Codenames rules: how to play and how to win
Reviewed on 8 October 2026 against the publisher’s rulebook. How we check
Codenames plays 2 to 8 players in two teams: each team’s Spymaster gets their words guessed with a single word and a number. Here are the essential rules, setup and how to win, based on the official rulebook.
- Players
- 2 to 8 (two teams from 4)
- Play time
- About 15 minutes
- Winner
- The first team to get all its words guessed; the assassin loses
Codenames quick rules
- The goal
- Two teams face off, red and blue. On the table, 25 cards each show a word with a secret identity: red, blue, bystander (a neutral word; there are seven) or assassin (just one). The first team to get all its words guessed wins, but the team that picks the assassin loses instantly.
- The roles
- On each team, one player is the Spymaster and the others are operatives. The two Spymasters sit side by side and share the Key card, which shows the identity of all 25 words: red, blue, beige for a bystander, black for the assassin. Operatives see only the words. The starting team has 9 words to get guessed, the other 8.
- The clue
- Teams take turns. The Spymaster gives a clue: one word followed by a number, like “Tree: 2.” The word connects in meaning to words of their color, and the number says how many words it relates to. After that, the Spymaster says nothing more and keeps a straight face. They can also say zero or unlimited.
- Guessing
- Operatives discuss, then touch a card, which the Spymaster covers right away with the right tile. A word of your color: you may keep going. A bystander or enemy word: your turn ends. The assassin: your team loses. Operatives must make at least one guess per turn and get one more guess than the number, handy for catching a word missed earlier.
- Forbidden clues
- A clue is about meaning, never about a word’s letters, length or position. It can’t be a word still visible on the table, or a word from the same family. You play in one language, with no miming or accents. A forbidden clue ends the turn, and the other Spymaster covers one of their own words as a bonus.
- The end of the game
- A team wins as soon as all its words are covered, even if the other team touched the last one by mistake. A team also wins when the other team touches the assassin. To play again, flip the 25 Word cards over and change the Key card.
- With two or three players
- You form a single team, one Spymaster and one or two operatives, against an imaginary team, and you always go first. After each of your turns, the Spymaster covers one of the imaginary team’s words, their choice. You lose on the assassin or if all the enemy words are covered; otherwise, your score is the number of enemy tiles left over.
- Beginner traps
- Spymasters: make sure your clue can’t lead to the assassin, don’t react when your operatives hesitate, and don’t pick up a tile before an operative touches a card. Operatives: watch the cards, not your Spymaster’s face, and keep in mind the words you missed on earlier turns.
How to win Codenames
- Victory
- Codenames has no points: the first team with all its words covered wins, even if the other team touched the last one.
- Assassin touched
- The team that touches the assassin loses at once, and the other team wins. The Ludingo sheet records how the game ended, just for the story.
- 2 or 3 player variant: enemy tiles left
- If you win, your score is the number of tiles the imaginary team hasn’t placed yet, from 1 to 8. If you lose, 0.
Example ending
3-player variant: Emma is the Spymaster, Jake and Alex guess. They cover their last word on their fifth turn, without ever touching an enemy word. After each of the four earlier turns, Emma covered one of the imaginary team’s words: 8 − 4 = 4 enemy tiles are left, so their score is 4.
Common mistakes
- Thinking the team that touches the last word wins: it’s the team whose words are all covered.
- Forgetting that an enemy word touched by mistake counts for the other team, and can make them win.
- In the 2 or 3 player variant, forgetting to cover an imaginary-team word after each of your turns.
- Scoring a loss in the variant: it’s worth 0.
How to set up Codenames
Setup takes about 2 minutes. Follow the part for your player count for teams and tiles; the grid and the Key card are the same for everyone.
The teams, 4 or more players
- Split into two teams, red and blue, as evenly matched as you can.At least 2 players per team.
- Each team picks a Spymaster; the other players on the team are its operatives.The Spymaster gives clues, and the operatives guess the words. Swap Spymasters from one game to the next.
- The two Spymasters sit side by side, facing the operatives.
The teams, 2 or 3 players
- Form a single team, which plays against an imaginary team.This is the 2 or 3 player variant from the older edition. With 3 players, you can also play 2 rival Spymasters and 1 operative who plays for both, using the 4-player setup.
- Pick the Spymaster; the other player, or the other two, are the operatives.The Spymaster sits facing the operatives.
The grid
- Shuffle the Word cards.
- Lay out 25 Word cards at random, in a 5 by 5 grid.Every word is printed twice, upside down from each other, so you can read it from both sides of the table.
The Key card
- On the Spymasters’ side, draw a Key card at random.Only the Spymasters look at it: operatives must never see it.
- Slide it into the stand, in any direction, and set it in front of the Spymasters.Each square matches the word in the same spot: red, blue, beige for a bystander, black for the assassin.
The tiles
- With 4 or more players: the red Spymaster takes the 8 red tiles, and the blue Spymaster takes the 8 blue tiles.
- With 4 or more players: put the 7 Bystander tiles and the Assassin tile between the two Spymasters.
- With 4 or more players: look at the 4 triangles on the edge of the Key card.Their color tells you which team goes first.
- The starting team’s Spymaster adds the Double Agent tile to their tiles, turned to their color.Their team has 9 words to get guessed, and the other team has 8.
- With 2 or 3 players: put all the tiles near the Spymaster.Red, blue, Bystander, Assassin and Double Agent.
- With 2 or 3 players: your team takes the color of the 4 triangles on the edge of the Key card.With the Double Agent tile turned to your color, you have 9 words to get guessed. The other color belongs to the imaginary team.
Frequently asked questions
How many words does each team have in Codenames?
The starting team has 9 words, thanks to the Double Agent tile; the other has 8. There are also 7 bystanders and one assassin.
Which team goes first in Codenames?
The team whose color shows on the 4 triangles on the edge of the Key card. In the 2 or 3 player variant, it’s always your team.
How many guesses do you get per turn in Codenames?
At least one, and up to one more than the Spymaster’s number, as long as the words you touch are your color.
Ludingo’s Codenames sheet was last reviewed on 8 October 2026, based on: rulebook (PDF), BoardGameGeek.