CODENAMES
The Ultimate Word Association Game
For 4+ Players • 15-30 Minutes
How It Works
Red Team
1 Spymaster + Field Operatives working together to find all red words.
Blue Team
1 Spymaster + Field Operatives working together to find all blue words.
1
The Board
25 cards in a 5x5 grid. Words can be Red, Blue, Neutral, or the Assassin.
2
Spymasters Give Clues
Spymasters know the colors. They give a ONE-WORD clue + a NUMBER (e.g., "Animal 3").
3
Operatives Guess
Operatives discuss and guess. They can guess up to the number given + 1 extra.
4
Outcomes
Correct = Continue. Wrong/Neutral = Turn ends. Assassin = GAME OVER.
Winning Condition
The first team to reveal all their words wins the game!
Card Types
Red Words
8-9 Cards
Blue Words
8-9 Cards
Neutral
7 Cards
Assassin
1 Card
Choose Game Mode
Quick Tips
- • Spymasters: Give creative clues that connect multiple words!
- • Operatives: Discuss openly - teamwork is key!
- • Clues must be one word and cannot be any word currently on the board.
- • Don't be afraid to Pass if the risk is too high.