OBJECTIVE OF CODENAMES DUET: Work with your partner to find all the words you need before you run out of turns or come across an assassin.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 players (but can be played with more players)
MATERIALS OF CODENAMES DUET: 15 agent cards, 1 assassin card, 11 timer tokens, 200 word cards, 100 key cards
TYPE OF GAME: Board game
AUDIENCE: 11+
OVERVIEW OF CODENAMES DUET
You might be familiar with the classic board game Codenames. But if you’re just two people who want to play a fun game like this, you might wonder what kind of game might be out there that you can play. Well, wonder no more. Codenames has a super fun two-player version of the game called Codenames Duet! This board game is specifically made for two players, but more people can play if needed. Codenames Duet offers a really fun twist to this beloved board game.
If you want to join in on the fun, here are the rules for Codenames Duet.
This post contains some partner links for various products.
- 400 all new words compatible with original codenames
- New cooperative gameplay
- Campaign mode to record your progress
SETUP FOR CODENAMES DUET
You and your partner must sit on opposite sides of the table. Then, shuffle the word cards and deal 25 of them into a 5×5 grid. Put 9 of the timer tokens, making sure they are bystander side up, right by the 5×5 grid. This makes up the time bank. However, to make the game a bit easier, you can add another timer token or two if needed.
Finally, put the green agent cards and the assassin card to the side in a place both you and your partner can reach.
On the other side of the word grid, place the plastic stand and place a random key card onto it so that the one side of the key card is visible is each player. Keep in mind that this key card should be wider than it is tall. Make sure you and your partner ONLY see one side of the key card — no cheating allowed!
THE KEY CARD
This double-sided key card is crucial to the game. On either side of the key card, there will be 9 words in green and 3 assassins in black. All other words should be in gray and are innocent bystanders.
Have you got everything properly set up? Now, let’s dive into the Codenames Duet rules.
HOW TO PLAY CODENAMES DUET
You might already be familiar with the original Codenames game, but even if you are an expert at Codenames, you will still need to learn how to play Codenames Duet as rules differ.
Keep in mind that the objective of the game is to find all 15 green words in nine turns or less. Each player is given 9 green words, so while that is technically 18 words altogether, some words will appear green on both sides.
GIVE A CLUE
It doesn’t matter who goes first, but to start the game, one player must give a clue.
A clue is made up of a single word and a number, referring to the number of words this clue is for. Since you only have 9 turns, you will ideally give clues that refer to multiple words at the same time. However, this does not mean you cannot give a clue that refers to a single word; it just means you may run out of turns before you can win.
For example, for the words CAESAR and RANCH, you could give the clue: “Dressing: 2.”
When giving a clue, keep these rules in mind:
- The word in your clue cannot be on the 5×5 grid
- Your clue must be about the meaning of the word.
- You can use letters and numbers as valid clues, as long as they refer to the meaning of the word.
- The number you say after the clue cannot be used as a clue.
- Your clue can’t be any part of any word on the table.
- You can spell your clue if needed.
- You cannot use accents, vocal inflections, or singing as a part of your clue.
- You can use proper names as clues, but they can only be one word.
INVALID CLUE PENALTY
If a player gives an invalid clue, the other player continues to guess the words on the grid as usual. However, they must also remove a timer token from the time bank!
THE ZERO CLUE
This is an advanced strategy you can play with if you feel comfortable enough to implement it. However, technically, you could give a clue for zero words.
For example, if the grid had BLUE, YELLOW, PINK, and WHITE, but only the first three are green. Then, you could say, “Wedding: 0” to indicate that your partner should avoid the word WHITE, which may hint to your partner that that word is in the way of an easy category, such as, “Color: 3.”
Keep in mind that even if you say zero, your partner must make at least one guess.
GUESS
Now, the second player will need to make a guess, according to the clue given. Your partner will look at all of the 25 words on the grid and try to guess a word by tapping the word card — only one word at a time.
In one turn, your partner can make multiple guesses, as long as the first guess was correct. Technically, your partner can make an unlimited number of guesses, but this increases the likelihood of accidentally uncovering the assassin along the way, so be careful!
GREEN
If your partner taps on a word that is green, that’s a correct guess! When this happens, place one of the green agent cards on top of the word to signify it. Congratulations — that’s 1 out of 15 words found!
BLACK
On the other hand, if your partner taps on a word that is black, that’s an assassin. When this happens, gameplay is immediately over, and you lose the game.
BEIGE
If your partner taps on a word that is beige, grab a timer token from the time bank and place it on the word with the bystander side facing up. The arrow should point to your partner, meaning that you gave the clue and your partner guessed.
Do NOT cover the word, as this may still be a word YOU need to guess, depending on what is on your partner’s key card.
This immediately ends a turn, and your partner may not make any more guesses this round.
END OF TURN
As long as you don’t run into an assassin during a turn, there are a couple of different ways a turn can end:
- A wrong guess: As mentioned, if your partner guesses a word that is an innocent bystander, this immediately ends a turn.
- Taking a timer token: If your partner is done guessing (even if they don’t guess all words), they may take a timer token from the time bank and place it in front of them with the checkmark side up.
Either way, a turn ends with one less timer token in the bank.
TAKE TURNS
Now, it’s time for your partner to give a clue and number!
Your partner has their own key card, so when you are guessing the word(s), keep in mind that your key card is irrelevant. The words your partner may want you to guess could be green, black, or beige on your key card. It’s best to ignore your key card when it’s your turn to guess.
If a word is already covered by a green agent, there’s no need to get the other player to guess it, since a word may appear green on both sides of the key card. But do not announce that one of your green words is already covered by a green agent.
However, if a word is covered by a timer token, on the other key card, this word may still be a green agent, assassin, or, again, an innocent bystander.
- If you guess this word and it’s an assassin, that’s game over.
- If you guess this word and it’s an innocent bystander, place another time token on it with the arrow pointing at you and cover the word, as it no longer needs to be guessed.
- If you guess this word and it’s a green agent, your partner must cover the word with the green agent card, as usual, and place the previous timer token on top.
USE PREVIOUS CLUES
If you want, you can use clues from previous rounds to make additional guesses since you are not limited to only making guesses related to the current clue.
ALL WORDS GUESSED
If all 9 green words on your key card have been guessed, tell your partner there are no more words to guess. At this point, only your partner will be giving clues for the rest of the game.
END OF GAME
There are a few different ways to end a Codenames Duet game, according to official game rules.
WINNING THE GAME
You and your partner win the game when all green words from both sides of the key card have been guessed! That’s 9 words on your side and 9 on your partner’s side, with 3 words overlapping. You win the game when you place the 15th and final green agent card on a word on the 5×5 grid.
ASSASSIN
At any point during the game, if a player guesses a word but it turns out to be an assassin, it’s an immediate game over. Sorry — you and your partner have lost this round!
TIME’S UP!
But uncovering the assassin is not the only way to lose in Codenames Duet. You’ve got to also keep your eye on the time bank. If there are no more timer tokens but there are still words to be guessed, you move to a sudden death round.
In sudden death, you and your partner must guess words one by one (no need to take turns) until you win or lose. If your partner is the only one with guesses remaining, only your partner will guess. However, in this round, you must only tap green words — even if you guess a beige word, you lose.
CODENAMES VS. CODENAMES DUET
So, what’s the difference between Codenames Duet and the standard Codenames game?
COOPERATIVE VS. COMPETITIVE
The first major difference is that Codenames Duet is a cooperative game, whilst Codename is team-based.
The original Codenames is a competitive game in which two teams compete against each other, trying to find their key words before the other team. There’s a designated spymaster for each team who tries to get their teammates to guess their team’s words by giving out clues. But teams must beware not to accidentally uncover the assassin or the other team’s words!
On the other hand, Codenames Duet has rules specifically designed for two players (though more players can play). The players work together to uncover all 15 of the words within a set number of turns. Players must be careful not to uncover the assassin during any of their turns. Otherwise, it’s immediately game over.
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
While both Codenames Duet and Codenames may be similar games with similar rules, the way you play them is quite different. Generally, Codenames Duet requires a bit more critical thinking in order to get your partner to guess the correct word or words. This is especially because a lot of the words with double meanings have already been taken by the original Codenames game, leaving more difficult words for Codenames Duet.
Beyond that, the original Codenames game typically involves a lot more social interaction, as players debate in order to make guesses, especially in larger groups!
FAQ
How Is Codenames Duet Different Than Codenames?
Codenames Duet is a cooperative game, unlike Codenames. In other words, players work together to find all the green agents before they run out of clues!
What Age Is Codenames Duet For?
Codenames Duet is suitable for players as young as 11, but it’s one of those board games that get better and more interesting to play with older players.
Is Codenames Duet Harder?
Codenames Duet is a surprisingly challenging board game with simple rules. Many players state that they find Codenames Duet more difficult than standard Codenames.
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