The best Codenames games and variants⎇ 2026

Codenames is a captivating and popular party game that involves clever wordplay and deduction. Two teams compete, each led by a spymaster who knows the secret identities of 25 agents, represented by cards bearing single-word codenames like "disease," "Germany," or even "carrot." The objective is for each team to be the first to correctly identify all their agents based on clues given by their spymaster, while avoiding the dangerous assassin.

Embark on a collaborative journey of espionage in Codenames Duet, where the familiar elements of Codenames persist – providing one-word clues to unveil your agents among those on the table. This time, however, you and your teammate work together to uncover all your agents, adding a thrilling cooperative dimension to the challenge. The mystery of not knowing your agents from the outset adds an intriguing layer to the mission, raising questions that even Congressional investigators might ponder later!

Uncover the mystery behind peculiar symbols on the map in Codenames: Pictures, where these enigmatic codes signify locations where spies connect with secret agents. In this clandestine world, two rival spymasters possess knowledge of the agents in each location, communicating coded messages to guide their field operatives to discreet meetings. Operatives must navigate these visual puzzles with utmost precision, as a decoding misstep might lead to an unfortunate encounter with an enemy agent – or worse, an encounter with the deadly assassin! The race is on for both teams to contact all their agents, but only one can emerge victorious.

Codenames: Disney – Family Edition brings the magic of Disney to the popular social word game Codenames, offering a delightful twist that Disney and Pixar fans of all ages will adore. This edition blends the strategic and cooperative elements of the original game with the enchanting worlds and characters of Disney and Pixar, making it an ideal choice for family game nights and gatherings of Disney enthusiasts.

Codenames: Deep Undercover is a standalone or combinable expansion to the hit game Codenames, introducing an adult twist to the classic word association gameplay. In this version, players still split into two teams, with each team's spymaster knowing the identities of their secret agents, represented by codenames on the table. The goal remains to contact all your agents first through clever one-word clues that can link multiple codenames, while avoiding the deadly assassin and the opposing team's agents. This game adds an edgier set of words and phrases, making it suited for a more mature audience.

Codenames: Marvel combines the popular social word game Codenames with characters and locations from the Marvel Universe, including Spider-Man, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Avengers, and Doctor Strange. Two teams, S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra, compete to identify all their agents hidden in a 5x5 grid, while avoiding neutral words and an assassin that can instantly lose the game. A spymaster gives one-word clues to help teammates guess the right agents while steering clear of the opposing team's agents.

Codenames: Harry Potter features gameplay from Codenames Duet, where players work together to uncover all the correct cards before time runs out or a dark wizard like Lord Voldemort is summoned. The cards players must guess have a word or phrase on one side and an image on the other.