Codenames

About this board game

Codenames is a team-based word-association game for 2–8 players that plays in about 15 minutes. Two rival spymasters guide their teammates toward hidden agents using carefully chosen one-word clues.

To begin, lay out 25 cards, each showing a single-word codename. The spymasters secretly view which cards represent their own agents, the opposing team’s agents, innocent bystanders, and the assassin. Everyone else sees only the words.

On a turn, a spymaster gives a clue consisting of one word and one number. The clue suggests how many cards in play connect to that word. Teammates discuss the possibilities and identify a card they believe belongs to their team.

• A correct choice lets the team continue guessing, up to one more guess than the stated number.
• Choosing an opposing agent or an innocent bystander ends the team’s turn.
• Choosing the assassin immediately loses the game for that team.

The two teams compete to identify all of their agents first. Spymasters must create clues broad enough to connect several words yet precise enough to keep teammates away from dangerous cards. A word such as “disease,” “Germany,” or even “carrot” might be a codename waiting to be linked.

With its compact play time and simple clue-and-guess structure, Codenames turns shared associations into a tense race. The game ends when one team identifies all its agents or the assassin removes one team from play. Released in 2015, it challenges communication, interpretation, and restraint in every round.