Card
Codenames
"Give one-word clues to help your team find their agents before the other side."
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Setup
Place 25 word cards in a 5x5 grid. Divide players into two teams: red and blue. Each team picks a spymaster. The spymasters look at the key card (a 5x5 grid showing which words belong to red, blue, neutral, or the assassin). Only spymasters see the key card.
How to Play
- The red spymaster gives a one-word clue and a number (e.g., 'animal 3').
- The clue must relate to the words on the grid. The number tells their team how many of their words relate to that clue.
- The red team then discusses and taps on as many words as they think match the clue, but no more than the number given.
- If they tap a red word, they keep going. If they tap a blue word, their turn ends and the other team gets a point.
- If they tap a neutral word, their turn ends. If they tap the assassin, they lose immediately.
- Then the blue spymaster gives a clue, and so on.
Winning the Game
The first team to reveal all of their own colored words wins. If a team taps the assassin, they lose instantly.
Variants & House Rules
Codenames Duet is a cooperative version for 2 players. Codenames Pictures uses images instead of words.