Codenames

Overview

Two teams race to find their own agents among 25 codenames. Each team's spymaster gives one-word clues, and their teammates guess. One card, the assassin, loses the game for whoever touches it.

Checked against Czech Games Edition's Codenames rulebook (©2015–2025), the current English edition.

1. Setup

1. Split into two teams of about the same size, at least two players each.
2. Each team picks a spymaster; the rest are operatives. Both spymasters sit on the same side, opposite their teams.
3. Lay out 25 random word cards in a 5×5 grid.
4. The spymasters slide a random key card into the stand between them, where only they can see it.
5. Each spymaster takes 8 agent tiles in their colour. The 7 innocent bystanders and the assassin go between them.
6. The four triangles on the key card's edge show who starts. That team has one more word to find, so it takes the double agent tile, turned to its colour.

2. The clue

The spymaster gives one word and one number: the word links the cards, and the number says how many. "Tree: 2" for ROOT and BARK.

Invalid clues break the spirit of the game:

• It must be about meaning, not letters or position. No "b: 3" for BED, BUG and BOW. But letters and numbers are fine when they mean something: "x: 1" for RAY, "eight: 2" for BALL and OCTOPUS.
• No form of a visible word. Until BREAK is covered: not break, broken, breakage or breakdown.
• No part of a visible compound word. Until HORSESHOE is covered: not horse, shoe, unhorsed or snowshoe.
• English only, unless it's a foreign word your group would use in an English sentence: "strudel" is fine, "Apfel" isn't.
• No melodies or accents.
• Soundalikes only when they're about meaning: "snail" for MAIL works because of "snail mail". Your group may agree to allow all soundalikes, as the app does.

One word: one-word names and one-word compounds (greenhouse) are always fine. Your group may agree to allow common abbreviations (CIA, NASA), full names (George Washington) and even titles. Hyphenated or two-word clues like mother-in-law need the other spymaster's agreement.

You may spell your clue, and must if asked. Words spelled the same count as one word: "lead" can point to CAPTAIN and GOLD.

If you're not sure, check quietly with the opposing spymaster. If they allow it, it's valid. The rulebook says "don't be too strict": "sparrow" is fine even with ROW on the table.

Penalty: an invalid clue ends the team's turn with no guesses, and the opposing spymaster may cover one of their own words. The other team can choose to allow it instead, and an invalid clue nobody notices until later stands.

3. Guessing

Operatives discuss, then touch a card, and the spymaster covers it with the colour from the key.

You touch	Result
Your own agent	Guess again
An innocent bystander	Turn ends
The other team's agent	Turn ends, and you've helped them
The assassin	You lose immediately

You must make at least one guess, and can stop whenever you like after that.

Plus one: while you keep guessing right, you can make one more guess than the clue's number, to pick up a word missed earlier.

Zero ("feathers: 0") and unlimited clues both allow unlimited guesses while you keep guessing right.

4. Winning

Your team wins when all its words are covered, including when the other team guesses your last word for you. You also win if the other team touches the assassin.

5. Table manners from the rulebook

• The spymaster keeps a straight face, doesn't react to discussion, and doesn't reach for a tile until a card is touched.
• Don't add hints like "this is a bit of a stretch".
• The spymaster can't mention earlier clues unless asked to repeat them, or say whether words are still missing.
• Operatives shouldn't watch the spymaster for reactions.

Commonly argued

• Clues are about meaning, not letters, sounds or position.
• No form or part of any visible word.
• One-word names are always fine. Longer names and abbreviations need your group's agreement.
• Plus one: you may make one guess more than the number.
• Zero means unlimited guesses.
• An invalid clue ends your turn, and the other side may cover a word.
• The assassin loses the game immediately.