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Codenames Board Game Rules
Check out the essential Codenames Board Game Rules, making it easy for you to learn how to play.
Players: 2 to 8 | Game duration from: 10 mins | Game Complexity:
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What is the goal?
- 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
Game setup
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
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:
- The team’s Spymaster gives clues
- 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)
- You can only use the meaning for that word for your clue
- 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
How do you win?
- 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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