Codenames Review – The Genius Word Game That Proves Your Friends Are Actually Idiots

While Vlaada Chvátil has always been a standout designer, Codenames struck a chord with the board gaming world like nothing else. For a while, you couldn’t walk into a game night without seeing someone hunched over its 5×5 grid. Even now, when someone asks for a party game recommendation, Codenames is still the default answer.

So what makes this word game such a hit? More importantly, why is it still everywhere years later?

How to play

To kick off a game of Codenames, split into two teams and lay out a 5×5 grid of word cards. Each card features a random word like “Bottle,” “Scorpion,” or “Wave.” These are your secret agent codenames, though if Bond, Bourne, and Hunt are the A-team, these are definitely a few tiers down.

Each team then appoints a spymaster, who receives a “key”. This is a 5×5 grid showing the hidden roles of every card: red for your team’s agents, blue for the opposing team, beige for innocent bystanders, and the dreaded black square for the assassin.

Spymasters take turns giving clues to guide their team. Each clue is made up of one word and one number. The word links to cards on the table, while the number tells your team how many cards connect to that clue. For example, if “Rock” and “Study” are in play, you might say “Geology 2”.

Once the clue is given, the guessing begins. The team discusses and selects cards they think match. Guessing one of their own agents lets them keep going, up to the number given (plus one). Hitting a bystander ends their turn. Choosing an opposing agent gives the other team an advantage. And picking the assassin loses them the game immediately.

The first team to uncover all their agents, without hitting the assassin, wins and earns spymaster bragging rights.

The Yin and Yang of word games

When Codenames burst onto the scene in 2015, it redefined what a party game could be. Up until then, most party games fell into two camps. Trivia, or getting silly (sometimes painfully so). Codenames flipped that script by delivering a game where you actually have to think, instantly earning its place as a favourite among board gamers.

What makes it even more impressive is how well it bridges the gap between seasoned players and complete newcomers. It’s one of those rare games where everyone can sit at the same table and feel like they have a real shot at contributing.

Because how difficult it is to come up with, and respond to, clues largely comes down to the spymaster. Struggling to link ideas? They can play it safe with a one-word connections. Feeling like the team is gelling? Go big and try to tie together five or six cards in a single clue.

One of my proudest moments as a spymaster was giving the clue “Lithgow 6”. My team had to dig through John Lithgow’s filmography, linking everything from Shrek to Third Rock from the Sun. It almost worked. They missed Cliffhanger. But the process was chaotic, hilarious, and completely satisfying.

And that’s where Codenames really shines. Watching your teammates pull apart a clue, second-guess each other, and slowly talk themselves into the right answer is half the fun. Even the wrong guesses create those great table moments. By the end, you are replaying clues, explaining your logic, and getting a chorus of “Ohhh, that makes sense” followed by a few well-earned facepalms.

Then there’s the assassin, quietly sitting there and ruining everything.

While most of your focus is on making clever connections, the assassin forces you to think twice. It turns obvious clues into risky ones and regularly pushes you to abandon your best ideas just to stay safe.

That constant struggle between clever clues and catastrophic mistakes is what makes Codenames so compelling. It’s a perfect balance of risk and reward, where the boldest plays create the biggest reactions, and the best stories.

Some Codenames alternatives

I played Codenames again last week, and it’s still a fantastic party game that works for just about any crowd. That said, a lot of the experience hinges on being the spymaster. If you’re on the guessing team, or worse, waiting for the other team to finish their turn, things can start to drag. My ADHD-addled brain does not handle that kind of downtime gracefully.

Sure, there’s a sand timer in the box to keep things moving, but that makes you feel like a bit of a jerk using it.

So if you’re after something that keeps everyone engaged the whole time, here are a few great alternatives:

So Clover!
Don’t let the clover-shaped board fool you, this game is sharp. Like Codenames, it’s all about linking words together, but everyone creates clues at the same time. No waiting around. Then you work through each other’s clues, which leads to plenty of laughs and a few head-scratching moments.

Word Slam
If you prefer high-energy chaos over careful thinking, this one delivers. Two teams race to guess a word using only a deck of vague word cards. No talking, no acting, just frantic card flipping and a lot of noise. It’s Codenames on caffeine.

Decrypto
For groups who find Codenames a bit too easy, Decrypto adds layers of strategy. Teams have their own secret words and must give clues to communicate a code, all while the other team listens in and tries to crack it. It’s slower and more cerebral, but incredibly satisfying when everything clicks.

Of course, if none of these hit the mark, you can always stick with Codenames and try a different version. With everything from licensed editions like Disney and The Simpsons to Codenames Duet for two players, there’s plenty of variety. Or, if you want to shift from words to images, Codenames Pictures offers a fresh twist on the same great formula.