Codename
Video by Watch it Played
Overview
Codenames is a word and social deduction game created by Vlaada Chvátil in 2015. Spymasters know the secret identities of 25 agents, but their teammates only know the agents by their codenames.
Spymasters take turns giving one-word clues. A clue may relate to multiple words on the table. Field operatives try to guess which words their spymaster meant. The first team to contact all their agents wins!
Game Components
- 200 codename cards: With words on both sides
- 40 key cards: Patterns showing secret identities
- 8 red agent cards: To cover Red Team agents
- 8 blue agent cards: To cover Blue Team agents
- 1 double agent card: Belongs to the starting team
- 7 innocent bystander cards: To cover civilians
- 1 assassin card: The black card that must never be touched
- 1 card stand: For the key card
- 1 sand timer: To limit time (optional)
Objective
Be the first team to contact all your agents (9 if you start, 8 if not) without touching the assassin.
How to Win
- The team that uncovers all their agents first wins
- If the opposing team touches one of your words, it helps you too!
- If anyone touches the assassin, their team loses immediately
Setup
Forming Teams
- Split into two teams (Red and Blue) with roughly equal numbers
- Each team chooses a Spymaster: Both spymasters sit on the same side of the table
- The remaining players are field operatives and sit across from their spymasters
Setting Up the Game
- Lay out 25 codename cards randomly on the table in a 5×5 grid
- The Spymasters draw a key card at random and place it in the stand without letting the operatives see it
- Place the agent cards in piles:
- Red agents in front of the red Spymaster
- Blue agents in front of the blue Spymaster
- Bystanders and assassin in the middle, accessible to both spymasters
- The double agent is flipped to show the color of the starting team
The Key Card
The key card reveals the secret identities of the cards:
- Red squares — Red Team agents
- Blue squares — Blue Team agents
- Pale colored squares — Innocent bystanders
- Black square — The assassin (never contact!)
The four lights on the edge of the card indicate the starting team. This team must guess 9 words, while the other team must guess 8.
How to Play
Teams take turns. The starting team is indicated by the 4 lights on the key card.
Giving a Clue
The Spymaster thinks of a one-word clue that relates to some of the codenames their team is trying to guess. When they have a good clue, they say it out loud along with a number indicating how many codenames relate to the clue.
Example: If two of your words are PRINCESS and DRAGON, you could say “Fairytale: 2”.
You can give a clue for just one word, but it’s more fun to try to cover two or more. Connecting up to four words with a single clue is quite an achievement!
Making Contact
When the Spymaster gives a clue, their operatives try to guess what it refers to. They may discuss it among themselves, but the Spymaster must not show any emotion. Operatives indicate their final choice by touching one of the cards.
Contact results:
- Your team’s agent — The Spymaster covers the word with a card of your color. You may continue guessing!
- Innocent bystander — Covered with a bystander card. Your turn ends.
- Opposing team’s agent — Covered with the rival team’s card. Your turn ends (and you helped the enemy!).
- Assassin — Covered with the assassin card. Your team loses immediately!
Number of Guesses
Operatives must always make at least one guess. If they guess a word belonging to their team, they may continue.
Maximum number of guesses: The number given by the Spymaster + 1 additional guess.
You can stop guessing at any time. Sometimes you may want to try guessing an extra word related to a previous clue.
Example: The red Spymaster says “Mammal: 3”. The operative touches BAT (correct!), then WHALE (correct!), and can still make another guess. They decide to try DRAGON thinking of the previous clue “Fairytale”. DRAGON is red, so they can continue. They’ve already made 3 successful guesses, but can make one final additional guess.
Clue Rules
Valid Clues
- The clue must be one word only
- It must refer to the meaning of the words
- You cannot use any form derived from a word visible on the table
- You cannot use part of a compound word that’s on the table
- Clues must be in the game’s language
Invalid Clues
- You cannot refer to the letters of a word (“B: 3” for BOAT, BAG, BUTTON)
- You cannot refer to the position of cards on the table
- The number you say after the clue cannot be part of the clue
Homonyms and Spelling
- Words that sound the same but are spelled differently (homophones) are considered different
- Words that are spelled the same are considered the same, even if they have different meanings
- An accent can change the meaning of a word
Flexible Rules
Each group can decide their own rules about:
- Proper nouns: Generally valid if they meet other rules
- Acronyms and abbreviations: CIA, UN, FBI… decide if you accept them
- Compound words and phrases: Technically only one word is valid, but you may accept noun phrases
Golden rule: If the opposing Spymaster allows it, the clue is valid.
Expert Clues
Zero: You can say “Feathers: 0” to indicate that none of your codenames relates to feathers. If the number is 0, there’s no limit on guesses.
Unlimited: You can say “Feathers: Unlimited” instead of a number. Operatives can guess as many words as they want, but won’t know how many relate to the new clue.
Game End
The game ends when:
- A team has covered all their words — that team wins
- An operative contacts the assassin — their team loses immediately
It’s possible to win on the other team’s turn if they touch your last word!
Penalty for Invalid Clues
If a Spymaster gives an invalid clue, their team’s turn ends immediately. Additionally, the opposing Spymaster may cover one of their words with an agent card before giving the next clue.
Variants
For Two Players
You can play on the same team against a simulated opponent:
- One player is the Spymaster, the other is the operative
- Make sure you’re the starting team
- The Spymaster simulates the opposing team by covering one of their words each rival turn
- If you contact the assassin or if all enemy agents are contacted, you lose
Scoring: Based on enemy agent cards remaining in the pile (8 = Hard to believe, 1 = Well, winning is what matters, right?)
For Three Players
Two options:
- Cooperative: Play as in the two-player variant
- Competitive: Two players are Spymasters and the third is a double agent working for both teams
Recommended Strategies
For the Spymaster
- Avoid the assassin: Before saying the clue, make sure it can’t relate to the assassin
- Think of multiple connections: Connecting 2-3 words is the ideal goal
- Consider how the team will interpret: What’s obvious to you may not be to them
- Keep a poker face: Show no emotion while the team deliberates
For the Operatives
- Discuss the options: Share your ideas before touching
- Remember previous clues: They may be relevant for additional guesses
- Avoid eye contact with the Spymaster: To avoid receiving non-verbal cues
- Don’t rush: Think carefully before touching a card
Tips for Beginners
- Start with 2-word clues before attempting more complex connections
- Prioritize safety over ambition — better to get one right than miss two
- Keep mental notes of previous clues — they may be useful later
- The Spymaster cannot speak beyond the clue and number
- When in doubt, stop — it’s better to end your turn than touch the assassin
History and Trivia
- Created by Vlaada Chvátil in 2015
- Published by Czech Games Edition
- Winner of the Spiel des Jahres 2016 (Game of the Year in Germany)
- Illustrations by Tomáš Kučerovský
- Has sold over 5 million copies worldwide
- Multiple variants exist: Codenames Pictures (images), Codenames Duet (cooperative), Codenames Disney, Marvel, Harry Potter, and many more
- Can be played with very large groups by splitting into teams
- The game has been translated into over 40 languages