TSR released the Top Secret espionage roleplaying game in 1980, created by Merle Rasmussen. Top Secret had completely different rules than their popular Dungeons & Dragons game, and was a clean break from the fantasy genre.
By 1981, they’d re-worked the rules into a 2nd edition. Visually quite similar at first glance, the rules underwent significant changes, particularly combat from what I can see. There are slight, but noticeable graphical differences between the books and boxes.
Top Secret editions and printings:
- 1st edition, 1st printing (1980)
- 1st edition, 2nd printing (April 1980)
- 2nd edition (February 1981)
- 2nd edition (1983 box)
This page will collect and archive my old school TS sets side-by-side photos. I don’t see too many of those 1st edition sets come through the shop – 1e Top Secret is definitely more rare than 2e.
Top Secret RPG sets available in the shop – What does Wayne’s Books have at the moment?
Top Secret product line detailed at the reference site – All the classic 00-series adventure modules and accessories.
Box Exteriors
Left: 1st edition, 2nd printing (April 1980) & 2nd edition (February 1981). Right: 1st edition, 1st printing & 2nd edition (1983 box). I believe the 1983 box has the same book as 1981 box.
Date (1983) is printed on the lower box.
Box Interiors
A noticeable change is the box itself on the inside. This was something TSR Hobbies did at the time, all across across their game lines. Most commonly seen in the Holmes Basic D&D set, early TSR boxes used a box blank with the graphics as a glued-on sheet, both top and bottom. This “glued sheet” box format was retained for a brief time, before being replaced with a box with the graphics printed directly on the paperboard.
Close-up of the Top Secret box interiors: 1e (left) and 2e (right). Top lids (black border), bottom lids (white). Added more shots from another pair of TS sets (added April 2021).
The TS Book Printings
The 1981 book appears to have been completely re-typeset in a different font.
The combat section looks quite different between the editions. These are the same pages. This wasn’t just a simple “correct errors and typos” between editions.
Handouts pages and character sheets. Book back covers. Extra photo of the Dragon flyer in the 1980 box
1st edition, 1st printing set
EDIT 30 May 2020
1st print book’s inside cover looks mostly the same as the 2nd print photo’d earlier in the post, except for the copyright block. No printing stated here.
Administrator File TS001 (Operation Sprechenhaltestelle ~ Code Name Pisces)
EDIT 12 April 2021
TS001 modules from 1e and 2e TS sets. Not a lot of differences.
However the Agent Handout is different. In the 1st edition set, the handout is a separate sheet. In 2nd edition, the “cover” is gray, and stapled into the centerfold, for detachment by owner.
No staple holes!
DICE and crayon from 2nd edition (February 1981) set
EDIT 14 Aug 2021
Top Secret RPG sets available in the shop
See Also:
High Stakes Gamble (1988): Monte Carlo location plus Vehicle Expansion for Top Secret SI RPG
GATEWAY TO ADVENTURE: TSR’s Classic Games Catalog (1980 & 1981)
Top Secret SI: Player written character background and (mostly) finances
