How to play Codenames

2–8+ players (best with 4+ in two teams) Light — word association and deduction

What is Codenames?

Codenames is a word-association party game by Vlaada Chvátil in which two teams compete to identify their secret agents from a 5×5 grid of 25 word cards. Each team has a Spymaster who alone can see the key card that maps every word to red, blue, a bystander, or the single ASSASSIN — and must guide their teammates to the right words using only one-word clues.

The push and pull is delightfully tense: a clever clue can link several of your words in a single stroke, but one careless guess can hand the enemy an agent — or hand anyone the assassin and end the game on the spot. Rounds play out in under twenty minutes and invite immediate rematches.

Setup

Lay out the word grid. Shuffle the word card deck and deal 25 cards face-up in a 5×5 grid.
Choose Spymasters. One player from each team becomes the Spymaster; the two Spymasters sit together on the same side of the table so they can both read the key card without guessers seeing their line of sight.
Draw the key card. Draw one key card at random and hand it to the Spymasters — only they may look at it, and it shows which words belong to red, blue, bystanders, and the assassin.
Set the starting team. Place the double agent card (red or blue side up) beside the grid — it shows which team goes first. That team has one more agent to find than the other, making their task slightly harder.
Sort the remaining cards. Stack the agent cards (red and blue) and the single assassin card nearby; bystander cards form a separate pile. The team whose color faces up on the double agent card takes the first turn.

How to play

Teams alternate turns. On your team's turn:

Spymaster gives a clue. Say exactly one word followed by a number — for example, "ocean, 3". The word must relate to that many of your team's words on the grid. It cannot be any word currently visible on the grid, nor can it contain one.
Guessers discuss and tap. Your teammates talk it over, then tap one word card at a time. After each tap: - Your color — place your agent card on it; you may keep guessing (up to the number given, plus one bonus guess if you choose). - Bystander or opponent's word — place the appropriate card on it and your turn ends immediately. - The ASSASSIN — your team loses the game instantly.
You may stop guessing at any point before reaching the limit; unused guesses are lost.

How to win

The first team to cover all of their agents' words wins. Because the starting team has one extra agent to find, the second team can still win by uncovering their (smaller) set first.

If either team's guesser taps the ASSASSIN, that team loses immediately — no matter how many agents they had left to find. Strategically, Spymasters should weigh the reward of a multi-word clue against the danger of steering guessers near the assassin or the opponent's words; a conservative one- or two-word clue is often safer than a brilliant but risky five-word reach.