If you’re a fan of the board game Codenames (View Our Codenames – How to Play Guide Here), here are 10 board games similar to Codenames that you must play!
1. Mysterium
If you’re a fan of Codenames for it’s cooperative guessing and deduction aspects, you’ll enjoy Mysterium as well.
In Mysterium, players are required to solve a crime in which one player is the Ghost where the other players represent a medium.
To solve the crime, the Ghost, with the aid of the mediums, must recall the suspects present on the night of the murder. If after the 7th hour (round), one or mediums fail to identify their proper suspect, location and weapon, the ghost has failed and dissipates leaving the mystery unsolved. However, if they all succeed, the ghost has recovered enough memory to identify the culprit.
2. Decrypto
Decrypto is a game that requires collaborative thinking and the interpretation of coded messages.
In Decrypto, players compete in two teams where each player will have their own screen where they tuck in their cards in which they will then be given a code in order to collaboratively decode a message.
The team that guesses the most words correctly (decoded all the clues correctly), wins.
3. Spyfall
Spyfall is a party game played over several rounds and requires players to try understand what’s going around them.
There are two objectives to Spyfall. If you’re the spy, you objective is to try and avoid exposure until the end of a given round or identify the current location. The non-spy’s objective is to try and identify the spy and expose them.
4. Unusual Suspects
In Unusual Suspects, one player plays as the witness whilst the others are part of an investigation team where they are required to try and guess the correct identity of the thief based on listening to the clues given by the witness.
This game is fun if you enjoy Codenames as it requires cooperative guessing.
5. Spy Alley
A game of suspense and intrigue, the objective of Spy Alley is to collect all the necessary items of the player’s secret identity’s nationality (assumed at the start of the game) and be the first to land on the winner’s square.
However, if your opponent guesses your identity before you win, you are out but if they guess incorrectly, they are out.
6. Witness
In Witness, you are one of four characters in which you r objective is to solve mysteries or crimes by sharing information with other players.
Although this is not quite the competitive back and forth of Codenames, this game is a fun adventure of mystery-solving.
7. Hanabi
If you enjoy the communication puzzle aspect of Codenames, Hanabi is the game for you.
Hanabi is a cooperative game where players’ objective is to try and create the perfect fireworks show by placing cards in the right order on the table.
The twist of this game is that everyone can see your cards but you and clues need to be given in order for the right card to be placed.
8. Dixit
Dixit requires players to get creative with their clues where the objective of the game is to find which image is from the storyteller amongst the displayed ones.
This game is perfect if you enjoy the clues aspect of Codenames.
9. Insider
Insider requires players to find the right answers to a quiz or find the “Insider” who is manipulating the discussion. This game requires communication to achieve its objective.
The Insider of the game, whose role is not known to others, must do everything they can to hide their identity and mislead others.
10. Deception: Murder in Hong Kong
Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a game, like Codenames, where players need to find ways to connect seemingly unconnected words.
The premise of this game is that a murder has been committed and a team of investigators need to solve this case. Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a semi-cooperative game where the objective of the game depends on your role.
