How to Play Codenames Rules

Check out the essential How to play Codenames Rules in simple steps

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Players: 2 to 8 | Game duration from: 10 mins | Game Complexity: EASY How to play Codenames rules in simple steps Codenames rules pdf / rulebook | Play Codenames Online Link 1

CODENAMES RULES FAQS

What Are The Rules to CodeNames?

• 2 teams and each team assigns a Spymaster
• There are 25 codenames (words) on the table
• Each team’s Spymaster knows their team’s agents behind the codenames
• Spymasters give clues to their teams to guess the codenames of their team’s agents
• Teams attempt to guess the right codenames related to their team’s agents
• Winning team is the team that uncovers the identities of all their agents or if the other team uncovers the assassin card

Setting Up Your CodeNames Game

Team and Card setup

• Teams choose their Spymasters
• Spymasters sit on same side of the table and rest of the team sit on opposite side
• Choose Codenames (words) to place on table
  • Randomly choose 25 codenames
  • Place on table in 5 by 5 grid

The Key

• Each game has one key revealing secret identities of cards on the table
• Spymasters choose key card randomly and slide into stand between them.
• Key corresponds to the grid
  • Blue Squares: Words that Blue team must guess
  • Red Squares: Words that Red team must guess
  • Pale Squares: Innocent bystanders
  • Black Square: Assassin that must never be contacted

Who Starts?

• 4 lights around the edge of the key card indicate which team starts
• Starting team has 9 words to guess. Team’s spymaster gives the first clue
• Other team has 8 words to guess

Agent Cards

• Red Agent Cards go in front of Red Spymaster. Blue in front of Blue spymaster
• Double agent belongs to whichever team that starts. Flip to team’s colour
• Innocent bystanders and assassin are kept in between the 2 spymasters

Gameplay

Teams take turns to do the following:

1. The team’s Spymaster gives clues
2. Rest of the team guess the codenames to uncover

Spymaster Gives a Clue

• Spymaster selects the codenames for their team to uncover
• Spymaster gives a one-word clue and announces the number of related codenames
• This indicates the number of correct guesses the team can make for the turn. If the team makes a correct guess form previous clue, they are allowed 1 extra guess

Guessing codenames

• Teammates discuss and make a guess by touching one of the codenames
• If team’s agent is uncovered, the Spymaster covers the codename with team’s agent card and they continue guessing until they uncover all codenames related to the clue
• Team’s turn ends if any of the guesses are wrong
• Team loses if they uncover an Assassin card.

Rules for clues

• The clue must be about the meaning of the words
• Letters and numbers are valid clues as long as they refer to the meaning
• Must be played in English
• Can’t say any form of the visible word on the table
• Can’t say part of a compound word

Homonyms and Spelling

• Same-sounding words with different meanings/spelling are treated as different words
  • You can only use the meaning for that word for your clue
    (e.g. clue for knight cannot be used for word night)
• Words spelt the same are considered the same even if they have different meanings/pronunciations
• You can use the different meanings as clues for the same word

Optional Flexible Rules

• Decide if you allow compound words (e.g. mother-in-law)
• Allow proper names as one word (e.g. George Washington)
• Allow Common Abbreviation (e.g. CIA, PhD)
• Allow different meanings for Homonyms (same sounding words) e.g clues for knight for the word night
• Allow a rhyming clue even if it is not related to the meaning of the word

Expert Rules: Clue number 0

• Spymaster is allowed to call 0 to indicate none of the words are related to the clue
• The team continues to make at least one guess
• Limit of guesses no longer applies

Expert Rules: Unlimited

• If you have multiple unguessed words from previous clues
• Spymaster may call unlimited instead of number
• Limit of guesses no longer applies

Penalty for invalid clues

• Team’s turn ends immediately if Spymaster gives invalid clues
• Spymaster of other team covers also one of their codenames (words) with their agent card before giving next clue
• If no one notices an invalid clue, clue is considered valid guesses

Timer

• Player taking too long to guess? Any player can flip the sand timer and ask the slow player to make a decision before time runs out

WiNNING CODENAMES

• Game ends when one team has all their codenames/words covered with their agents.
• If other team chooses your last word, your team also wins.
• If other team chooses a word related to an Assassin, they lose and you win

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How to Play CODENAMES QUICK STEPS

Official Codenames Rules PDF

Official Codenames Web Site

Play Codenames Online

How to Play Codenames and Review Videos

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