The first rule of being a good spy is: never draw attention to yourself. Mata Hari apparently didn’t read that memo. Of course, the fact that the real life WWI-era exotic dancer-turned-double agent was executed for treason suggests that she probably should have. But where’s the fun in that?

And “fun” is at the forefront of the first full-fledged adventure about Margaretha Geertruida Zelle. Taking liberties with the historical record for entertainment purposes, the aptly-named Mata Hari puts players in the dancing shoes and (often skimpy) stylish outfits of the famed spy as she’s co-opted on multiple fronts to use her seductive wiles for varying purposes under the cloud of impending global crisis. From performing on stage in Paris to eavesdropping on telephone calls in Madrid to dodging enemies aboard a train between Berlin and Monaco, there’s plenty to keep Mata Hari on her toes, so to speak. Better yet, the game was written and designed by genre stalwarts Hal Barwood and Noah Falstein, who know a little something about pre-war adventurers from their days at LucasArts in years past.



Though her espionage activities cost the real Mata Hari her life, a little vicarious spying through her won’t cost anything for three lucky winners of the game, provided courtesy of Viva Media. All you need to do is correctly answer the quiz questions below, leave a chalk mark on the curb of the second street down the block, flick your kitchen lights on and off six times, and leave your blinds half-closed until dusk. Or at least answer the questions right, as we’ll probably forget to check the other things. But never ones to take sides, we’ll go so far as to give up all necessary secrets, to be found in our preview of the game or the official website (we know it’s in German, if you're inferring something traitorous, but click the flag in the upper right corner for the English version).

The contest will run for one full week, ending Thursday, August 13th, and winners will be notified by classified email.