the science of play at work
Codenames
Call your agents back from the field the fastest
PLAYERS
Minimum:
2
Maximum:
12
Ideal:
6
EXPERIENCE
Duration:
Medium
Physical:
Yes
Virtual:
Yes
CLASSIFICATION
Genre:
Party
Dynamic 1:
Dynamic 2:
Communication
Observation / Deduction
COMPLEXITY
To Play:
Simple
To Setup:
Simple
To Custom:
Intermediate
MATRIX
Instinct:
Think
Intent:
What
BONDING
Materials
VIRTUAL SETUP
Physical Setup
First, shuffle the word cards and deal 25 of them onto the table in a 5x5 grid.
Next, determine the 2 teams and select a spymaster for each.
Finally, the spymasters are given an answer key to share that determines where their agents are in the grid.
Virtual Setup
There are several online versions. Try this link to play. Hosts will create a link to share with everyone else.
Gameplay
First Turn: With any answer key, one team will have 9 agents to guess, and the other team will have 8. Whichever team has 9 goes first.
Giving Clues: The spymasters alternate saying 1 word + 1 number that will help their teammates identify which word cards to guess. The number after the word indicates how many cards are relevant to the clue (i.e. Blue 2 means there are 2 cards that are related to Blue)
Guessing: Teammates announce word cards 1 at a time. If they are correct, the spymaster places an agent card atop the card and the team may keep guessing. If they are incorrect, they place the corresponding agent card from the answer key and their turn ends. Assassin: There is 1 word card in every setup that represents an assassin. If either team guesses it, they immediately lose.
Endgame: When all of one team's agents have been guessed correctly, that team wins.
Variations
There are several other vesions of the game, most notably one with pictures instead of words.
Custom Words: create new words for the grid
Grid Change: play a 4x4 (easier) or 6x6 (harder) setup grid instead, and create new answer keys to match the size
Third Team: Instead of the neutral bystander cards, turn them into another team and introduce another spymaster for clue giving
Pulse Check
Q. Does everyone seem open to keep playing? Are the disengaged able to be more engaged?
Q. Are people having fun — smiling, laughing, in deep thought?
Q. Do you hear productive strategizing about how to improve round-to-round?
BUILDING
Think
Position the reflection around rational planning and communication methods:
Did this game illuminate any patterns in how you give and receive information?
How might it be helpful to know the preferences and tendencies of your colleagues?
Could your team benefit from additional or more diverse perspectives?
What
Position the reflection around goals and metrics, as well as the skills and roles to succeed:
What is one thing about you that would help your team members work with you better?
Did this game give you ideas about how to better advocate for yourself?
What strengths and talents did you witness, and how could the team better leverage them?