Released in 1965 by Ideal, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. board game brought the mystery and intrigue of the popular television series to family game night.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement) aired on NBC for four seasons from 1964 and 1968. The spy series starred Robert Vaughn as Napoleon Solo and David McCallum as Illya Kuryakin, who confronted international threats, including the criminal organization THRUSH. The series inspired comics, novels, toys, and games hat extended the property beyond television.
GAMEPLAY
The objective of the game was for players to match an assignment card with the corresponding THRUSH chief card and return safely to U.N.C.L.E. headquarters.
Players embarked on one of four distinct paths from U.N.C.L.E. headquarters in search of THRUSH tokens positioned at intersections along the way. On each turn, players rolled two dice and selected one of the results for movement. When a token was encountered by an exact roll, players ‘fought’ THRUSH through another roll of the dice. A roll of 1, 2, 3, or 4 allowed the player to capture the token, while a 5 or 6, the player sent their pawn to THRUSH headquarters, where they remained for three turns before returning to the starting position at U.N.C.L.E HQ.
After collecting three THRUSH tokens, a player could move to a space on the board containing a THRUSH chief card and exchange the tokens for it. The chief did not have to match the player’s assignment card, allowing players to claim cards needed by their opponents. Players could capture multiple chief cards as long as they collected the three tokens required for each exchange.
Players could also one another around the board. Landing on an occupied space allowed the active player to take either a THRUSH token or chief card from their opponent.
Once a player matched their assignment card with the corresponding THRUSH chief, they headed back to U.N.C.L.E. headquarters. The first player to return with a matching pair won the game.
IN THE BOX
A complete game included the game board, four agent pawns (red, white, yellow, and green), assignment cards, THRUSH chief cards, THRUSH tokens, and two dice. Instructions were printed on the platform inside the box.
COLLECTOR CONSIDERATIONS
The 1960s were an exciting time in spy craft. Political events such as the Cold War, along with the popularity of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels—and their film adaptations—made stories of international conspiracies enticing in many ways. Toys and games from the era reflect the genre’s popularity. Examples include The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Spy Magic Tricks from Gilbert, The James Bond “007” Game from Milton Bradley, Secret Sam Spy Accessories from Topper Toys, and others.
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