Codenames: Pictures

2016

Immerse yourself in the thrilling world of espionage in Codenames: Pictures, where coded symbols translate to secret agent locations. Decode wisely or risk the assassin!

15
minutes

2 - 8
player(s)

10+

Medium Light

About the game

Codenames: Pictures is a captivating and mind-bending board game that invites you to dive into a world of mystery and intrigue. This game is a unique blend of communication, deduction, and imagery, set in a spy-themed, clandestine universe.

The game transports players into a covert operation where they assume the roles of either spymasters or field operatives. The spymasters’ mission is to guide their team to contact all their agents first, using only cryptic clues related to the pictures on the cards. The field operatives must then interpret these clues to identify their agents in the field.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

The game ‘Codenames: Pictures’ includes a variety of components, each with a specific role to play in the game’s mechanics. Here is a detailed list and description of each component:

1. Agent Cards

These are cards that represent the agents that each team is trying to locate. They have images on them rather than words and are used to give clues to the team members.

2. Double Agent Card

This card can belong to either team, depending on which team starts the game. It functions as an extra agent for the team that has the first turn.

3. Innocent Bystander Cards

These cards represent innocent people that the agents will want to avoid. If a team guesses a clue that leads to an innocent bystander, their turn ends immediately.

4. Assassin Card

This card represents the deadly assassin. If a team’s guess leads to the assassin, they lose the game immediately, regardless of the current score.

5. Key Cards

These are cards that provide a coded layout of the agents, bystanders, and assassin on the board. Only the spymasters can view these cards.

6. Picture Cards

These cards have different images on them and are placed on the table in a grid. The images are what the spymasters use to give clues to their team.

7. Timer

The timer is used to keep the game moving. If a team is taking too long to guess, the opposing team can flip the timer to put pressure on them.

8. Team Markers

These markers are used to indicate which team a specific agent card belongs to once it has been successfully guessed. There are red and blue markers, each representing a team.

Each of these components interacts with the game in different ways to create a fun and challenging gameplay experience. The spymasters use the key cards and picture cards to give clues to their team, while the team members use these clues to guess the correct agent cards. The team markers, timer, and other cards add additional elements of strategy and risk to the game.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Codenames: Pictures is a fun and challenging game that requires strategic thinking and teamwork. The game involves two teams, each led by a spymaster who gives one-word clues to their team. The goal is to correctly guess the pictures that represent their team’s agents while avoiding those that belong to the other team. Here’s how to set up the game:

Step 1: Player Roles

Start by dividing players into two teams. Each team chooses a spymaster. The spymaster’s role is to give one-word clues to their teammates, who are field operatives, to help them identify the pictures representing their agents on the board.

Step 2: Board Placement

Shuffle the picture cards and lay them out in a 5×4 grid in the center of the table. All players should be able to see the cards clearly.

Step 3: Key Card Selection

Next, shuffle the key cards and draw one at random. This key card shows the location of each team’s agents, bystanders, and the assassin on the grid. Only the spymasters should look at this card. The blue side of the card indicates the team that starts first.

Step 4: Agent Cards

According to the key card, the starting team has 7 agents and the other team has 6. The rest of the pictures are innocent bystanders, except for one that represents the assassin. The game ends immediately if a team guesses the picture representing the assassin.

Step 5: Clue Giving

The game begins with the starting team’s spymaster giving a clue. The clue should be one word that relates to the pictures on the agents’ cards. Then, the field operatives guess the pictures, and the spymaster places an agent card on the correctly guessed pictures or a bystander card on the wrongly guessed ones.

Step 6: Turn Ends

The turn ends when the field operatives have made the number of guesses allowed, which is the number given in the clue plus one, or when they guess wrong. Then, the other team’s turn starts.

Step 7: Game End

The game ends when one team has identified all their agents, or when a team has identified the assassin. The team that identifies all their agents first wins. If a team identifies the assassin, they lose immediately.

Remember, the key to winning Codenames: Pictures is communication and teamwork. Happy gaming!

Game flow Round and round we go

Codenames: Pictures is an intriguing board game that involves strategic thinking, teamwork, and creativity. Based on the original Codenames game, this version uses pictures instead of words. The game progresses in a series of rounds, and each round consists of several phases.

The game is played with two teams, each with at least one Spymaster and one or more Field Operatives. The Spymasters know the secret identities of the 25 agents represented by the picture cards on the table, while the Field Operatives do not.

Setup phase:

The picture cards are shuffled and laid out in a 5×5 grid on the table.
The teams choose their Spymasters, who sit on the same side of the table. The Field Operatives sit on the opposite side.
The Spymasters draw one key card that indicates the secret identities of the agents for that game. They must keep this key card hidden from the Field Operatives.

Clue-giving phase:

The game begins with the Spymaster of the starting team giving a one-word clue and a number. The word should relate to the pictures of their team’s agents on the table, and the number indicates how many picture cards the clue relates to.
The Spymaster should ensure that the clue does not directly describe the picture but is indirectly linked to it. The clue should not be a part of the picture either.

Guessing phase:

After the clue is given, the Field Operatives of the same team start guessing which picture cards correspond to their agents. They are allowed to make as many guesses as the number given by the Spymaster plus one.
The Field Operatives indicate their guess by pointing at one of the picture cards on the table. Then the Spymaster places an agent card of the corresponding color on the picture card. If the guess is correct, the color matches their team’s color. If it’s incorrect, the color will be either neutral (brown) or the opposing team’s color.
If the Field Operatives guess a picture card that belongs to the other team, their turn ends immediately, and it becomes the other team’s turn. If they guess a picture card that is neutral, their turn also ends, but it doesn’t benefit the other team.

End of round and game:

The round ends when the Field Operatives have made the number of guesses allowed or decide to stop guessing. Then the other team starts their round in the same way.
The game continues in this manner until all agents of one team are identified, in which case that team wins. If a team guesses the assassin (represented by a black picture card), they lose the game immediately.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Codenames: Pictures is a challenging and fun board game that requires strategic thinking and communication skills. Each player’s turn is crucial in the progress of the game. Here is a breakdown of what happens during a player’s turn:

1. Team Spymaster Provides a Clue:

The team’s Spymaster starts the turn by providing a single-word clue that relates to one or several of the pictures on the board. This clue should lead their team members, the Field Operatives, to correctly guess the pictures that represent their team’s agents.

2. Field Operatives Guess:

After the Spymaster provides the clue, the Field Operatives take the time to discuss and make their guesses. They can guess as many pictures as the number given by the Spymaster plus one. Each guess is made one at a time and the Spymaster confirms if each guess is correct or not.

Correct Guess: If the Field Operatives correctly guess a picture, the Spymaster covers it with an agent card of their team’s color. The team can continue making further guesses, up to the number given by the Spymaster plus one.
Incorrect Guess: If the Field Operatives guess incorrectly, their turn ends immediately. If they guess a neutral picture, it is covered with an innocent bystander card. If they guess a picture representing the other team’s agent, it is covered with an agent card of that color. Worst of all, if they guess the assassin, the game ends immediately and their team loses.

3. End of Turn:

The turn ends when the Field Operatives decide to stop guessing or when they make an incorrect guess. It’s then the other team’s turn. The game continues in this way until one team has all their agents uncovered, at which point that team wins the game.

Strategic Choices:

As a Spymaster, providing a clue that relates to multiple pictures can be a powerful strategy, allowing your team to uncover several agents at once. However, this comes with a risk, as the Field Operatives might incorrectly interpret the clue and guess wrong pictures. As Field Operatives, it’s important to think carefully and discuss each clue, weighing the potential risks and rewards of each guess.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Codenames: Pictures is an interesting and engaging board game, where two teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first. The game ends under certain conditions, which are as follows:

Victory Conditions:

The first and most common way the game ends is when one team has successfully guessed all their pictures correctly. In this case, that team is declared the winner immediately.
The game also ends immediately if a team guesses the “assassin” picture. The team that guesses the assassin loses, and the other team is declared the winner.

There are no final scoring actions that players must take in Codenames: Pictures. The game ends instantly when either of the above conditions are met. It’s a game of speed, accuracy, and clever clue-giving, rather than accumulating points over time.

Important notes during gameplay:

The clues given by the Spymasters must relate to the pictures, not to the patterns or borders on the cards.
Teams can guess as many times as the number given in the clue plus one, but they don’t have to use all their guesses. If a team guesses wrong, their turn ends immediately.
The Spymasters should not give clues about the location of the cards on the table, their clues should only relate to the pictures on the cards.

Remember, the key to winning at Codenames: Pictures is not only to guess correctly but also to avoid the assassin and guess faster than the opposing team.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the popular board game, Codenames: Pictures, the scoring system is quite straightforward. The game is played between two teams and the objective is to correctly identify all of your team’s pictures before your opponent. The game ends when one team identifies all of their pictures or when the black assassin picture is revealed.

Points Awarded:

Each correctly identified picture is worth one point for the team that correctly guesses it. This continues until the team either runs out of guesses, guesses incorrectly, or chooses to end their turn.
If a team’s guesser selects a picture that belongs to the other team, the other team gets the point and the guessing team’s turn ends immediately.
If a team’s guesser selects the neutral picture, no team receives a point and the guessing team’s turn ends immediately.
If a team’s guesser selects the black assassin picture, the other team wins immediately, regardless of the current score.

Tie-Breaking Rules:

If both teams identify all of their pictures in the same round, the game ends in a tie.
If a tie-breaking scenario occurs, the team that made the first correct guess in the game is declared the winner.

Note that the game requires a good deal of strategic thinking to win, as the team’s spymaster must give clues that relate to multiple pictures, while also avoiding pictures that could lead their team to guess the black assassin picture.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Codenames: Pictures is a unique spin-off of the original Codenames board game, replacing words with images. Despite the shift in content, the basic rules remain the same, but there are a few key differences, exceptions, and rule clarifications that are worth knowing. Here are some of them:

1. Hints and Images:

In Codenames: Pictures, the spymaster’s hints can refer to anything about the images. This could include the objects in the picture, the overall concept, or even the shape or orientation of the picture. This is a slight departure from the original game where the spymaster’s clues can only be about the words. The images in the game are designed to be interpreted in different ways to spark creativity and make the game more interesting.

2. Grid Size:

Unlike the original Codenames which uses a 5×5 grid, Codenames: Pictures uses a 4×5 grid. This means there are fewer cards in play at a time. However, the game is still as challenging and exciting as its predecessor.

3. Two-Sided Cards:

All image cards in Codenames: Pictures are two-sided, with a different image on each side. This adds an additional layer of complexity and variety to the game as players have twice as many images to choose from.

4. Special Rule – Running out of Time:

There is a special rule in Codenames: Pictures for when the timer runs out. If the timer runs out and it’s the guessing team’s turn, they may have one final guess. This rule adds a sense of urgency and tension to the game.

5. Rule Clarifications:

It’s important to remember that the spymaster’s clue must relate to the meaning of the picture, not just the physical characteristics. For example, a clue about colors would not be allowed.
The game ends immediately if a team guesses the assassin, regardless of the current score or whose turn it is.
While the spymaster can’t use a clue that is directly related to the image, they can use a clue that might be indirectly related. This is a gray area and should be agreed upon by the players before starting the game.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Codenames: Pictures is a game that requires a blend of creativity, logic, and teamwork. To help you excel at this game, here are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay.

Advanced Strategies:

Think in Themes: Often, the pictures have subtle themes or similarities. Try connecting pictures using these themes as clues. This can lead to more connections in a single turn.
Use Misdirection: If you’re the spymaster, think about giving clues that direct your team towards the correct pictures, but misdirect the other team if they guess your clue.
Plan Ahead: As the spymaster, don’t just think about your next clue. Plan several turns ahead and try to group your agents’ pictures in a way that can be linked by a future clue.

Beginner Tips:

Start with Single Picture Clues: If you’re new to the game, start by giving clues for one picture at a time. This helps to understand the game mechanics and slowly build up to giving clues for multiple pictures.
Communicate with Your Team: Talk with your team about their thought process. It will help you to understand how they think and can improve your clues in the future.
Take Your Time: Don’t rush to give your clue. It’s better to take a little extra time to come up with a good clue that leads to multiple correct guesses.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Avoid Vague Clues: While you may be tempted to give a vague clue to cover more pictures, this often leads to confusion and incorrect guesses.
Don’t Overcomplicate Clues: Remember that your teammates can’t read your mind. A clue that seems obvious to you might not be so clear to them. Try to keep your clues simple and direct.
Don’t Ignore the Assassin: Be aware of the assassin’s picture. Accidentally leading your team to guess the assassin ends the game immediately.

Optimizing Gameplay:

Engage in Practice Rounds: Practice rounds can help you get familiar with the pictures and how to link them.
Rotate Roles: To get a well-rounded experience, rotate roles among your team. This will help everyone understand the challenges of both giving and guessing clues.
Learn from Mistakes: After each game, discuss what went well and what didn’t. Learning from past mistakes is one of the best ways to improve.