.
