Codenames: Duet
COOPERATIVE 2-PLAYER (or team-vs-clock) version of the immensely popular CODENAMES word-association party game — designed by VLAADA CHVÁTIL & SCOT EATON, published by CZECH GAMES EDITION 2017. Both players SHARE the same 5×5 word grid but see DIFFERENT KEY CARDS — each side gives clues to the other. Team wins by identifying ALL AGENTS on both maps within 9 total TURNS while AVOIDING ASSASSINS + BYSTANDERS. Includes MISSION BOOKLET of 22 progressively harder scenarios. Won 2018 GOLDEN GEEK COOPERATIVE GAME OF THE YEAR.
Quick facts
Category
Party Games
Type
Team sport
Players
2–8
Duration
~20 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
Estimated origin
Codenames (original) 2015 by Vlaada Chvátil — won Spiel des Jahres 2016; Codenames: Duet cooperative 2-player spinoff 2017 by Chvátil + Scot Eaton; 2018 Golden Geek Cooperative Game of the Year; multiple thematic editions (Marvel, Disney, Harry Potter, Deep Undercover).
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Team-of-2 identifies ALL 15 AGENTS across BOTH players' KEY CARDS within 9 TOTAL TURNS.
Rules
Basic rules
5×5 GRID of 25 WORDS visible to both players; each player has UNIQUE KEY CARD showing which words are agents/bystanders/assassins for their partner
Signature dual-key info-asymmetry.
TURN: one player gives a ONE-WORD CLUE + NUMBER (indicating how many grid words that clue relates to); partner guesses cells accordingly
Signature clue-word-plus-number.
GUESS AGENT (green): success — flip token, keep guessing; GUESS BYSTANDER: turn ends, tokens deducted; GUESS ASSASSIN: game LOSS
Signature 3-outcome guess.
COOPERATIVE — both players contribute clues; TIMER TOKEN decrements per turn (9 turns total)
Signature timer-token cooperative countdown.
PARTIAL WIN: identify all 15 agents in 9 turns; LOSE if timer runs out OR assassin guessed
Signature 9-turn win-loss.
MISSION 15/15 → advance in MISSION BOOKLET; campaign chains 22 missions of increasing difficulty (fewer starting tokens, more bystanders, extra assassins)
Signature mission-booklet campaign progression.
TEAM VARIANT (4+ players): 2 pairs each with own duet; competitive-cooperative
Signature team-of-pairs mode.
Scoring
Binary win/loss per mission; campaign tracks progress across 22 missions.
Win condition · All 15 agents identified within 9 turns without hitting assassin; mission booklet progression.
Equipment
200 WORD CARDS (each has 2 words: base game side + Duet side) — 400 total words
Signature dual-word cards.
60 DOUBLE-SIDED KEY CARDS (each key shows both players' target grids)
Signature dual-key cards.
18 AGENT CARDS (green) + 6 BYSTANDER CARDS (yellow) + 3 ASSASSIN CARDS (black) + 1 EARLY-END CARD
Signature 18-6-3-1 card set.
MISSION BOOKLET with 22 progressively-hard scenarios (starting missions to campaign)
Signature 22-mission booklet.
TIMER TOKEN + WORD-CARD STAND
Standard game aids.
Terminology
- Duet
- The cooperative 2-player variant of Codenames.
- Timer token
- Countdown token for the 9-turn limit.
- Assassin
- Black card that ends game in loss if guessed.
- Bystander
- Yellow card — no penalty beyond turn-ending.
- Agent
- Green card — target of clues + guesses.
- Mission booklet
- Campaign scenarios of increasing difficulty (22 total).
Major competitions
Casual home + convention gaming; no formal tournament (Codenames World Championship exists for base game)
n/a · Global home gaming · since 2017
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Czech Games Edition (CGE, publisher)
Founded 2007 · Prague, Czech Republic
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Vlaada Chvátil (CZ, designer)
- Scot Eaton (US, co-designer)
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Codenames— Wikipedia
- Czech Games Edition — Codenames Duet— CGE