Codenames is a word game for two teams of at least two players, 4 to 8 or more in total, aged 10 and up. Each team's spymaster gives one word clues plus a number to help their teammates find all of their agents among 25 word cards, and the first team to cover every one of its agents wins, unless someone touches the assassin first.
Czech Games Edition sums it up neatly: two rival spymasters know the secret identities of 25 agents, and their teammates only know them by their codenames. A game takes about 15 minutes. Here's how to set it up and play, with the clue rules that settle most table arguments.
Codenames teams and what each role does
| Role | Who | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| Spymaster | One player per team | Sees the key card and gives one clue a turn |
| Field operatives | Everyone else on the team | Talk it over and touch the cards they think are theirs |
| Red and blue teams | Split the group evenly | Race to find all of their agents first |
Both spymasters sit on the same side of the table, facing their teams across the grid.
Laying out the grid and the key card
- Shuffle the codename cards and lay out 25 in a 5 by 5 grid.
- The spymasters pick a key card at random and slide it into the stand between them, where only they can see it.
- The key matches the grid. Red squares are red agents, blue squares are blue agents, pale squares are innocent bystanders and the black square is the assassin.
- The lights round the edge of the key card show which team starts. That team has 9 words to find and the other has 8.
- Flip the double agent card to the starting team's colour. It counts as one of their agents.
- Put the 7 bystander cards and the assassin card where both spymasters can reach them.
Giving a clue: one word and one number
On your team's turn, the spymaster says one word and one number. The word links some of your team's codenames, and the number says how many. If two of your words are NUT and BARK, you might say tree: 2. You can clue just one word, but getting three or four with one clue is where the fun is.
- Your clue must be a single word. No extra hints, no gestures and no "this one's a stretch".
- You can't say any word visible on the table, or any form of it. Until BREAK is covered, you can't say broken.
- You can't use part of a compound word on the table. Until HORSESHOE is covered, horse and shoe are out.
- The clue has to be about meaning, not letters or where a card sits in the grid.
- Keep a straight face while your team guesses.
How guessing works in Codenames
- Operatives talk it over, then one of them touches a card as the team's guess.
- If it's your agent, the spymaster covers it with your colour and you can guess again.
- If it's an innocent bystander, it's covered and your turn ends.
- If it's the other team's agent, it's covered with their colour, your turn ends and you've helped them.
- If it's the assassin, the game ends and your team loses.
You must make at least one guess each turn. You can stop whenever you like, and here's the rule most new players don't know: you're allowed one more guess than the number in the clue. If your spymaster says river: 3 and you get all three, you can take a fourth guess to pick up a word you missed from an earlier clue.
Winning a game of Codenames
The game ends when one team has all of its agents covered, and that team wins. You can even win on the other team's turn if they guess your last word by mistake. It ends early if anyone touches the assassin, and the team that found the assassin loses.
Clue rules that settle arguments
The official clue guidance splits rules into firm and flexible. Homonyms spelled differently, like knight and night, count as different words, but words spelled the same count as one, so bow can link a theatre and a ship. Names of people and places are fine. Your group can decide on compound words, acronyms and rhymes. If a spymaster gives an invalid clue, the turn ends at once and the other spymaster can cover one of their own words as a bonus. If nobody notices, it stands.
There are two expert clues too. A zero clue, like feathers: 0, tells your team none of your words relate to feathers, and it lifts the usual limit on guesses. An unlimited clue lets your team keep guessing, but they don't know how many words it links.
Codenames Duet, Pictures and other versions
Czech Games Edition also makes Codenames: Duet, a two player version where you swap clues with a partner, and Codenames: Pictures, which uses image cards instead of words. The new edition box holds 200 cards with 400 codenames, so you won't see the same grid twice for a long time.
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My verdict on Codenames
It's one of the best games I know for a mixed group, because quiet players shine as operatives and confident talkers love being spymaster. My one house rule: swap spymasters every game, so nobody's stuck with the hardest job all night. If it lands well, my party board games list has more in the same spirit, and there are plenty of no equipment party games for groups for when the box is in someone else's house.
Frequently asked questions
How many players do you need for Codenames?
You need at least four players, two teams of two. The box says 4 to 8 or more players.
How many guesses do you get in Codenames?
You must make at least one guess, and you can make up to one more than the number your spymaster said.
What happens if you pick the assassin in Codenames?
The game ends at once and the team that touched the assassin loses.
Can a Codenames clue be two words?
Not under the firm rules, but your group can choose to allow compound words and multi word place names like New York.
Which team goes first in Codenames?
The lights round the edge of the key card show the starting team. That team has 9 words to find and the other team has 8.
