Codenames: Duet

2017

Codenames: Duet is a captivating two-player cooperative version of the popular word game, Codenames. This game invites you into a world of secret agents and hidden codes where your mission is to uncover all the secret agents in the field without tripping over any assassins. The setting of Codenames: Duet takes place in various locations around the world. Using a double-sided key card, players get a grid of 25 words that represent the names of agents in the field. The key card also indicates which agents each player can see, which agents are shared, and which slots hold deadly assassins. ... Read more

30
minutes

2 - 2
player(s)

11+

Medium Light

About the game

Codenames: Duet is a captivating two-player cooperative version of the popular word game, Codenames. This game invites you into a world of secret agents and hidden codes where your mission is to uncover all the secret agents in the field without tripping over any assassins.

The setting of Codenames: Duet takes place in various locations around the world. Using a double-sided key card, players get a grid of 25 words that represent the names of agents in the field. The key card also indicates which agents each player can see, which agents are shared, and which slots hold deadly assassins.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Codenames: Duet is a cooperative version of the popular word game Codenames. The game includes the following components:

200 Double-sided Codename cards: These cards are the main component of the game. Each card has a word on each side, and they are used to set up the game grid. Players give clues based on these words. The two sides of each card allow for a greater variety of words to be used across multiple games.

15 Green Agent cards: These cards are used to cover the words that have been correctly guessed by the players. They represent the agents that the players are trying to contact.

1 Double-sided Assassin card: This card is used to mark the word that represents the assassin. If a player guesses this word, the game ends immediately and the players lose.

11 Timer tokens: These tokens are used to keep track of the number of turns. Each time the players guess a word incorrectly or pass their turn, a token is removed from the game.

1 Rulebook: The rulebook explains the rules of the game and how to set up the game. It also provides examples of gameplay.

100 Key cards: These cards show the layout of the words for each game. They indicate which words correspond to the agents, the assassin, and the innocent bystanders. Only the clue-giver can look at the key card.

1 Pad of Mission Maps: The mission maps provide additional challenges for the players. Each map has a different layout of agents, assassins, and innocent bystanders, and different rules for how many mistakes the players can make.

1 Card stand: The card stand is used to hold the key card so that only the clue-giver can see it.

Each component of Codenames: Duet plays a distinct role in the gameplay, and all of them work together to create a challenging and engaging cooperative game experience.

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

Codenames: Duet is a cooperative game where players work together to uncover all the agents on the board. Follow these steps to set up the game:

Positioning the Game: Place the game in the center of the table, so all players can easily reach it.
Setting up the Cards: Shuffle the 200 word cards and place 25 of them in a 5×5 grid on the table. The remaining cards can be set aside, they won’t be needed for this game.
Choosing the Key Card: Shuffle the key cards and draw one at random. Place it into the stand and put it between the two players. The players should sit on opposite sides of the key card, each looking at one side of the card.
Setting up the Timer Tokens: Place the 15 timer tokens on the table, to the side of the word grid.
Assigning Player Roles: There aren’t specific roles in Codenames: Duet. Both players will be giving clues and guessing words. However, it’s usually best to decide who will give the first clue.

Random elements in the game include the words that end up in the grid, as well as the key card that determines which words are agents and which are bystanders. The players also don’t know which words their partner is trying to get them to guess.

Remember, the goal of the game is to uncover all 15 agents before running out of time. Work together, think strategically, and have fun!

Game flow Round and round we go

Codenames: Duet is a cooperative word game for two or more players. In this game, players work together to find all of the secret agents hiding among a grid of words. The game is played in rounds, with each round consisting of several phases: clue giving, guessing, checking, and clean up. Let’s break down each stage.

1. Clue Giving:

In this stage, one player, the clue giver, looks at the key card, which shows the locations of the secret agents on the grid. The clue giver must come up with a one-word clue that relates to one or more of the words on the grid. This clue is then given to the other player(s). The clue can’t be any of the words currently showing on the word cards.

2. Guessing:

After the clue is given, the other player(s) must guess which words on the grid the clue refers to. They indicate their guesses by placing their fingers on the appropriate word cards. They can make as many guesses as the number given by the clue giver plus one, but they must make at least one guess.

3. Checking:

The clue giver checks each guess made by the other player(s). If a guess is correct, the clue giver covers the word with an agent card. If a guess is incorrect, the clue giver covers the word with an innocent bystander card or assassin card, depending on what the key card shows for that word. If an assassin card is revealed, the game ends immediately and the players lose.

4. Clean Up:

After all guesses have been checked, the clue giver role passes to the next player and the round ends. Any remaining clues from the previous round are no longer valid.

The game continues in this manner until either all the agents have been found (in which case the players win), an assassin is revealed (in which case the players lose), or nine rounds have passed without a win (in which case the players also lose).

Clue Giving: One player gives a one-word clue related to the hidden agents.
Guessing: Other player(s) guess which words the clue refers to.
Checking: The clue giver checks each guess, covering correct guesses with agent cards and incorrect guesses with innocent bystander or assassin cards.
Clean Up: The round ends, the clue giver role passes to the next player, and all remaining clues are discarded.

In summary, Codenames: Duet is a game of deduction, communication, and teamwork, where players must work together to find all the secret agents before time runs out or an assassin is revealed.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In the game of Codenames: Duet, the aim is to find all of the 15 agents without hitting the assassins or running out of time. Each player’s turn follows a specific structure and contains numerous strategic opportunities. Here’s a thorough breakdown:

1. Giving a Clue

The clue giver’s role: The first step of a player’s turn is to give a clue. The player must think carefully about their clue to ensure it relates to the words on the table that their team needs to guess. The clue should be cryptic enough to avoid leading their team to guess a word representing an assassin, but clear enough that their team can make a correct guess.

2. Discussing the Clue

The guessers’ role: After a clue has been given, the other player or players have the chance to discuss it. They should consider the clue carefully, thinking about the possible meanings and how these might relate to the words on the table. This is the main strategic aspect of the game, as players must try to get inside the minds of their friends and understand what they are thinking.

3. Making a Guess

The guessers’ role: Once the players have discussed the clue and decided on their guess, they touch the card they believe is the correct one. If they are correct, the card is covered with an agent. If they are incorrect, the game’s outcome depends on what card they touched:

A bystander: The turn ends immediately.
An assassin: The game ends immediately, and the players lose.
An agent from the other side: The turn ends, but this could potentially help in future turns.

4. Ending the Turn

The clue giver’s role: Once the other player has made their guess, the clue giver’s turn is over. They can now sit back and watch the next player take their turn, hoping that their clue has set their team up for success.

Throughout the game, players must balance risk and reward. Giving a clue that relates to multiple words can help to find the agents faster, but it also increases the risk of hitting an assassin. The game continues until all 15 agents are found, or an assassin is hit.

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

Codenames: Duet is a cooperative word game where two or more players work together to contact all agents before time runs out or they run out of lives. The game ends in one of four ways:

Victory: The game ends immediately in victory if players successfully unveil all 15 agents without encountering an assassin or running out of time.

Actions: In this case, no actions are needed before final scoring. The players simply count the number of agents they have successfully unveiled, which should be 15.

Loss by Assassin: The game ends immediately in a loss if a player guesses an assassin.

Actions: No additional actions are necessary. The players have lost the game, so there is no final scoring.

Loss by Time: The game ends in a loss if the players run out of turns before they have successfully unveiled all 15 agents.

Actions: In this case, players may want to review their guesses to see where they went wrong. There is no final scoring, as the players have lost the game.

Loss by Incorrect Guessing: The game also ends in a loss if players make a certain number of incorrect guesses (indicated by the bystander tokens).

Actions: Again, no additional actions are necessary. The players have lost the game, so there is no final scoring.

In the event of a victory, the players have accomplished their mission and can celebrate their cooperation and teamwork. In the event of a loss, players can learn from their mistakes and start a new game, using their previous experience to improve their strategy.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the cooperative game ‘Codenames: Duet’, the objective isn’t to score points but to collectively win or lose as a team. The team’s score is based on how many turns it takes to uncover all the agents without running into the assassins or running out of time.

Winning the Game:

To win, players must uncover all 15 agents in a certain number of turns, indicated on the mission map in the rulebook. If the players successfully locate all the agents before time runs out or before they encounter an assassin, they win the game.

Losing the Game:

The players lose if they uncover an assassin, run out of time (turns), or if they have uncovered all of the innocent bystanders. Uncovering an assassin immediately ends the game, while running out of time or uncovering all the bystanders results in a loss at the end of the turn.

Tie-breaker Rules:

Since ‘Codenames: Duet’ is a cooperative game, there is no scoring system that could result in a tie to be broken. The players either win or lose as a team.

Ranking Your Performance:

Though the game is not scored, you can rank your performance based on how many turns it took you to win. The mission map in the rulebook provides a guide. If you uncover all the agents in 9 or fewer turns, your performance is considered ‘excellent’. It’s ‘good’ if you required 10 turns, ‘fair’ for 11 turns, and ‘poor’ if you needed 12 or more turns.

Note: In ‘Codenames: Duet’, the turns are represented by time tokens. You start with 9 time tokens and can earn more through the game.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Codenames: Duet is a cooperative version of the popular game Codenames. While the basic gameplay remains similar, there are a number of special rules, exceptions, and clarifications that are unique to this version. Here are some of the most important:

1. Cooperative Gameplay:

Codenames: Duet is designed to be played cooperatively, meaning all players work together as a team to try and find all the agents. This differs from the original game where players compete against each other.

2. Double-sided Key Cards:

Unlike in the original Codenames, the key card in Codenames: Duet is double-sided. Each side corresponds to a different player’s view of the grid. Each player, therefore, has a different set of agents to find and a different set of assassins to avoid.

3. Timer Tokens:

In Codenames: Duet, players have a limited number of turns to find all the agents. This is tracked using timer tokens. Each time a player ends their turn without guessing an agent, a timer token is removed. If all timer tokens are removed before all agents are found, the players lose.

4. Bystanders:

If a player guesses a word that is a bystander on their side of the key card, their turn ends immediately. However, that word may still be an agent on the other player’s side of the key card.

5. The Assassin:

If a player guesses a word that is an assassin on their side of the key card, the game ends immediately and the players lose. However, if they guess a word that is an assassin on the other player’s side of the key card, it is treated as a bystander.

6. Rule Clarifications:

If a player gives a clue for a word that has already been revealed, the other player can ask for a new clue.
Players are not allowed to keep track of the game on paper or a similar means.
Players cannot give clues based on the position of the cards, the letters in the words, or the number of syllables in the words.