Codenames 2025 (English)

Codenames is a simple but great fun party game about word association and creative thinking.

Two teams compete to win. One player on each team is the spymaster and knows the identity of every spy in the network. The remaining players know only the agents’ codenames. The first team to make contact with all of its agents wins the game.

At the start of the game, cards are laid out in a 5×5 square. Each card has a word written on it. The spymasters have a secret card that shows which 8 cards on the table conceal their agents. The spymasters then take turns giving one word and one number. The word should point to the right agents on the table. The number tells how many cards/agents the word relates to. It is then up to their teammates to find the right agents, but they must be careful. Behind one of the words hides an assassin, and if that word is chosen, the team has lost. The first team to identify all of its agents has won the game.

Codenames is a great party game that has to be played several times in a row.

Winner of the Spiel des Jahres 2016.

The 2025 edition of Codenames includes a refreshed look with new artwork, a streamlined rulebook and a revised word list for improved gameplay. It also has a new insert for better organisation and an environmentally friendly card holder made of RE-Wood.