Codenames: Back to Hogwarts

About this board game

Codenames: Back to Hogwarts is a word-association party game for 4–8 players, with games lasting about 30 minutes. Set in the world of Hogwarts, it gives the classic Codenames format a magical twist for new players and longtime fans alike.

Players become first-year students sorted into two rival houses. Each house has a prefect who knows the secrets of the mystery card grid and gives clues consisting of one word and a number. Students use those clues to explore Hogwarts by identifying the corresponding cards, revealing them one at a time.

Correct guesses allow a team to continue guessing up to the stated number. However, a card can also reveal a rival-house card, a dead end, a locked door, or another obstacle, any of which ends the turn. Players must also avoid groundskeeper Argus Filch: encountering him ends the game and gives the rival house the win.

• Classic clue-giving: Connect hidden cards with a single word and number.
• Rival houses: Compete to guide your students through the mystery grid.
• Asymmetrical abilities: Each house has two distinct special abilities, with one selected for each game.
• House Cup scoring: Track points from wins across multiple play sessions.

These special abilities add new strategic possibilities to the familiar Codenames foundation. Since each game combines two houses and one ability from each, the range of possible pairings creates plenty of ways to revisit the challenge.

Released in 2025, Codenames: Back to Hogwarts blends deduction, word association, and competitive house play into a themed experience where every clue can open a path—or lead to trouble.