Wordplay Espionage: A Preview of Codenames

SUMMARY:

Ages: 14+
Players: 2-8
Est. Length: 15 Minutes
Game Design: Vlaada Chvátil
Illustration: Stephane Gantiez
Publisher: Czech Games Edition
Genre: Party
Mechanics: Communication Limits, Memory, Teams
Reviewer: Lex Judge

INTRODUCTION

Games like Taboo and Catchphrase (often categorized as word association games) have been around since the 80s. When Czech board game designer Vlaada Chvátil published his version of a word association game in 2015, it quickly separated itself from the pack to become not only one of the best word association games, but one of the best party games. Codenames is as simple as it is fun. It is the perfect game for when you don’t have a lot of time on your hands, or as a lighter/shorter game in between play sessions of longer/more strategic games during a game night. This is what has earned it the title as one of the best “filler” games

In Codenames, players are separated into two teams, a red team and a blue team, and one person from each team is named the Spymaster. Then a grid of cards are laid out for everyone to see. Each card has one word printed on it. The spymasters are then given a map card that has a grid of colored squares: red, blue, tan, and one black square. The spymasters will alternate turns giving one word clues to their teammates to try to get them to correctly guess the words matching the color squares on the map. When giving their clue, spymasters are only allowed to say one word and a number. The word is the clue, and the number is how many words in the grid are associated with that clue. The team then works together to try to guess which words their spymaster is trying to get them to point to.

The spymasters have to be careful, because not only can their team accidentally guess the other teams words, but there is also one word in the grid that is associated with the assassin. If any team guesses that word, the game is automatically over and both teams lose! The first team to correctly guess all of their colored squares wins the game.

THE MOMENT THE GAME “CLICKED”

Unlike watching television or reading a book, board games inherently have a learning curve. Every time you want to play a new game, you first have to learn how to play it. Games vary in difficulty and complexity, but every game has a moment where it just “clicks”. Once this moment happens, you’re able to fully grasp how the game is played, and what the goal is. This moment happens at different times for different people, but having an idea of when it can happen is a good indicator of whether or not you’ll enjoy learning and playing a game.

Most people are familiar with the concept of word association games, so teaching Codenames is not terribly difficult. After the first clue is given and the team takes their guess, everybody playing should have a good grasp of the game. Even people watching from the sidelines who missed the tutorial should be able to quickly understand what is going on.

SHOULD YOU PLAY IT?

Codenames is a game that should appeal to just about anyone. Even if you don’t like word games, as long as you aren’t playing as the Spymaster, you should have a good time with it. Unlike games like Taboo or Catchphrase, there doesn’t need to be a timed element (although the game does come with a sand timer if a team is talking too long) so there isn’t this forced anxiety of trying to beat out a clock. Even without the timer element, the game still creates these deliciously tense moments where you aren’t quite sure you agree with what your teammates think the Spymaster is trying to tell you, but you aren’t confident enough to get them to change their guess. As the Spymaster that can be both thrilling and gut wrenching when your team initially gets exactly what you were trying to tell them, only to talk themselves out of it and get the guess wrong. It’s a game that is definitely “fun for the whole family” and I can’t recommend it enough.

There are also many variant stand alone versions of Codenames, like the one I own (Codenames Disney), Codenames Pictures, and Codenames Duet. Do you have a favorite version of Codenames? Let us know in the comments!