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‘Our reaction to an absurd reality’ A new game aims to put a satirical spin on Russia’s ‘foreign agent’ laws — but those targeted by them aren’t laughing

Source: Meduza

This November, a Russian-language publisher operating outside of Russia released a new card game, Foreign Agent: Catch Them All!, in which “foreign agents” are “destroyed a bit” by “ordinary citizens.” Freedom Letters, the publisher, describes the game as a satirical take on Russia’s “foreign agent” designations — used to target Kremlin critics — and a commentary on the absurdity of modern Russian politics. However, many individuals actually labeled as “foreign agents” by the Russian government find it distasteful, arguing that the game trivializes the serious hardships they endure under the designation.

Freedom Letters, a Russian-language publishing company based outside Russia, recently launched a new card game called Foreign Agent: Catch Them All!. The game, a twist on the classic party game Mafia, swaps the usual roles for politically charged ones: “foreign agents” become the mafia, “ordinary citizens” replace villagers, “prosecutors” step in for sheriffs, and an “SVO veteran” takes the spot of the serial killer.

Released on November 13, the game briefly appeared on the Russian e-commerce platform Ozon before being taken down after drawing media attention. Its description read: “There was once a wonderful city full of wonderful citizens. Everything was fine until they arrived — the foreign agents! They ruined everything. They must be caught and, well, destroyed a bit (but humanely).” According to the rules listed on Ozon, the game ends when the citizens catch all the “foreign agents” or the “foreign agents” manage to build their own city.

Freedom Letters and social media users shared photos of the game’s character cards, each packed with tongue-in-cheek stereotypes. One “foreign agent” has “a ticket to Yerevan,” while another has “dirty State Department money.” The “prosecutor” wields a sledgehammer labeled “God’s vengeance” and pockets mysteriously acquired cash. The “official” gives “patriotic speeches” while keeping “citizenship of a NATO country” tucked in his pocket. The “SVO veteran” — a role not mentioned in the Ozon listing but confirmed by Freedom Letters founder Georgy Urushadze — is portrayed with a “firm gaze” and a bottle of “nectar and ambrosia.”

Urushadze explained the game’s mechanics to Sever.Realii (a Radio Liberty project). Players acting as “foreign agents” carry out secretive tasks like making anti-war graffiti or filming YouTube videos, while the “SVO veteran” eliminates targets. By day, citizens try to identify and punish suspected agents. Correct guesses lead to imprisonment, while mistaken accusations send innocent citizens into exile “just in case” — or, in the veteran’s case, back to the frontlines.

Speaking anonymously, the creator of the card game, who lives in Russia, told Sever.Realii that the idea started as a joke. “A game where ‘foreign agents’ can’t do anything and are ultimately destroyed — just like in real life,” he said. “It’s less of a game and more of a document about the way things are now,” he added. “But the key is that it makes people laugh. The cruel, inhuman, and unjust becomes ugly and ridiculous — and laughter, I think, can save us. Maybe not the country, but at least our sanity.”

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Urushadze said he immediately embraced the project, even though it was a departure from the publisher’s usual focus on books. He said he found the idea “both bold and fascinating.” Freedom Letters pledged part of the proceeds to support political prisoners. However, the game has sparked controversy, with critics questioning whether such themes should be turned into entertainment. Not everyone targeted by Russia’s “foreign agent” laws finds the humor.

Political analyst Ivan Preobrazhensky, labeled a “foreign agent” in 2023, dismissed the game’s supposed “subtle self-irony,” saying it could “go to hell.” He also sarcastically suggested that Sergey Novikov, described by Meduza sources as Russia’s “main censor” of the arts, might enjoy buying it. Activist and former Open Russia coordinator Artyom Vazhenkov, who was declared a “foreign agent” in 2021, described the game’s supposed humor as “at best, ambiguous.” Commenting on Freedom Letters’ Instagram post, Vazhenkov wrote, “In your game, a foreign agent is a pumpkin-spice-latte-sipping stereotype. Meanwhile, I’ve lost my livelihood, my assets are frozen, and I’m on an international wanted list. I don’t find it funny.”

Freedom Letters representatives responded to the criticism by doubling down on the game’s satirical nature, stating, “Every character in this game is portrayed with irony because laughter — whether through satire, irony, or humor — is the only thing a dictatorship can’t suppress.”

Urushadze also stood by the game, calling it a lighthearted way to decompress. “It helps us unwind and even laugh at ourselves,” he said. “As a ‘foreign agent’ myself, I don’t find it offensive. Some say, ‘But ‘foreign agents’ are people — how can you do this?’ I think they just lack a sense of humor. Others complain about how the ‘SVO veteran’ is portrayed as a drunk, or the official and prosecutor as corrupt — as if they’ve never taken a bribe. This game is just our reaction to an absurd reality. I think the real foreign agents are in the Kremlin.”