PlayRoom

Word game

Codenames

Give clues. Find your agents. Avoid the assassin.

Teams race to uncover their words from a one-word clue. One player sees the key. Everyone else guesses.

4–32 players2–7 teams

What is Codenames?

Codenames is a team word game where each team has a Spymaster who gives a one-word clue and a number, while Operatives try to find their team’s agents.

How to play

Six steps. A number N allows N + 1 guesses. A clue of 0 or unlimited removes that cap.

01

Form your teams

Sit 2 to 7 teams. Each team needs one Spymaster and at least one Operative.

02

Spymaster gives a clue

One word, plus a number from 0 to 9, or unlimited.

03

Operatives mark and confirm

A tap marks a card. Confirming it is the guess. Any Operative can end the turn.

04

Find your agents

A correct agent lets the team keep guessing.

05

Avoid the assassin

An opponent, a bystander, or a dead card ends the turn. The assassin knocks the team out.

06

Find all your agents to win

The first team to uncover every agent wins, unless the table is playing on for places.

Roles

One Spymaster per team. At least one Operative. Everyone else can watch.

Spymaster

  • Sees the key
  • Gives the one-word clue and number
  • Does not guess

Operative

  • Sees unrevealed words
  • Marks cards and confirms guesses
  • Can end the turn

Spectator

  • Cannot clue or guess
  • Watches the game
  • Can predict a winner while predictions are open

The board

The starting team is chosen at random and receives one extra agent. Two teams play the classic 5×5 grid.

OCEAN

Your agents

The words your team must find.

BRIDGE

Opponent agents

Another team’s words. Revealing one ends your turn.

LAMP

Bystanders

They belong to nobody. A bystander ends your turn.

POISON

Assassin

One reveal eliminates your team.

Game modes

The host picks one mode before the match starts.

Classic

Standard Codenames with the room’s normal clock. The usual way to play.

Blitz

Every turn shares one short clock: 15, 20, 30, 45, or 60 seconds.

Sudden Death

Normal play until two teams remain, then every turn uses a short clock. Needs at least 3 teams.

Assassin

The same rules, with a bigger elimination moment. Knocked-out cards always go dark.

Chaos

A chance each turn of a double clue, an extra guess, reversed turn order, or a wrong guess whose owner stays secret.

Shuffle

After every team still in has taken a turn, unrevealed cards get new words. The key stays put.

Rules

What the game actually checks.

  1. 01A clue is one word plus a number. The word is letters only, up to 30 characters, and cannot be an unrevealed word on the board.
  2. 02The number is 0 to 9, or unlimited. A number N allows N + 1 guesses. 0 and unlimited remove that cap.
  3. 03A correct agent lets guessing continue. The team can stop early.
  4. 04An opponent card, a bystander, or a card from a knocked-out team ends the turn.
  5. 05The assassin eliminates the team that reveals it. If others are still in, they play on.
  6. 06A team wins by finding all of its agents, or by being the last team left.
  7. 07A team forfeits if everyone on it leaves, or if the person who must act is missing for three turns in a row.
  8. 08With 3 or more teams, the host can play on for 2nd and 3rd. Two-team games end when one side finishes.

Winning

There is no shared win.

All your agents

The first team to find every agent wins.

Last team left

If every other team is eliminated or forfeits, the team still in wins.

Places

With 3 or more teams, Play on for places can keep the match going for 2nd and 3rd. The assassin still eliminates the team that hits it.

What the host can change

These are set in the room before the match. The board teaches the rest.

Clocks

No timer, one shared clock, or separate time for the clue and the guesses.

Word packs

The host picks the lists on the board. Registered players can add their own packs.

Seating

Players pick seats, or the host balances, deals, or runs a draft.

Places

With 3 or more teams, the match can continue after first place.

Predictions

Spectators can pick a winner during the opening turn. The host can pause for that.

Bots

Empty seats can be filled by bots. AI is optional and still checked by the built-in bot.

Ready to play Codenames?

Start a public game and jump in.