The Ludarium Academy · Full course · Free
One Word, One Number
An unofficial Codenames course
Learn Codenames, teach it in five minutes, then give clues your team gets, guess with nerve, win the endgame, and find more people to play with.
Free printable teach sheetSetup, a turn, scoring, and three tips on one page.Four levels, 13 lessons
Start with lesson oneLevel 0 · Learn to play
Recruit
After this level: Set up, teach, and finish a full game of Codenames without opening the rulebook.
Level 1 · Beginner
Field Agent
After this level: Give safe clues for two, guess as a team, skip the common slips, and pick the right Codenames for your group.
Level 2 · Intermediate
Handler
After this level: Pick links your team will read, land clues for three, play the race on purpose, and count your way through the endgame.
Level 3 · Expert
Mastermind
After this level: Win turns with zero and unlimited clues, beat Duet on a tight clock, and run a Codenames night or home tournament.
- 1How to Play Codenames
- 2How to Teach Codenames and Run a Great First Game
- 3Your First Three Games of Codenames
- 4How to Give Great Codenames Clues
- 5Guessing and Table Talk in Codenames
- 6Codenames Player Counts, Variants, and Editions
- 7Kinds of Codenames Clues: Links Your Team Will Read
- 8Codenames Clues for Three: Going Bigger Without Getting Burned
- 9Codenames Tempo and Odds: Playing the Race on Purpose
- 10The Codenames Endgame: Counting and the Assassin
- 11Codenames Expert Clues: Zero, Unlimited, and the Timer
- 12Codenames: Duet Strategy for a Tight Clock
- 13Play More Codenames: Game Nights, Online, and Local Play
Every lesson is free to read here, any time. Sign up and they also arrive by email, one at a time, so the course keeps you learning between game nights.
Who it is for
- New players who want the rules clear before the first clue.
- Hosts who need a party game that teaches in minutes for a big or mixed group.
- Anyone nervous about sitting in the spymaster's chair for the first time.
- Families and teams who keep arguing about which clues are allowed.
- Players
- 4 to 8 or more
- Play time
- About 15 minutes
- Ages
- Ages 10 and up
- Rules as of
- Codenames rulebook, 2025 edition (Czech Games Edition)
Questions
How many players do you need for Codenames?
At least four: two teams, each with a spymaster and at least one operative. Czech Games Edition lists 4 to 8 or more players. For two players, the cooperative Codenames: Duet is the version to reach for.
What is the plus one rule in Codenames?
As long as your team keeps guessing its own words, you may make one more guess than the number in the clue. A clue for 2 allows up to 3 guesses. Teams usually spend the extra guess on a word they missed from an earlier clue.
What happens if you pick the assassin in Codenames?
Your team loses on the spot, and the other team wins. It does not matter how many words either team still has to find.
Can a Codenames clue be a word on the board?
No. While a word is showing in the grid, you cannot say it, any form of it, or any part of a compound word on the table. Once that card is covered, the word is fair game.
Do you have to guess on your turn in Codenames?
Yes. Operatives must make at least one guess every turn. After any correct guess they may stop, and good teams often stop early rather than risk a wrong word.
Can you give a clue for zero in Codenames?
Yes, under the expert rules in the rulebook. A clue like spiders: 0 means do not guess the words it points to, and it allows unlimited guesses, as long as the team keeps guessing right. Save it for after your first few games.
Teach sheet · PDF · Rules as described in the Codenames rulebook, 2025 edition (Czech Games Edition); official rules.
Unofficial. Not affiliated with Czech Games Edition. Codenames is a trademark of Czech Games Edition.