Codenames
| Codenames | |
|---|---|
 English version of Codenames |
|
| Game data | |
| author | Vlaada Chvátil |
| graphic | Tomas Kucerovsky |
| publishing company | Czech Games Edition , Heidelberger Spieleverlag |
| Publishing year | 2015 |
| Art | Deduction game, party game, communication game |
| Teammates | at least 2 |
| Duration | 15 minutes |
| Age | from 10 years on
|
| Awards | |
|
Game of the year 2016 |
|
Codenames is a family game by Vlaada Chvátil , published in 2015 by Czech Games Edition and Heidelberger Spieleverlag . It was awarded the Game of the Year Critics' Prize in 2016.
The deduction game relies on the ability to find umbrella terms that can be used to identify associated words.
Gameplay
The game is based on an agent theme, the two teams (blue and red) have to identify their own agents using the information given by their team leader, the head of the secret service.
Before a round, 25 cards, each with a code name, are laid out in a 5 × 5 grid. A code card marks the 25 fields with colors as agents of the red or blue team (with nine and eight cards), bystanders (seven) and assassins (one). This code card can only be seen by the two team leaders (secret service chiefs). The leaders now take turns giving their fellow players hints with which they should recognize which of the code names stand for their own agents.
The boss gives his team a hint in the form of a single word that associatively refers to the code names that the team is looking for, which are on the open playing cards. He also states the number of cards to which he refers. Otherwise he is not allowed to communicate with his team. The team members are allowed to consult and name a card, the identity of which is then revealed. If it is an agent from your own team, you have been successful and may try again. If you uncover the assassin, you lose immediately, and in the case of another card, it is the opposing team's turn. The team whose agents are completely revealed first or whose opposing team has revealed the assassin wins.
With a special rule, two or three players can play code names. You then compete in a cooperative game against a simulated opponent.
Furnishing
200 cards are supplied, each with a code name per side, so that 400 different terms can be used. There are also 40 code cards, each showing different distributions in all four orientations. The revealed code names are marked with 25 colored cards: eight each for red and blue, one double agent, one assassin and seven bystanders. An hourglass (90 seconds) is included to limit the time per move.
target group
Codenames is the most awarded game of the year 2016. The jury of the Game of the Year stated: “Playing with associations has a pull that hardly anyone can escape” and “[if] he likes to juggle with language, becomes Codenames love. ”Reviews point out that players with a feeling for language not only have an advantage, but that you should only play with them. “The more homogeneous the players are in terms of word art, association, education, the better the word game will be. If there are significant differences, the fun of the game is reduced - sometimes drastically. ”In addition, Codenames was only recommended in the first edition from 14 years of age; from the second edition the age was reduced to 10 years.
variants
In October 2016, Codenames Pictures was released, a variant that uses images and symbols instead of code names. In 2017 the "adult version" Codenames Undercover was released . Also in 2017, a dedicated cooperative game for two players - Codenames Duet - was released . Codenames XXL was added in 2018 .
A publisher-independent, open-source online adaptation of the game has been published on GitHub .
Web links
- Heidelberger Spielverlag: Codenames
- Codenames in the Luding games database
- Code Names in the game database BoardGameGeek (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Game of the Year: Codenames
- ↑ H @ ll9000: Codenames , March 18, 2016
- Jump up ↑ Realm of Games: Codenames , June 8, 2016
- ↑ Heidelberger Spielverlag: Codenames Pictures
- ↑ Heidelberger Spielverlag: Code name Undercover
- ↑ Heidelberger Spielverlag: Code name Duett
- ↑ Jackson Owens: jbowens / codenames. In: GitHub. May 27, 2020, accessed May 28, 2020 .