Decrypto

About this board game

Decrypto is a team code-breaking game for 3–8 players, with each game typically taking about 45 minutes. Two teams compete to communicate coded messages while trying to uncover the meaning behind their opponents’ clues.

Each team has a screen containing four cards in pockets numbered 1–4. Everyone on a team can see its four words, while the opposing team cannot. Each round, a team member draws a code card showing three of those numbers in a specific order and gives a three-part coded message designed to lead teammates to the correct sequence.

For example, with words such as “pig,” “candy,” “tent,” and “son,” a clue like “Sam-striped-pink” might indicate the code 4-2-1. Teammates attempt to map the clues to the numbered words. A correct answer keeps the team moving, while an incorrect answer gives the team a black mark of failure.

• First round: teammates try to interpret their own team’s coded message.
• From the second round: the opposing team also attempts to guess the code, using the clues to uncover your hidden word associations.
• End of the game: two white marks win the game, while two black marks cause a loss.

If opponents correctly intercept a code, they receive a white mark. If they fail, the active team still has to guess its own number sequence or risk another black mark; a correct guess avoids failure but may reveal more about the team’s hidden words.

Rounds continue until a team wins or loses, with games typically lasting four to seven rounds. If neither team has won after eight rounds, both teams try to guess the other team’s words, and the team identifying more words correctly wins. Decrypto combines teamwork, deduction, and increasingly revealing clues in a focused contest of communication.