Codenames: Deep Undercover

About this board game

Codenames: Deep Undercover is a team word game for 4–8 players that plays in about 15 minutes. Two rival spymasters know the secret identities of 25 agents, while their teammates know those agents only by their codenames.

Each team is trying to make contact with all of its agents before the opposing team does. The spymasters provide one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board, challenging their teammates to interpret the connection and choose the right codenames.

Every guess carries a risk. Teammates want to select words belonging to their own team, while avoiding words assigned to the opposing team. Above all, everyone wants to avoid the assassin.

• Two teams compete to contact all of their agents first.
• Spymasters give one-word clues that may connect to multiple words.
• Teammates must identify their team’s words while avoiding opposing agents and the assassin.

The tension comes from communicating an idea with a single clue and deciding how broadly to interpret it. A clue can create opportunities to identify several agents, but the wrong choice may help the other team or end the game through the assassin.

Codenames: Deep Undercover can be played as a standalone game or combined with other Codenames titles. Its compact 15-minute play time makes it suitable for returning to the table for another contest between rival spymasters and their teammates.