(And I’ll come back to this.) But Duet also makes Codenames not just a team game but a cooperative game, and that’s a great way to play it too. Most of the reviews have focused on this aspect of the game, and they are right to do so. But Duet isn’t just a new coat of paint–it’s an entirely different game, and one that rivals the original Codenames in interest and ingenuity.Ĭodenames Duet is ostensibly a two-player game, and it works wonderfully in that context. After the smash success of the original edition came a version with pictures, several licensed versions like Disney and Marvel and Harry Potter, and the unassuming Duet, which is a return to simple word cards. EncoreĬodenames is the party game that just keeps giving. The players collectively win only if all the agents have been guessed. The game ends when either players have made contact with all the agents on both sides of the clue card or the timer/bystander tokens have been claimed, or players have made contact with an assassin. They may stop at any time, in which case they take a timer token. The guessing side may keep guessing as long as they like as long as they keep touching agent cards. These timer tokens are double-sided, showing check marks on one side and bystanders on the other. If the card is the assassin, all players lose immediately. If the card is a bystander, the spymaster places one of the double-sided bystander/timer tokens on the card with the arrow facing themself–it’s possible this card might be an agent for the other side, so it can still be touched. If it is an agent, the card is covered completely and may no longer be guessed for the remainder of the game (even if it is an agent for the other side). When the guessing side touches a word card, the spymaster places a token on this card corresponding to what that card is in their clue key. (That is, a word may be the assassin for one side and an agent for the other.) The overlap of agents/bystanders/assassins is standard for each card. When a side is guessing, only the spymaster for that turn’s side of the clue card matters. The dual-sided clue card shows a different setup of agents, bystanders, and assassins on both sides. This clue corresponds to the agents that they see on their side of the card. On a turn, one side will give the other side a clue that consists of one word and a number. (More tokens can be used for an easier game.) One side goes first. Players decide how many bystander/timer tokens to include. They place a clue card on its stand and set it between the players. To begin, players sit on opposite sides of the table and lay out a 5×5 grid of word cards. The players win if they make contact with all fifteen of their agents before they run out of timer tokens or make contact with an assassin. Players are spymasters trying to clue their operatives into making contact with their agents while avoiding deadly assassins. What could go wrong? How It WorksĬodenames Duet is a cooperative word game for two or more players. But you love love the life of danger, and you trust your partner. And with multiple assassins waiting around every corner. But it’s even more difficult to go it alone. The job of the spy is difficult enough with rival spy organizations working around you.
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