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Two rival spymasters know the secret identities of 25 agents. Their teammates know the agents only by their CODENAMES.
In Codenames, two teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first. Spymasters give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board. Their teammates try to guess words of the right color while avoiding those that belong to the opposing team. And everyone wants to avoid the assassin.
Codenames: Win or lose, it's fun to figure out the clues.
Hello TWR, and welcome to my latest game, a non mafia game named Codenames. This is based of a real board game (info here) that I'm going to be hosting on the forum here. In Codenames, two teams compete by each having a Spymaster give one word clues which can point to multiple words on the board. The other players on the team attempt to guess their team's words while avoiding the words of the other team.
Let's get straight into the rules:
Players split into two teams: red and blue. One player of each team is selected as the team's spymaster; the others are field operatives.
Twenty-five code name cards, each bearing a word, are laid out in a 5×5 rectangular grid, in random order. A number of these words represent red agents, a number represent blue agents, one represents an assassin, and the others represent innocent bystanders.
The teams' spymasters are given a randomly-dealt map card showing a 5×5 grid of 25 squares of various colors, each corresponding to one of the code name cards on the table. Teams take turns. On each turn, the appropriate spymaster gives a verbal hint about the words on the respective cards. Each hint may only consist of one single word and a number. The spymaster gives a hint that is related to as many of the words on his/her own agents' cards as possible, but not to any others – lest they accidentally lead their team to choose a card representing an innocent bystander, an opposing agent, or the assassin.
The hint's word can be chosen freely, as long as it is not (and does not contain) any of the words on the code name cards still showing at that time, rhyming words are not allowed.
We are playing this game with one-word clues, no abbreviations and no hyphenates. The Scrabble dictionary is the official arbiter of closed compounds and any acronyms that have entered common speech. If it’s in the Scrabble dictionary, it’s allowable.
The hint's number tells the field operatives how many words in the grid are related to the word of the clue. It also determines the maximum number of guesses the field operatives may make on that turn, which is the hint's number plus one. Field operatives must make at least one guess per turn, risking a wrong guess and its consequences. They may also end their turn voluntarily at any point thereafter.
For example, lets say two words you're looking for are Stream and River, your hint could be Water + 3, which means you have three guesses to find the words. You may not choose any number more than 5 for your guesses.
When a code name card is pointed out, the game master (myself or a MoD if applicable) covers that card with an appropriate identity card – a blue agent card, a red agent card, an innocent bystander card, or the assassin card – as indicated on both the spymasters' map of the grid. If the assassin is pointed out, the game ends immediately, with the team who identified him losing. If an agent of the other team is pointed out, the turn ends immediately, and that other team is also one agent closer to winning. If an innocent bystander is pointed out, the turn simply ends.
The game ends when all of one teams words are guessed, or the assassin is found.
Twenty-five code name cards, each bearing a word, are laid out in a 5×5 rectangular grid, in random order. A number of these words represent red agents, a number represent blue agents, one represents an assassin, and the others represent innocent bystanders.
The teams' spymasters are given a randomly-dealt map card showing a 5×5 grid of 25 squares of various colors, each corresponding to one of the code name cards on the table. Teams take turns. On each turn, the appropriate spymaster gives a verbal hint about the words on the respective cards. Each hint may only consist of one single word and a number. The spymaster gives a hint that is related to as many of the words on his/her own agents' cards as possible, but not to any others – lest they accidentally lead their team to choose a card representing an innocent bystander, an opposing agent, or the assassin.
The hint's word can be chosen freely, as long as it is not (and does not contain) any of the words on the code name cards still showing at that time, rhyming words are not allowed.
We are playing this game with one-word clues, no abbreviations and no hyphenates. The Scrabble dictionary is the official arbiter of closed compounds and any acronyms that have entered common speech. If it’s in the Scrabble dictionary, it’s allowable.
The hint's number tells the field operatives how many words in the grid are related to the word of the clue. It also determines the maximum number of guesses the field operatives may make on that turn, which is the hint's number plus one. Field operatives must make at least one guess per turn, risking a wrong guess and its consequences. They may also end their turn voluntarily at any point thereafter.
For example, lets say two words you're looking for are Stream and River, your hint could be Water + 3, which means you have three guesses to find the words. You may not choose any number more than 5 for your guesses.
When a code name card is pointed out, the game master (myself or a MoD if applicable) covers that card with an appropriate identity card – a blue agent card, a red agent card, an innocent bystander card, or the assassin card – as indicated on both the spymasters' map of the grid. If the assassin is pointed out, the game ends immediately, with the team who identified him losing. If an agent of the other team is pointed out, the turn ends immediately, and that other team is also one agent closer to winning. If an innocent bystander is pointed out, the turn simply ends.
The game ends when all of one teams words are guessed, or the assassin is found.
Now, I understand that's a lot to go off, but honestly the game is fairly simple when it comes to actually playing.
I need 4-8p for this game, and they then will be split into two teams, Red & Blue.
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