Codenames

Two rival spymasters know the secret identities behind 25 single-word codenames while their teammates see only the words. The spymasters take turns giving a one-word clue plus a number to indicate how many words relate to that clue. Teammates then guess words one at a time, stopping when they pass, make an incorrect pick, or hit the assassin word which immediately ends the game. Play continues until one team correctly identifies all of its agents or the assassin eliminates a team. The game emphasizes word association, deduction, and careful clue construction.

Players: 2–8 best 6, 8
Playing time: 15 min
Age: 10+
Complexity: 1.3 / 5

7.3 on Ludoya from $19.95DeductionParty GameCommunication LimitsMemoryDeduction

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About the game

Design: Vlaada Chvátil
Art: Vlaada Chvátil
Tomáš Kučerovský
František Sedláček
Dávid Jablonovský
Stéphane Gantiez
Filip Murmak
Publisher: Czech Games Edition

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On Ludoya's tables

Full stats in Ludoya

5,001
Plays logged: 2,763
Players: 23m
Average play: 888
In collections: 15
On wishlists

7.3/10

from 352 Ludoya reviews

gcasasf7.0
Not the best filler but it's ok when you want to play something different, easy to learn and for a lot of players.
No plays logged
Garfield1.0
Hmm. People creating totally new words that don't exist to match more than one word. It's funny, but I don't think I'll play this very often... There should be a timer that limits the one who has to name a word. So, after playing it again, decreased to a 1. It's just as boring as hell! If I'm ever 'forced' to play this again I will immediately give a one-hint to the tile that ends the game... [c] Theme: ☆☆☆☆☆  Gameplay: ★☆☆☆☆  Interaction: ★☆☆☆☆  Luck: ★★★☆☆  Strategy: ★☆☆☆☆  Components: ★★☆☆☆  Play duration: ★☆☆☆☆  Easy to teach: ★★★★☆  Setup time: ★★★★☆  No downtime: ★☆☆☆☆  [/c]
No plays logged
Mestremuten6.0
Rating: 4/5 Production value: 1/4 Is the game in my collection/Love to have?: 1/1
Played it 6 times

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Rules questions

Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.

Can the spymaster give more than one word or add hints (like "this is a stretch") when giving a clue?

No — the clue must be a single word and you may not give extra hints or comments; also a clue cannot be any codename currently visible on the table (pages 4, 6).

Can I say part of a compound word on the table (e.g., say "horse" when HORSESHOE is still showing)?

By the standard rules you may not use part of a visible compound word (so you can't say "horse" while HORSESHOE is uncovered), though groups can agree to be more permissive in play (pages 6–7).

How many guesses do our operatives get for a clue — can we take an extra guess?

Operatives must make at least one guess and may guess up to the number the spymaster gave, plus one extra guess; any wrong guess ends the turn immediately (pages 4–5).

What happens if someone touches the assassin card?

If a field operative touches the assassin the assassin card is revealed and that team immediately loses the game (pages 4–5).

Can I use homonyms, spellings, letters or numbers as clues (for example, say "knight" for NIGHT, or "b: 3" to mean three words that start with B)?

Homophones are treated as different words so a spoken homonym clue for a differently spelled codename is not allowed unless you spell the word out (e.g., k‑n‑i‑g‑h‑t) and groups may opt for looser homonym rules; letters and numbers are permitted only when they refer to meanings (e.g., X for X‑ray), and you may not use the number you speak as part of the clue nor use a letter as a simple initial-letter hint like "b: 3" (pages 6–7).