Edition: The Codenames base game with 25 word cards, key cards and two teams. Last checked October 25, 2026
Codenames Rules: How to Play Codenames
Codenames is a word game for two teams. The spymaster knows which words on the table are the team's agents, and may only give one word and one number as a clue. Here are the rules and answers to which clues are fair game.
- Players
- 4 to 8, or more in two teams
- Age
- 10 and up
- Playing time
- 15 minutes per game
How to win: Find all of your own agents before the other team does, and avoid the assassin.
Who is right?
The classic arguments at the table when you play Codenames.
Can the spymaster react when the team guesses?
No.
The spymaster has to keep a straight face and may not show with face or voice whether the team is on the right track. Only the one word and the number are allowed.
With kids or new players, people are often more relaxed and just laugh along.
How many guesses does the team get?
Up to the number plus one.
The team must make at least one guess and may make up to one more than the number, as long as they keep hitting their own agents. The extra guess can be used to pick up a word from an earlier clue.
Some play with exactly the number, so nobody can take chances.
Can you give a clue that rhymes or sounds like a word?
Only if it is also about the meaning.
A clue must be about the meaning of the words. A rhyme based only on sound is not allowed. Words that sound the same but are spelled differently, like knight and night, count as different words.
Some groups allow rhymes, but the spymaster may not hint that it is a rhyme.
What happens if the spymaster gives an illegal clue?
The turn ends.
If an illegal clue is given, the turn ends. As a penalty, the other team's spymaster may cover one of their own words.
For small slips, many just let the spymaster try again.
What you need
- Word cards
- Key cards and a card stand
- Agent cards in two colors
- Innocent bystander cards
- One assassin card
- Sand timer, optional
Setup
- 1Split into two teams, red and blue. Each team picks a spymaster.
- 2Lay out 25 word cards in a 5 by 5 grid in the middle of the table.
- 3The spymasters sit on the same side of the table and draw a key card that only they may see.
- 4The lights around the edge of the key card show which team goes first. That team has 9 agents to find, the other team 8.
- 5Give each team its agent cards, and put the bystanders and the assassin near the spymasters.
How to play
- 1The spymaster of the starting team says one word and one number, like fruit 2.
- 2The word must relate to the meaning of the words on the table, and the number tells how many words the clue fits.
- 3The team talks it over and touches one word at a time. The spymaster covers it with the matching card.
- 4If it is one of your team's agents, your team may guess again. You may make up to the number plus one guesses.
- 5If it is an innocent bystander or the other team's agent, your turn ends. The other team's agent counts for them.
- 6If it is the assassin, your team loses immediately.
- 7Your team can always choose to stop once it has made at least one guess.
- 8Play passes to the other team. The first team to find all its agents wins.
Good clues and illegal clues
- Allowed: a word about the meaning, like ocean for both fish and wave.
- Not allowed: a word that is visible on the table, or a form of it, as long as that card is not covered.
- Not allowed: part of a compound word on the table.
- Not allowed: clues about letters, the number of letters or where cards sit on the table.
- The spymaster may not give hints with facial expressions, tone of voice or body language.
House rules
Pick the rules you want to play with tonight. Everyone at the table has to agree.
Our Codenames rules for tonight
Everything else follows the official rules.
Frequently asked questions
How many agents does each team need to find in Codenames?
The team that goes first has 9 agents to find. The other team has 8.
Can you play Codenames with just two or three people?
Yes. The rulebook has a variant where everyone is on the same team. The spymaster also plays the opponent and covers one of the other team's words after each turn, so your team has to race to find its agents first.
What happens if you pick the assassin?
Your team loses the game right away, no matter how many agents you have found.
Source: The publisher's rulebook for Codenames and common family tradition. The rules are written in our own words. Ask the referee if you are unsure.