Codenames
Officially Codenames (Vlaada Chvátil, 2015)
Modern Czech party word-association game (2015) — two teams of spymasters give one-word clues to lead teammates to identify their agents on a 5×5 grid of code names, while avoiding opponents' agents and the assassin; 2016 Spiel des Jahres winner.
What is Codenames?
Codenames is a modern party word-association game designed by Vlaada Chvátil (Czech Republic, 2015; published by Czech Games Edition). Won 2016 Spiel des Jahres (Germany's top board game award). Setup: 25 word cards laid in 5×5 grid; two spymasters see a color-coded key card showing which words belong to each team + which is the assassin + which are civilians. Each turn, spymaster gives ONE-WORD clue + a NUMBER indicating how many words their team should guess. Teammates guess words on grid; correct = card flipped their color, continue guessing (up to N+1 guesses); incorrect = other team's card, civilian, or assassin (immediate loss). Teams alternate. Red team wins by identifying all 9 red words; Blue wins with 8 blue. Assassin word = instant loss. Elegantly simple mechanic + endless variety (200+ base words × combinations = billions of games). 4-8 players base; 2-player variant (Duet). Cross-cultural hit — translated to 30+ languages. Sequels: Pictures (2016 SdJ winner too), Duet, Deep Undercover (party edition), thematic editions (Marvel, Disney, etc.). Estimated 15+ million copies sold. Considered gold-standard modern party board game — deep enough for gaming groups + accessible enough for family/casual.
Quick facts
Category
Party Games
Type
Team sport
Players
2–8
Duration
~15 min
Where played
indoor
Field / court
tabletop (words in 5×5 grid)
Country of origin
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
Estimated origin
Designed by Vlaada Chvátil; published Czech Games Edition 2015; won Spiel des Jahres 2016
Olympic
No
Popularity
global
How it works
Objective
Team's spymaster gives one-word clues to help teammates identify all their code names first, while avoiding opponents' code names + assassin.
Match structure
2 teams (Red vs Blue) with 1 spymaster each. Spymasters see key card. Team turns alternate. On turn, spymaster gives one-word clue + number (e.g., 'FRUIT 3' = 3 words related to fruit). Teammates guess up to N+1 words. Guess own team's word = continue. Wrong team, civilian, or assassin = turn ends (assassin = immediate loss). First team to identify all their words wins.
Rules
Basic rules
2 teams with 1 spymaster each
Red team + Blue team; 1 spymaster per team gives clues; rest are field operatives who guess.
One-word clue + number
Clue must be single word (e.g., 'Fruit') followed by number of guesses ('3').
Clue cannot be word on grid
Cannot use any of 25 words currently on grid as clue.
Clue cannot rhyme with word on grid
'Whale' could not be clued for 'Snail' with rhymes — must be pure meaning connection.
Team guesses one at a time
Field operatives point to word — spymaster flips agent card to reveal color.
Correct guess = continue
Guessed own team's word → continue guessing (up to N+1 total).
Wrong guess ends turn
Wrong team, civilian, or assassin → turn ends immediately.
Assassin = instant game loss
Guessing assassin word = your team immediately loses regardless of other progress.
First team to identify all their agents wins
Red team wins after 9 red identified; Blue team wins after 8 blue identified.
Advanced rules
Clue must connect to meaning, not spelling
Cannot use partial word matches; must be pure semantic connection.
Higher number = more guesses allowed
'Animal 3' allows up to 4 guesses (3 + 1 bonus). Number 0 = unlimited but risk lifting turn.
Number 0 (Zero)
Special clue meaning 'not related' — clue links words to AVOID. Team can guess unlimited if strong theory.
Number 'unlimited' / 'infinity'
Some variants allow unlimited-guess clues; risky but rewarding.
Word connections vary widely
'IRON' could mean IRON (metal), IRON (Iron Man), IRON (steam), IRON (Ireland)... spymasters exploit ambiguity.
House rules
Common: allow proper nouns (some ban), allow compound words (some ban), allow foreign words (some ban).
Duet variant (2 players cooperative)
2 players work together with different key cards; must find agents both know within 9 turns.
Pictures variant (2016 SdJ winner)
Same mechanics but images instead of words — visual associations.
Tournament format
Best-of-3 or 5 games; timed clues; scoring per game (not just wins).
Scoring
First team to identify all their agents wins. Score usually 0 or 1 per game (win/lose).
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Identify own team's agent | +1 (toward all-9 or all-8 required) |
| Identify civilian | Turn ends (no penalty) |
| Identify opponent's agent | Opponent gains agent + turn ends |
| Identify assassin | INSTANT LOSS |
Win condition · First team to identify all their agents (9 red or 8 blue) wins. Assassin guess = instant loss.
Playing area
Called
tabletop (words in 5×5 grid)
Dimensions
25 word cards arranged in 5×5 grid; approx 40cm × 40cm playing area.
Any table surface; spymasters sit at end of grid with view of key card + word grid.
Equipment
Base game box
200 double-sided word cards + 40 code cards (9 red, 8 blue, 7 civilian, 1 assassin per side) + agent + assassin tokens + rulebook. $15-25 retail.
Word cards
200 cards × 2 sides = 400 unique words in base set. Simple nouns (Apple, Star, Africa, etc.).
Code card (key)
Small card showing 5x5 grid pattern; each square marked as red/blue/civilian/assassin. Only spymasters see it.
Agent tokens (color-coded)
Small cards placed on words after they're guessed correctly (red or blue side up).
Assassin token + civilian tokens
Neutral color cards placed on incorrectly guessed words.
Timer (optional)
Some editions include sand timer for pace control (typically 30 sec per turn).
Officiating
Self-officiated; spymasters ensure clues follow rules (single word, not on grid, not rhyming, etc.).
- Spymasters (rule enforcement)
- Timekeepers (if timed)
Strategies
Chain connections
Look for word that connects 2-3+ team words uniquely (not linked to opponent's or assassin).
Balance risk vs reward
High number clue = more guesses = faster to victory BUT more chance of wrong guess.
Avoid ambiguity toward assassin
Never use clue that could ambiguously connect to assassin — even 1% risk is game-ending.
Save easy clues for late
1-word clues for 1 obvious remaining word = quick finish; save for critical rounds.
Guess conservatively when losing
Behind on board? Take extra caution — 1 mistake = losing pace.
Team meta-communication
Learn teammates' thinking style — some think concrete, others metaphorical.
Terminology
- Codename / Word card
- One of 25 words in play grid.
- Spymaster
- Player who gives clues; only person who sees key card.
- Field Operative / Agent
- Player who guesses based on spymaster's clues.
- Clue
- One-word hint + number of related words.
- Bystander / Civilian
- Neutral word on grid (7 of 25); guessing = turn ends.
- Assassin
- One deadly word; guessing = instant loss.
- Key card
- Small card showing which words belong to each team.
- N+1 guesses
- Team can guess up to N (from clue) + 1 bonus per turn.
- Zero clue
- Number 0 = 'do NOT guess anything related to this clue' — indicates avoidance.
- Infinity / Unlimited
- Some variants allow unlimited guessing if team is confident.
- Trap word
- Word connected to both teams — risky to clue.
- Cross-reference
- When word matches multiple possible clues; disambiguation critical.
- Hard clues
- Cluing 3+ words simultaneously = high risk, high reward.
Major competitions
World Boardgame Championships (Codenames)
annual · worldwide (WBC USA) · since 2016
Codenames Nationals (various countries)
annual · national · since 2016
Casual pub + game night play
widespread · worldwide
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Czech Games Edition (publisher)
Founded 2005 · Prague, Czech Republic
Official site ↗Community: BoardGameGeek Codenames guild
Founded 2015 · Online
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Vlaada Chvátil (Czech Republic, b. 1971) — Designer; also designed Galaxy Trucker, Through the Ages
- Various Codenames World Champions — tournament first held 2016
- Popular streamers + content creators — Wil Wheaton (Tabletop web series featured Codenames)
Records
Spiel des Jahres 2016 winner
Codenames — Germany's top board game award (2016)
Copies sold worldwide
Czech Games Edition + licensees — 15+ million copies (2024)
Number of language editions
Czech Games Edition — 30+ languages (2024)
Number of themed editions
Various licensees (Marvel, Disney, Simpsons) — 20+ themed variants (2024)
Sequels + variants
Vlaada Chvátil + team — Duet, Pictures, XXL, Deep Undercover (2024)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Buy base Codenames (~$15-25)
Start with word version; Pictures version equally popular if visual thinker.
- 2
Play with 4 friends first
4-8 players ideal; 2 teams of 2-4.
- 3
Start with simple 1-2 word clues
Don't overreach — get comfortable with word associations before complex clues.
intermediate
- 1
Try Codenames Duet (2 player)
Cooperative variant expands your play; different strategy required.
- 2
Learn about zero + infinity clues
Advanced techniques — 'AVOID' clues + unlimited guesses.
- 3
Play various editions
Marvel, Disney, Deep Undercover keep gameplay fresh.
advanced
- 1
Play at gaming conventions
Regional gaming conventions host casual + competitive Codenames events.
- 2
Tournament format
WBC (World Boardgame Championships) Codenames event annually.
- 3
Codenames content creation
Streaming Codenames games popular content on YouTube + Twitch.
Frequently asked
What is Codenames?+
Modern party word-association board game designed by Vlaada Chvátil (Czech Republic, 2015). Two teams of spymasters give ONE-WORD clues to lead teammates through a 5×5 grid of code name words, trying to identify their team's agents while avoiding opponents' agents + a deadly ASSASSIN word. First team to identify all their agents wins. 4-8 players; 15-30 min; won 2016 Spiel des Jahres.
How does Codenames work?+
Setup: 25 word cards in 5×5 grid; 2 spymasters see color-coded key card showing which words belong to Red team (9), Blue team (8), civilians (7), assassin (1). Turns alternate. Spymaster gives ONE-WORD clue + number (e.g., 'FRUIT 3' = 3 words on grid related to fruit). Team guesses up to N+1 words. Correct = continue; wrong = turn ends. Assassin word = INSTANT LOSS. First team to find all their agents wins.
What are the clue rules?+
Rules for clues: (1) MUST be single word (not phrase or compound word). (2) Cannot be any word currently on grid. (3) Cannot rhyme with grid word (must be meaning connection). (4) Cannot use partial word match (e.g., 'IRON' cannot clue 'IRONY'). (5) Number indicates how many grid words connect. Common house rules allow/disallow proper nouns, compound words, foreign languages.
How many people can play Codenames?+
Base game: 4-8 players (2 teams of 2-4). Best experience: 4-6 players. Codenames Duet (separate variant): 2 players cooperative. With house rules, can be played with 3 players (1 spymaster + 1 guesser per team; each team half). Party gatherings of 10+ people can play with multiple teams or 'rotating captains' approach.
What's Codenames Duet?+
2-player cooperative variant designed by Vlaada Chvátil + Scot Eaton (2017). Both players are spymasters; they see DIFFERENT key cards showing agents ONLY they know. Take turns giving clues + guessing; must find all agents both know within 9 rounds. Different strategy — both players' knowledge combines to solve puzzle together, not compete. Popular for couples + gaming pairs.
Why is Codenames so popular?+
Combination of factors: (1) LOW barrier to entry — anyone can play, no gaming background needed. (2) 15-30 min game length — perfect for parties or short breaks. (3) 200+ base words × combinations = billions of unique games (endless replay). (4) SCALES to any group (4-8 players). (5) Encourages creativity + laughter. (6) Available in 30+ languages + 20+ themed editions. (7) Won prestigious Spiel des Jahres 2016. (8) $15-25 price point accessible. Gateway to hobby gaming.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Codenames (board game)— Wikipedia
- Czech Games Edition — Codenames— Czech Games Edition