Résumé express
Two teams, Red and Blue, face a grid of 25 words. Each team has a single spymaster — only they see the key card showing which words belong to their team. In turn, the spymaster gives a clue — one word + a number — to lead their teammates to those words, without ever touching a card themselves. The first team to have all its agents guessed wins… as long as it avoids the assassin word, which loses the game instantly.
In the app: at the end of each game, tap the winning team — it keeps the evening’s score (Red X – Blue Y).
Mise en place
- 25 word cards laid out in a 5 × 5 grid.
- A random key card, seen only by the two spymasters: it colours the grid — 9 words for the starting team, 8 for the other, 7 bystanders (neutral) and 1 assassin.
- Each team picks one spymaster; the others are the agents who guess. Two teams of any size (ideally 3-4 each).
Tour de jeu
The active team plays like this:
- The spymaster gives a clue: one single word + a number. The number says how many grid words relate to that clue. The clue is about the meaning of words, never their spelling or position.
- The agents guess by touching cards one at a time:
- A word of their colour → correct, they may continue.
- A bystander (neutral) → the turn ends.
- A word of the opposing team → it counts for the opponent, and the turn ends.
- The assassin → the team that touched it loses instantly.
- Agents may attempt up to the announced number + 1 card (the “+1” lets them catch up on an earlier clue), or stop whenever they like after at least one guess.
Then it’s the other team’s turn.
Fin de partie
- Win: the first team to have all its agents guessed wins.
- Instant loss: a team that makes someone touch the assassin loses at once — the other team wins.
- In the app, end the game manually (Finish button) once you’ve recorded all the rounds you want.
FAQ
Is the clue really just one word? Yes. One word + a number. Proper nouns are allowed; compound words depend on what your table accepts — agree on it before you start.
Can a clue relate to spelling or a word’s position? No. The clue must point to meaning. “Rhymes with…” or “the card top-left” are forbidden.
What’s the number for? It tells how many words are targeted — and it caps the number of guesses (number + 1). Announcing a big number is risky: a single mistake can cost the turn.
A clue for “0”? Allowed: it means “none of our words relate to this” (often to steer away from a trap). Depending on the edition, a “0” or “unlimited” clue lets you guess as many cards as you want.
Can the spymaster react while their team guesses? No — poker face, no reactions, no gestures while the agents deliberate.
Variantes
- Codenames Duet: a cooperative version for 2 players (or two teams cooperating), with a limited number of turns.
- Codenames Pictures: the grid is made of images instead of words — same rules.
- On the clock: limit the agents’ thinking time with a timer to speed up play.