Contents
In this post, we cover Codenames, detailing how to play it, the official rules, and strategies to help you win.
Published by Czech Games, Codenames is a board game with an espionage theme that involves guessing the code names (words) in a set, which are related to a hint-word that another player has given.
Two teams, each having a Spymaster, compete in this game to find if they can figure out who their agents are, before the other.
The Spymasters give one-word clues to their team, which can indicate multiple words on the board. The players of the team then try to guess their team’s words, while avoiding the assassin as well as the other team’s words.
History
Vlaada Chvátil – a video and board game designer, created Codenames in 2015. It was during the first few hours of a game event when he came up with Codenames’ first sketch.
That same evening, the very first game of Codenames was played. Vlaada has always been fond of this type of word association games. Since the first sketch of Codenames, the game hasn’t changed much.
How To Play Codenames
Video Guide: The Basics + Strategy
Learn how to play Codenames with the Rules Girl in this ultra-short rules explanation:
Codenames has the following components:
- 16 agent cards in two colors
- 1 assassin card
- 7 innocent bystander cards
- 1 double agent card
- 40 key cards
- 1 card stand
- 1 rulebook
- 200 cards with 400 codenames, and
- 1 timer
Players are divided into two teams – Red Team and Blue Team. Each team will select one player to act as their Spymaster. Both the Spymasters must be seated on the same side of the table, while the rest of the players position themselves on the opposite side.
The agent cards are laid out in front of the corresponding Spymaster. The assassin and innocent bystander cards are placed between both the Spymasters. 25 of the word cards are randomly chosen by the players, which are then placed on the table in a 5 x 5 grid. The spymasters will select one of the key cards and put it into the card stand facing them.
The team whose color is displayed on the sides of the key card begins the game. This team is given the double agent card, which is added to their stack of agents.
Starting with the first team’s Spymaster, each team will take turns in their effort to make contact with their teammates by selecting the words corresponding to their agents. Each team will get a one-word clue from their Spymaster to accomplish the task.
You can understand more about how to play the game by visiting the Czech Games website.
Codename Rules
Check out the pdf below for detailed rules:
- Codenames can be played by 2-8 players; if you want it to be competitive, at least 4 players divided in 2 teams must play.
- An invalid clue given by the Spymaster would end that team’s turn immediately. This would also give the opposing team’s Spymaster the chance to cover up one of their agent words.
- The team that picks the card which is the identity of the assassin would automatically lose the game.
- If an innocent bystander card is chosen, the Spymaster would put one of the innocent bystander cards on the word. This would mark an end of the current team’s turn.
- If the chosen card turns out to be one of the opponent team’s agents, the Spymaster would put one of the opponent team’s agent cards on the word. This would mark an end of the current team’s turn.
- In case the chosen card is one of the current team’s agents, the Spymaster would place one of their own cards on the word. Then the current team will carry on with its turn.
- In case a player takes too long to think and arrive at a decision, the sand timer can be flipped by any player, who then asks the slow playing counterpart to decide before his/her time is up.
You can visit the Czech Games website to download the rules (by country) in order to understand them better.
Advanced Game Tutorial
Game Versions
In September 2016, Codenames: Pictures was made available where images were used on the cards instead of words. Despite having the same rules as the original, this version had a grid of 20 cards instead of 25.
The same year, Codenames: Deep Undercover was unveiled where 200 new cards had double entendres and sexual references. It earned this version a parental advisory sticker.
In 2017, Codenames: Duet was brought to the market as a two-player, cooperative version of the original game. Codenames: Duet featured 400 all new word cards. That same year came Codenames: Marvel Edition, which featured Marvel Universe characters including Dr. Strange, Spider-Man, and others.
In 2017, Disney and Pixar films lovers got a treat in the form of Codenames: Disney Family Edition, which featured Disney and Pixar films’ locations and characters.
Codenames App
Codenames Gadget is an app that lets players enjoy an enhanced experience of the original board game. This app provides a random key card generator and comes equipped with an optional timer having voiceover alerts.
What Makes It So Engaging?
At the heart of Codenames is an extremely engaging mechanic. Apart from the game’s solitary main mechanic, there’s no need for any other mechanics. Add to this the fine blend of easy accessibility, plenty of options for players, a fun quotient and a decent bit of strategy, and you have a winner on your hands. Since Codenames is very easy to understand and play, people who haven’t played a board game ever can easily pick it up.
While playing Codenames, Spymasters have to strategize if they would play aggressively, passively, or have a balanced blend of both the approaches to find their own agents before the other team does. While being too passive would let the other team cruise ahead of you, being too aggressive may bring your turn to an early end, give the opponent team some of its agents, or even make you lose the game.
Perhaps these are the reasons behind the soaring popularity of Codenames that make people coming back to play this game time and again.