Codenames review: "The ultimate pick-up-and-play party game"

Have you ever wanted to be a spy? No, me neither — I've got no interest in getting shot at, or whatever was happening in that chair scene from Casino Royale. But, if you want to do a little 007-style code breaking without the nut cracking, then Codenames is the game for you.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it — which you will, because it's awesome — is to unravel the clues given by your spymaster (the Diana Burnwood to your Agent 47). You and your team will need to identify all of your agents by their Codenames before the opposing team finds theirs. Oh, and watch out for the Assassin lurking on the board, because if you accidentally reveal them, then it's game over.

If you've been to any sort of nerdy party or gathering, you've almost certainly already played a round or two of Codenames — it's THE party game of choice and one of the best board games out there for large groups. That's partially down to the simple word-association concept that anyone can pick up, but mostly because it acts as a fantastic social lubricant. It gets people talking and, more importantly, the clues they give and guesses they make reveal a little something about how their brains work.

Features & design

• Find agents using word associations
• Avoid the Assassin
• Take it in turns to guess

At its core, Codenames has very few components. Inside the box, you'll find 25 colored agent cards, 40 key cards, 200 double-sided codename cards, a card stand, a sand timer (optional in-game), and the rulebook. There’s even a QR code that’ll take you to a rules overview video.

The premise is equally simple. Assemble a group of two to eight players and split into two teams (red and blue). Each team then chooses a spymaster, who will be responsible for giving out clues to the rest of the operatives on their team.

You then build the game board, which consists of 25 codename cards arranged into a 5 x 5 grid. The spymasters then draw a key card — effectively a map that tells them where their agents are hiding on the grid, interspersed with neutral bystanders (the beige cards) and a deadly assassin (the black card).

The spymasters' aim is to give their operatives clues that lead them to words on the board that match their team's color on the key card. They do this by giving out a single word clue every turn, along with a number which lets the agents know how many cards this clue links. For example, the spymaster might say "Superhero: Two" and your team will have to work together and scan the board for words that match that description.

Players aren't forced to guess that number of cards, so if they're unsure they can pass after a single guess, or they can even go rogue and guess more than the spymaster has said… a maneuver that usually ends in disaster.

When your team is done guessing, you pass to your opponents and keep going until one team finds all of their agents… or runs into the assassin. A single card on the key will be marked in black, and if either spymaster accidentally steers their team towards guessing that card, their team instantly loses the game.

Gameplay

• A tricky, compelling balancing act
• Surprising depth for such a simple premise
• Better with more players

Despite the simple mechanics, Codenames offers a ton of depth in terms of how you choose to play. As the spymaster, do you play it safe by giving an obvious clue to a single agent? Or do you offer up an obscure connection to four agents at once and expect your team to latch onto the bizarre train of logic that you're riding?

Let's say you're the blue spymaster, and the words "desk" and "chair" are on the board in your color; "office" would be a great clue, but oh no, the assassin is sitting on the word "computer." You'd be taking a huge risk giving that clue, so you'll need to think outside the box. Maybe "furniture" would be the better clue? Now make that scenario way more complicated, because there are 25 words on the board that might interact with each other and you begin to see how chaotic and mind-melting this game can be.

The rules to Codenames are terrifically well-balanced. The team going first has to hit an extra clue to make up for the advantage, and beyond that, both teams have the exact same moves at their disposal. There is no luck beyond getting stuck with teammates who don't get your obscure references. People who know each other well can have an advantage over strangers, which is why it's recommended that you shake up the teams between rounds, while also changing who takes on the role of spymaster to keep things fresh.

Another cool thing about the rules is that you can be as firm or flexible with them as you like. As long as everyone playing agrees, you can allow rhyming words as a clue (although you're not allowed to indicate that it's a rhyme, players will have to work that out by themselves), acronyms like CIA (technically it's not one word), or even proper names such as New York or Lara Croft.

Should you buy Codenames?

If you're looking for a fun, casual party game that just about anyone can enjoy then Codenames should be top of your list. It's super friendly to new players, while the randomized layouts and teams mean that it offers a ton of replayability too.

There are tons of variants of Codenames to choose from, including Disney, Marvel, and even a more adult “Deep Undercover” version if you want to tailor the clues to your interests.

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How we tested Codenames

This is a game that has been in my collection for a long time now. I’ve played with large groups, small groups, close friends, friends of friends, and even strangers at board game gatherings. I’m basically Agent Cody Banks at this point!

For a more thorough look at our process, see this guide to how we test board games, or the wider GamesRadar+ reviews policy.

Want recommendations of what to play next? Don't miss the best 2-player board games, or these must-have board games for adults.