Codenames Duet: a Review for Two Spies

Introduction

Two player games are our favorite, and cooperative ones always give us just the right amount of stress. Codenames Duet takes the classic party game and turns it into a secret mission for two. Have you ever wanted to be a spy? Now is your chance! Sit across from each other, trade clues, dodge the assassin, and wonder how on earth your one and only could have chosen that word. My clues are usually terrible, so we usually play more than once. Whether you have played the original Codenames or are looking for a cozier twist, Codenames Duet is a clever way to spend a night in

Gameplay

Players work together to find 15 secret agents hidden in a 5 by 5 grid of 25 words. Each of you has your own side of a key card showing which words your partner needs to guess. Nine agents per side, twelve bystanders, three possible assassins, and nine rounds to find all fifteen agents (three agents overlap). Guess an assassin and it is game over. Trust me, it happens more than you think in our house because I seem to have a magnetic talent for finding them 🙈

On your turn, give a one-word clue plus a number and hope your partner can read your mind. Guess an agent, cover it with a green tile. Guess a bystander, and the turn ends. Guess the assassin and lose immediately. Each turn uses one timer token, and if you run out, there is one last sudden death round to save the mission. My advice: do not overthink it, trust your gut, and remember, double guessing usually leads straight into trouble

Tips

When a clue feels impossible, do not sweat it. You can always pass. Sometimes it helps to give a zero clue to steer your partner away from the wrong words. Make sure to read all words before giving out a word. Patience is key. It’s okay to think for a minute (which will probably seem like forever) before giving out a word and a number. Also, do not react to your partner’s possible guesses. That's cheating. I have a bad poker face, so when things get tense, I turn around

Conclusion

Codenames Duet is a tense, clever mission for two. This cooperative word association game feels like a fresh puzzle every time. It plays fast and works well for two or a group. Bring your creativity and try not to overthink it! Once you’re comfortable with the basics, the mission maps add a new layer where you guess within a set number of turns and limited mistakes. Less turns, more tension, more fun as long as the assassin doesn’t come up. And oh, boy! That dude comes up a lot in my house 🙈

I'm in a mission to only keep games we play in our collection, and Codenames is a keeper. Here's my rubric and my Geeklist with all the 2-player games I've reviewed