diff --git a/android/assets/jsons/translations/template.properties b/android/assets/jsons/translations/template.properties
index 855a8fd880..402ef32270 100644
--- a/android/assets/jsons/translations/template.properties
+++ b/android/assets/jsons/translations/template.properties
@@ -361,6 +361,7 @@ Disable starting bias =
 Raging Barbarians = 
 No Ancient Ruins = 
 No Natural Wonders = 
+Allow anyone to spectate = 
 Victory Conditions = 
 Scientific = 
 Domination = 
@@ -602,6 +603,7 @@ Paste gameID from clipboard =
 GameID = 
 Game name = 
 Loading latest game state... = 
+You are not allowed to spectate! = 
 Couldn't download the latest game state! = 
 Resign = 
 Are you sure you want to resign? = 
diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/MainMenuScreen.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/MainMenuScreen.kt
index 2aed734a30..40beb8787e 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/MainMenuScreen.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/MainMenuScreen.kt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import com.badlogic.gdx.scenes.scene2d.ui.Table
 import com.badlogic.gdx.utils.Align
 import com.unciv.logic.GameInfo
 import com.unciv.logic.GameStarter
+import com.unciv.logic.UncivShowableException
 import com.unciv.logic.map.MapParameters
 import com.unciv.logic.map.MapShape
 import com.unciv.logic.map.MapSizeNew
@@ -227,6 +228,10 @@ class MainMenuScreen: BaseScreen(), RecreateOnResize {
             // Can fail when starting the game...
             try {
                 newGame = GameStarter.startNewGame(GameSetupInfo.fromSettings("Chieftain"))
+            } catch (notAPlayer: UncivShowableException) {
+                val (message) = LoadGameScreen.getLoadExceptionMessage(notAPlayer)
+                launchOnGLThread { ToastPopup(message, this@MainMenuScreen) }
+                return@run
             } catch (ex: Exception) {
                 launchOnGLThread { ToastPopup(errorText, this@MainMenuScreen) }
                 return@run
@@ -239,6 +244,11 @@ class MainMenuScreen: BaseScreen(), RecreateOnResize {
                 launchOnGLThread {
                     ToastPopup("Not enough memory on phone to load game!", this@MainMenuScreen)
                 }
+            } catch (notAPlayer: UncivShowableException) {
+                val (message) = LoadGameScreen.getLoadExceptionMessage(notAPlayer)
+                launchOnGLThread {
+                    ToastPopup(message, this@MainMenuScreen)
+                }
             } catch (ex: Exception) {
                 launchOnGLThread {
                     ToastPopup(errorText, this@MainMenuScreen)
diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/UncivGame.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/UncivGame.kt
index 41fa033225..6853e26f20 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/UncivGame.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/UncivGame.kt
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import com.badlogic.gdx.utils.Align
 import com.unciv.logic.GameInfo
 import com.unciv.logic.IsPartOfGameInfoSerialization
 import com.unciv.logic.UncivFiles
+import com.unciv.logic.UncivShowableException
 import com.unciv.logic.civilization.PlayerType
 import com.unciv.logic.multiplayer.OnlineMultiplayer
 import com.unciv.models.metadata.GameSettings
@@ -179,6 +180,12 @@ class UncivGame(parameters: UncivGameParameters) : Game() {
         val prevGameInfo = gameInfo
         gameInfo = newGameInfo
 
+        if (gameInfo?.gameParameters?.anyoneCanSpectate == false) {
+            if (gameInfo!!.civilizations.none { it.playerId == settings.multiplayer.userId }) {
+                throw UncivShowableException("You are not allowed to spectate!")
+            }
+        }
+
         initializeResources(prevGameInfo, newGameInfo)
 
         val isLoadingSameGame = worldScreen != null && prevGameInfo != null && prevGameInfo.gameId == newGameInfo.gameId
diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/models/metadata/GameParameters.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/models/metadata/GameParameters.kt
index a31187bfbe..5a84199e74 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/models/metadata/GameParameters.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/models/metadata/GameParameters.kt
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ class GameParameters : IsPartOfGameInfoSerialization { // Default values are the
     var startingEra = "Ancient era"
 
     var isOnlineMultiplayer = false
+    var anyoneCanSpectate = false
     var baseRuleset: String = BaseRuleset.Civ_V_GnK.fullName
     var mods = LinkedHashSet<String>()
 
diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/multiplayer/MultiplayerHelpers.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/multiplayer/MultiplayerHelpers.kt
index d2f808aaf8..8b85c622d5 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/multiplayer/MultiplayerHelpers.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/multiplayer/MultiplayerHelpers.kt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import com.unciv.logic.multiplayer.OnlineMultiplayer
 import com.unciv.logic.multiplayer.OnlineMultiplayerGame
 import com.unciv.models.translations.tr
 import com.unciv.ui.popup.Popup
+import com.unciv.ui.popup.ToastPopup
 import com.unciv.ui.saves.LoadGameScreen
 import com.unciv.ui.utils.BaseScreen
 import com.unciv.ui.utils.extensions.formatShort
diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/newgamescreen/GameOptionsTable.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/newgamescreen/GameOptionsTable.kt
index 86884462c0..0dfa505144 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/newgamescreen/GameOptionsTable.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/newgamescreen/GameOptionsTable.kt
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ class GameOptionsTable(
         checkboxTable.addOneCityChallengeCheckbox()
         checkboxTable.addNuclearWeaponsCheckbox()
         checkboxTable.addIsOnlineMultiplayerCheckbox()
+        if (gameParameters.isOnlineMultiplayer)
+            checkboxTable.addAnyoneCanSpectateCheckbox()
         if (UncivGame.Current.settings.enableEspionageOption)
             checkboxTable.addEnableEspionageCheckbox()
         checkboxTable.addNoStartBiasCheckbox()
@@ -92,8 +94,8 @@ class GameOptionsTable(
             { gameParameters.noBarbarians = it }
 
     private fun Table.addRagingBarbariansCheckbox() =
-        addCheckbox("Raging Barbarians", gameParameters.ragingBarbarians)
-        { gameParameters.ragingBarbarians = it }
+            addCheckbox("Raging Barbarians", gameParameters.ragingBarbarians)
+            { gameParameters.ragingBarbarians = it }
 
     private fun Table.addOneCityChallengeCheckbox() =
             addCheckbox("One City Challenge", gameParameters.oneCityChallenge)
@@ -111,6 +113,13 @@ class GameOptionsTable(
                 if (shouldUseMultiplayer) {
                     MultiplayerHelpers.showDropboxWarning(previousScreen as BaseScreen)
                 }
+                update()
+            }
+
+    private fun Table.addAnyoneCanSpectateCheckbox() =
+            addCheckbox("Allow anyone to spectate", gameParameters.anyoneCanSpectate)
+            {
+                gameParameters.anyoneCanSpectate = it
             }
 
     private fun Table.addEnableEspionageCheckbox() =
diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/newgamescreen/NewGameScreen.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/newgamescreen/NewGameScreen.kt
index e45e06cdeb..05101752fd 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/newgamescreen/NewGameScreen.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/newgamescreen/NewGameScreen.kt
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import com.unciv.ui.pickerscreens.PickerScreen
 import com.unciv.ui.popup.ConfirmPopup
 import com.unciv.ui.popup.Popup
 import com.unciv.ui.popup.ToastPopup
+import com.unciv.ui.saves.LoadGameScreen
 import com.unciv.ui.utils.BaseScreen
 import com.unciv.ui.utils.ExpanderTab
 import com.unciv.ui.utils.RecreateOnResize
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ import com.unciv.ui.utils.extensions.onClick
 import com.unciv.ui.utils.extensions.pad
 import com.unciv.ui.utils.extensions.toLabel
 import com.unciv.ui.utils.extensions.toTextButton
+import com.unciv.ui.worldscreen.WorldScreen
 import com.unciv.utils.Log
 import com.unciv.utils.concurrency.Concurrency
 import com.unciv.utils.concurrency.launchOnGLThread
@@ -113,6 +115,16 @@ class NewGameScreen(
                         return@onClick
                     }
                 }
+
+                if (!gameSetupInfo.gameParameters.anyoneCanSpectate) {
+                    if (gameSetupInfo.gameParameters.players.none { it.playerId == UncivGame.Current.settings.multiplayer.userId }) {
+                        val notAllowedToSpectate = Popup(this)
+                        notAllowedToSpectate.addGoodSizedLabel("You are not allowed to spectate!".tr()).row()
+                        notAllowedToSpectate.addCloseButton()
+                        notAllowedToSpectate.open()
+                        return@onClick
+                    }
+                }
             }
 
             if (gameSetupInfo.gameParameters.players.none {
diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/saves/LoadGameScreen.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/saves/LoadGameScreen.kt
index 092413d988..be9f519447 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/saves/LoadGameScreen.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/saves/LoadGameScreen.kt
@@ -119,6 +119,12 @@ class LoadGameScreen(previousScreen:BaseScreen) : LoadOrSaveScreen() {
                 // This is what can lead to ANRs - reading the file and setting the transients, that's why this is in another thread
                 val loadedGame = game.files.loadGameByName(selectedSave)
                 game.loadGame(loadedGame)
+            } catch (notAPlayer: UncivShowableException) {
+                launchOnGLThread {
+                    val (message) = getLoadExceptionMessage(notAPlayer)
+                    loadingPopup.reuseWith(message, true)
+                    handleLoadGameException(notAPlayer)
+                }
             } catch (ex: Exception) {
                 launchOnGLThread {
                     loadingPopup.close()
diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/saves/QuickSave.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/saves/QuickSave.kt
index b9ce4b61ce..720f18aae0 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/saves/QuickSave.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/saves/QuickSave.kt
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import com.unciv.Constants
 import com.unciv.MainMenuScreen
 import com.unciv.UncivGame
 import com.unciv.logic.GameInfo
+import com.unciv.logic.UncivShowableException
 import com.unciv.ui.multiplayer.MultiplayerHelpers
 import com.unciv.ui.popup.Popup
 import com.unciv.ui.popup.ToastPopup
@@ -88,6 +89,12 @@ object QuickSave {
                     screen.game.onlineMultiplayer.loadGame(savedGame)
                 } catch (oom: OutOfMemoryError) {
                     outOfMemory()
+                } catch (notAPlayer: UncivShowableException) {
+                    val (message) = LoadGameScreen.getLoadExceptionMessage(notAPlayer)
+                    launchOnGLThread {
+                        loadingPopup.close()
+                        ToastPopup(message, screen)
+                    }
                 } catch (ex: Exception) {
                     Log.error("Could not autoload game", ex)
                     val (message) = LoadGameScreen.getLoadExceptionMessage(ex)
diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/worldscreen/WorldScreen.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/worldscreen/WorldScreen.kt
index 94ad04b04a..e857c65f99 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/worldscreen/WorldScreen.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/worldscreen/WorldScreen.kt
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import com.unciv.Constants
 import com.unciv.MainMenuScreen
 import com.unciv.UncivGame
 import com.unciv.logic.GameInfo
+import com.unciv.logic.UncivShowableException
 import com.unciv.logic.civilization.CivilizationInfo
 import com.unciv.logic.civilization.ReligionState
 import com.unciv.logic.civilization.diplomacy.DiplomaticStatus
@@ -855,6 +856,13 @@ private fun startNewScreenJob(gameInfo: GameInfo, autosaveDisabled:Boolean = fal
     Concurrency.run {
         val newWorldScreen = try {
             UncivGame.Current.loadGame(gameInfo)
+        } catch (notAPlayer: UncivShowableException) {
+            withGLContext {
+                val (message) = LoadGameScreen.getLoadExceptionMessage(notAPlayer)
+                val mainMenu = UncivGame.Current.goToMainMenu()
+                ToastPopup(message, mainMenu)
+            }
+            return@run
         } catch (oom: OutOfMemoryError) {
             withGLContext {
                 val mainMenu = UncivGame.Current.goToMainMenu()