This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards.
There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 13,128 times.
Learn more...
If you like espionage, intrigue, and word-clues, then Codenames is the game for you! It’s action-packed and super fun to play with a group of friends. Codenames involves giving clever clues to help your team identify friendly secret agents and avoid the deadly assassin. You can play with the official Codenames card deck, online, or through the Codenames app on your smartphone or tablet. And it’s not too difficult to learn. To make it even easier, we’ve put together a handy list for you to use to set up and play a fun round of Codenames.
Steps
Method 1
Method 1 of 13:Gather your players and Codenames cards.
-
1Set up a game with at least 4 players and the official game. The object of Codenames is to identify all of your team’s secret agents without accidentally revealing enemy agents, innocent bystanders, or the deadly assassin. You need at least 4 players for a standard game of Codenames, and you can use the official deck of Codenames cards, or have all of the players access the Codenames app to set up a game.[1]Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 13:Split up the players into 2 teams.
-
1Try to create 2 teams of similar size and skill. Divide the players as evenly as you can into 2 teams that roughly match each other in size and skill. For instance, if you have 7 total players, divide them into teams of 4 and 3, and try to put players with a little more experience in the smaller group so it’s relatively balanced.[2]
Method 3
Method 3 of 13:Select 1 spymaster per team.
-
1Each team can choose a different spymaster between games. Allow both teams to talk amongst themselves and pick 1 player to serve as spymaster for that round. Seat both spymasters across from their teammates on the other side of the table or playing area.[3]
- The spymasters will provide clues and will not help choose agents with the other players.
Advertisement
Method 4
Method 4 of 13:Choose 25 codename cards.
-
1Shuffle the deck and choose randomly. The official Codenames game comes with over 400 potential codename cards. Shuffle up the deck nicely and pull out 25 of them randomly. You won’t need to use any of the remaining cards for that round, so go ahead and put them away.[4]
- If you’re using the Codenames app or playing online, they’ll automatically choose 25 codename cards for you.
Method 5
Method 5 of 13:Set up a 5 by 5 grid with the cards.
-
1Make an even square with the code words facing up. Take the 25 cards and arrange them into 5 rows adjacent rows of 5 cards. Form a perfect square so the playing area is nice and neat.[5]
- The Codenames app or online game will also automatically form a 25-card grid.
Advertisement
Method 6
Method 6 of 13:Choose 1 keycard from the deck.
-
1Place it on the stand in front of the spymasters. The keycard tells the spymasters the identities behind the codename cards in the playing area. Have the spymasters choose 1 keycard and keep it out of view from the other players. Use the keycard stand that comes with the Codenames game or just keep the card hidden from the other players.[6]
- Both spymasters need to be able to see the keycard.
Method 7
Method 7 of 13:Deal out 8 agent cards to each team.
-
1Choose 8 red and 8 blue cards. Both teams have a color assigned to them: one team is red and the other is blue. Each team has 8 agent cards that match their team color. Count out the cards and place them in front of the team’s spymaster.[7]Advertisement
Method 8
Method 8 of 13:Flip 1 double agent card to the starting team.
-
1The color on the keycard indicates the starting team. Look for the colored rectangles on the outer edge of the keycard. If they’re blue, then the blue team goes first. If they’re red, then the red team goes first. Take 1 of the agent cards away from the opposing team, flip it over to the other team’s color, and add it to the starting team’s pile.[8]
- The double agent card balances out the advantage that the team who goes first has. The starting team will have 9 agents and the other team will have 7.
- If you’re playing online or in an app, the game will automatically flip a double agent card over to the starting team.
Method 9
Method 9 of 13:Gather the agent cards, 7 bystanders, and 1 assassin card.
-
1Place them all in front of the spymasters. Place the stacks of agent cards in front of their respective spymaster. Then, stack 7 bystander cards in the center and place the single assassin card near them.[9]
- The online game or app will keep track of the cards for you.
Advertisement
Method 10
Method 10 of 13:Give a 1-word clue and a number.
-
1Use only 1 word and a number to give your teammates a hint. The word gives a clue about which codenames correspond to a friendly agent and the number tells your team how many possible codename cards match the clue. The spymaster on the starting team goes first. Say only the 1-word clue and the number, and that is it. No other hints, facial expressions, or any other potential clues can be given.[10]
- For example, the spymaster could say, “Nature, 2.” Their teammates can then select the codenames they think match the clue to try to identify their agents, such as a codename card that says “Tree” and another that says, “Bear.”
- Don’t use any phrases like, “Okay so this is kind of related” or “Alright, this is kind of like” before you give your 1-word clue.
- Be careful which word you use! Sometimes a clue could potentially cause your own teammates to choose an enemy agent.
Method 11
Method 11 of 13:Guess up to the given number plus 1.
-
1A team can pass or continue guessing if they choose correctly. You can only guess one codename at a time. If you successfully guess the codename and identify an agent, you can then choose another codename. You’re allowed to guess as many times as the number that your spymaster gave you plus 1. If you guess incorrectly, you lose your turn.[11]
- For instance, if the spymaster says, “Water, 2” you could choose a codename card like “Boat” and “Fish.” If they’re both right, you have the chance to make 1 more guess. You could make a blind guess or try to use an older clue to choose another codename card.
- If you guess the opposing team’s codename, then they get to place an agent card on the codename. If you guess a bystander, then your turn is over and a bystander card is placed over the codename.
- If you guess the assassin card, then your team loses the game.
- Your team must make at least 1 guess, but you’re allowed to pass after your first guess if you like.
Advertisement
Method 12
Method 12 of 13:Place an agent or bystander card over the chosen codename card.
-
1Reveal the identity behind the codename card your team has chosen. After a team uses the spymaster’s clue to make a guess, the spymaster reveals the identity behind the codename. If it’s one of their agents, then they’ve guessed correctly and one of their agent cards is placed on top. If it’s an opposing team’s agent or a bystander, then one of those cards are placed on top of the codename card. If they’ve chosen the assassin, then the assassin card is placed on to of the codename card and the game is over.[12]
Method 13
Method 13 of 13:Take turns giving codewords until there is a winner.
-
1The game ends when 1 team identifies their agents or the assassin. Each team’s takes turns making their guesses using the clue provided by their spymaster. The game ends whenever 1 team has identified all of their agents, or the assassin card is chosen.[13]
- The team that chooses the assassin automatically loses.
Advertisement
Community Q&A
-
QuestionHow long does Codenames take to play?
HelpieTop AnswererIt takes roughly fifteen minutes to play a game of Codenames. This is the estimated time given on the game's box.
-Step-13.webp)
References
- ↑ https://www.ultraboardgames.com/codenames/game-rules.php
- ↑ https://www.ultraboardgames.com/codenames/game-rules.php
- ↑ https://www.ultraboardgames.com/codenames/game-rules.php
- ↑ https://youtu.be/J8RWBooJivg?t=40
- ↑ https://youtu.be/J8RWBooJivg?t=52
- ↑ https://youtu.be/J8RWBooJivg?t=108
- ↑ https://czechgames.com/files/rules/codenames-rules-en.pdf
- ↑ https://czechgames.com/files/rules/codenames-rules-en.pdf
- ↑ https://youtu.be/J8RWBooJivg?t=182
About This Article
To play Codenames, you'll need 2 teams, one red team and one blue team, with at least 2 players on each team. Each team will try to identify and contact their team’s secret agents by guessing their code names based on one-word clues. The team that correctly identifies their agents first wins! Each team should choose one player on their team to be the “spymaster,” whose job is to provide the one-word clues for their team. The spymasters must sit next to each other, separately from their teams on the other side of the table. Shuffle the codename cards and place 25 of them in a 5 by 5 grid on the table, face-up. Then, one of the spymasters shuffles the “key” cards and draws one at random. The spymasters can look at this key card, but they cannot reveal it to the other players. The key card depicts a 5 by 5 grid of squares and represents the cards in play. Blue squares are agents for the blue team, red squares are agents for the red team, and the blank squares are “innocent bystanders,” and they do not count for or against the team that chooses them. The black square is the assassin. If a team accidentally chooses the assassin square, they lose. Set the blue and red “agent” cards down in front of their team’s spymaster, alongside the “bystander” cards and the “assassin” card. The color surrounding the selected key card determines which team goes first. The spymaster for the starting team assesses the tiles on the board and provides a one-word clue followed by a number. The clue should hint towards words on the cards that relate to their agent. The number they provide tells their team how many cards pertain to this clue. For example, if the starting team has agents with the codenames “tablet” and “phone,” the spymaster may say “electronics 2.” After the spymaster has provided the clue and number, their team openly discusses which cards they think the clue hints at. Once they've agreed on a card, the spymaster places the corresponding agent, bystander, or assassin card on top of it. The team is allowed to pass if they don’t find any good fits for the clue, and they can always make one more guess than the number announced by a spymaster. If a team guesses a card that is a the other team’s agent card or a bystander card, their turn ends. After the first team has finished guessing and all appropriate agent cards have been placed on the board, the next team’s spymaster provides a clue and their team guesses. Play continues until one team finds all of their agents and wins or until one team mistakenly selects the assassin card and loses.
-Step-13.webp)
