Critical Play: Codenames

Codenames is a team-based guessing game, where players work together to identify words from clues.

The game involves three components

1. Codenames: Small cards featuring a single word.

1. Gridkeys: 5x5 grids with red, blue, yellow and black squares. The outer edge will be blue or red, providing a visual indicator of which team starts the game.

1. Agent Tiles: Tiles are the size of the codenames and are placed on top of codenames to indicate points obtained by teams.

Each round there is an appointed team captain (“Spymaster”) who must share a word as a clue to teammates. The captain can see which codenames belong to his/her team, according to the gridkey, however teammates cannot. The goal is for the captain to coordinate, using a single word, the team’s selection of codenames . Teammates can guess one codename, or multiple codenames for a given round.

To me the fun of the game can be broken down into: Fellowship, Challenge, and Creativity.

Fellowship

Players have to work in teams to come up with guesses. The choice of the Spymaster’s word, as a clue to the team’s codenames, often results in laughter and commentary. Teams rally together to beat opponents. Sometimes the clues are too subtle, too ambitious, or not ambitious enough, and teammates always have something to say, adding to the social interaction. There is a common goal to work towards, and the goal is achieved through collaboration and trust in each other’s instincts. Players often cite “reading the Spymaster’s mind,” driving our inherent desire for unity and cohesion. Players have to work together to not only select their codename guesses, but also prioritise which cards to pick first.

Challenge

At first, the game seems simple enough. Look at a word, think of a synonym, and use the synonym as a clue. It’s beginner friendly. But quickly you learn to be ambitious. How many similar words (codenames) can I capture with the word I give as a clue? Not only is quantity a fun challenge, but so is dodging the codenames of your opponents (don’t accidentally lead your teammates into selecting one of their words!) and avoiding bombs (codenames that result in immediate loss). There are so many words in the dictionary and so many associations linked to every word. This is the challenge and fun of the game. Spymaster has a nontrivial job, they get the fun of providing a clever clue, but they must also bear the responsibility of guiding, and potentially misguiding, the team.

Creativity

The clue can be any word! Do you pick something straightforward or obscure? Players have to be creative in how they interpret words, select words and communicate during the game. Players who are too obvious about their codenames, help opponents identify codenames that they will avoid selecting in future turns. Players can also leverage social context to draw on inside jokes and references that exist beyond the game. The possibilities are endless and the game showcases the creativity in all members drawing connections, and drawing the right connections!