Codenames Duet is a cooperative word game that shares the foundation of the popular original game Codenames but offers a unique twist. In Codenames Duet, two players team up as partners, working together to uncover a set of hidden agents from a grid of words while avoiding the assassin.
Unlike the competitive nature of Codenames, where teams compete against each other, Codenames Duet fosters collaboration and shared decision-making.
The game requires players to provide one-word clues to their partner to guide them towards the correct words on the grid, all while adhering to a strict limit on the number of guesses and a time constraint.
It’s a challenging exercise in effective communication, deduction, and teamwork, making it a fantastic choice for a pair of players looking for a cooperative and mentally stimulating gaming experience.
What’s included in Codenames Duet
- Word Grid Cards: These cards contain a 5×5 grid of words, with each word representing a potential agent, the assassin, or innocent bystanders.
- Key Cards: These cards are used to identify which words on the grid are the agents you need to identify and which one is the assassin. There are 25 words on the grid, and the key card corresponds to them.
- Agent Cards: These cards provide additional information about each agent, such as their nationality, occupation, etc. They can be used to help provide clues.
- Assassin Card: This card indicates which word on the grid is the assassin. You want to avoid guessing this word at all costs.
How to play Codenames Duet
Setup
- Shuffle the word grid cards and randomly select 25 of them to create a 5×5 grid. Place these cards face-up on the table.
- Shuffle the key cards and draw one. Place it in the stand so that only you (the clue-giver) can see it. This card tells you which words are agents, which is the assassin, and which are innocent bystanders.
- Each player takes a copy of the key card and an agent card. These agent cards provide additional information to help you give clues.
Gameplay
- Codenames Duet is played in turns, with one player giving clues (the “spymaster”) and the other player guessing (the “operative”). Players take turns in both roles.
- The spymaster looks at the key card and tries to give a one-word clue and a number to their partner to help them guess which words on the grid are agents. The one-word clue should relate to the words that the spymaster wants the operative to guess.
- The number provided in the clue indicates how many words on the grid are related to the clue. For example, if the spymaster gives the clue “ocean” and says “2,” the operative should try to guess two words related to the ocean.
- The operative then makes guesses, pointing to the words they believe match the clue. They can guess up to the number given in the clue, plus one additional guess. For example, if the clue was “ocean” with a number of 2, the operative can guess up to 3 words.
- After each guess, the spymaster provides feedback. They can say “correct” if the guessed word was an agent, “wrong” if it’s not, or use the agent card to provide additional information like “neutral” or “enemy agent.”
- The turn ends when the operative makes a wrong guess (including the assassin) or decides to stop guessing.
- Continue taking turns with the roles of spymaster and operative switching until you either identify all the agents (you win) or guess the assassin (you lose).
Winning and Losing:
- You win Codenames: Duet by identifying all the agents before revealing the assassin.
- You lose if you guess the assassin or if you’ve made too many wrong guesses (the number of wrong guesses allowed is indicated on the key card).
For the official rules, see the link below: