Chaos & Confetti

Take on the roles of spies and operatives in this game of hidden information and clues. Teams will work to uncover their agents through clever single word clues. It’s a race to unveil the right cards but beware, the deadly assassin lurks in the field, waiting to end the game for any team that gets too close.

Codenames is a party game centered around words, deduction, and leaps of faith.

Player Count: 4-8

Ages: 10+

Playtime: 15 minutes

GAME PLAY:

The game starts with the establishment of two teams (red/blue) and the set up of a 5×5 grid of random words from those available.  Each team will choose a “spymaster,” the person with the hidden information and who will be giving clues.

The spymasters will be given access to a card which details what each clue on the board represents: red agents, blue agents, bystanders, or the assassin. The goal is for each spymaster to have all of their agents revealed before the other team reveals there.  They must be careful though, because if one of their team members picks the assassin, it’s an automatic loss.

Spymasters will take turns giving clues and having their team (field operatives) make guesses.  The active spymaster will give a one word clue and a number.  For example, they may say “chicken 2.”  This would mean that they are trying to get their team to guess two clues that have some relation to the word “chicken,” such as “thigh” and “tender” or “fear” and “egg”

Field operatives must make at least one guess, and they may guess as many times equal to the clue number given plus one. With each guess, the spymasters will unveil the identity of the word (agent, bystander, assassin)  If a correct guess is made, the field operatives may keep going if they haven’t hit their maximum guess limit.  However, if they reveal a bystander or an opposing agent, their turn ends immediately. Picking the assassin is an automatic loss for the guessing team.

Gameplay will proceed back and forth until either one teams has all of their agents revealed or a team is eliminated by the assassin.

OUR THOUGHTS:

Codenames is a fantastic party game that should be a hit with gamers of any experience level. Its quick playspeed coupled with its high degree of replayability makes it perfect as either a fast activity or the main source of entertainment for the evening.

The variety comes from the ever changing assortment of words placed in the grid, but also the team make ups and the roles different players may take on.  It’s fun to give clues as the spymaster, hoping to help your teammates, and also just as fun to play the field operative, seeing if you can make sense of clues and get into the mindset of the spymaster.

This is the kind of game that almost anyone can pick up and get into very quickly. One of the more interesting aspects of Codenames is the social dynamics that come into play.  Shared and divergent ways of thinking are highlighted by gameplay but the more a group plays together, the more they build their own collaborative group-think.

The game’s biggest flaw is potential downtime if one or both teams are a little slower at giving/interpreting clues.  While the other team might want to pay attention to gain information that may help them, it less exciting to watch the other team mulling over their options.  This drawback also exists if the team sizes get too big.  Too many players can either slow gameplay down too much as everyone tries to have their say, or some people may feel less involved as they let others do all the talking.

Codenames will lead to plenty of laughs at the associations players try to make with clues and some light frustration as everyone else fails to marvel at (or understand) the perfection that was clue.  Most of all, the game should lead to a good time for all involved.

FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS:

Codenames packs a lot of fun in a simple concept. The game is perfect for anyone looking for a party game that is easy to teach, begin, and then replay again and again.

Disclaimer: we were sent a copy of Codenames and Codenames Duet from CGE with no requirements to post and/or review. All thoughts are our own.