Board Game Codenames (Κωδική Ονομασία)

​Codenames is a popular word-based party board game designed by Vlaada Chvátil and published by Czech Games Edition in 2015. In this game, two teams compete to identify their agents based on one-word clues provided by their respective spymasters. The first team to correctly identify all their agents wins the game.​

Game Overview:

• Players: 4–8+ (6 recommended)​
• Age: 10 and up​
• Playtime: 15–30 minutes​
• Publisher: Czech Games Edition​

Game Components:

• 25 Word Cards: Each displaying a single word, arranged in a 5x5 grid.​
• Key Card: Indicates which words belong to which team, which are neutral, and which is the assassin.​
• Agent Tokens: Used to mark identified agents.​
• Timer (optional): To limit the time for each team's turn.​

Gameplay Mechanics:

• Setup: Place the 25 word cards face up in a 5x5 grid. Each team selects a spymaster. The spymasters view the key card, which shows the color associations for each word.​
• Giving Clues: Spymasters take turns providing a one-word clue and a number, indicating how many words on the grid relate to the clue.​
• Guessing Words: Based on the clue, team members discuss and select words they believe correspond to their team's agents.​
• Revealing Words: After a guess, the spymaster reveals the word's identity by placing the appropriate agent token.​
• Game End: The game ends when a team identifies all their agents or when a team selects the assassin word, resulting in an immediate loss.​

Codenames has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Spiel des Jahres in 2016, and has been praised for its engaging gameplay and replayability.