Czech Games Codenames: Duet - The Two Player Word Deduction Game

My husband and I really enjoy playing the original version of Codenames with our friends, so we also bought this version designed to enhance the experience for just two players (or more,) not knowing what to expect. To our delight, Codenames: Duet is even more fun! While the basic theme and method of play are similar to the original game, we like that the way to success is truly cooperative. Whether it’s just the two of us playing or if we’re playing the game with others, the goal of the teams is to identify agents (the good guys) and assassins (the bad guys) so the good guys can prevail. The game is easy to set up and the rules are not complicated, so plays can start quickly. Included is also a way of playing (finding agents in different cities) that extends cooperative play but doesn’t put stress or pressure on any one player like the game Scotland Yard tends to do. Altogether, Codenames: Duet has been designed to provide an experience that encourages discussions of strategy and gameplay that are enjoyable for everyone and it doesn’t take hours to play. We recommend this game for couples, families and groups of people who prefer cooperative play where every player is important and involved rather than cutthroat competitions where people are only in it for themselves and their fellow players are essentially the enemy. With a Codenames: Duet, a relaxing and friendly time can be had by everyone. I pay full price for all of my Amazon purchases and I rarely write 5 star reviews. Codenames: Duet truly deserves 5 stars!

Finally found a great two person game! I love that it is a cooperative game which is nice for a change of pace....probably saving our marriage....lol! This game makes you think outside of the box to come up with good clues that fit your cards, but not fit the kill cards. My only con (ish) is that they give you way too many "key cards" that are so not needed....could play with 20 or 30 at the most and then give us more word cards instead as that is what you go through the most. We actually pulled out our regular Codenames and added those cards to this version. Also bought a game called Clue-nect that has picture cards and we use those for a variety. Very fun game!

Such a fun game! For all the puzzle and word problem solvers out there, this game is a must purchase. It is so fun to play and a great two-player game!

Overall, Codenames: Duet is an enjoyable and challenging game that offers great value for two players. It strengthens communication, provides hours of entertainment, and has good replay value. Despite a slight learning curve and occasional frustration, it’s a game we keep coming back to. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and engaging two-player word deduction game.

Excellent game

Bought this game for a date night and it was a huge hit! Having played a few versions of the Codenames game, I was familiar with the overall concept but thought that this version had an interesting twist to it. For those unfamiliar with the concept of the Codenames games, the object of the game is to get your partner to correctly guess words from a 5x5 row of word cards. One player has a card that shows which spaces you are trying to get your partner to guess as well as those which you want them to avoid. The player then gives their partner a clue word along with a number of cards which they hope that their partner can relate it to. The partner then guesses at the cards which they believe the other player is hoping to lead them to through several rounds. The spin in this game is that each person is playing each role in time. While trying to get your partner to guess off of the board, they too are trying to get you to guess off of the board as well. The usual play card is double sided so that each player can see the spaces that they want their partner to guess and avoid in hopes of reaching 15 correct guesses together. The game is great fun! Trying to relate words together while trying to avoid others can be a bit challenging. The real strategy comes in knowing the way in which your partner thinks and which clue words to use to get them to guess what they need to guess. The game also comes with instructions for more challenging "missions". Haven't gotten there yet, but sure am looking forward to it. Great fun for a date night or game night with family! Among the best!

Easy to learn for most people who have a base familiarity with board or word games but, as with most genuinely good games, while the rules are simple there is no shortage of depth and strategy. Creativity, planning ahead, keeping track of information and the ability to take strategic risks at the right time are all asked of the player. The combinations of words and boards are nearly endless and for 25 dollars or less the bang for your buck and replayability are top tier. You could play thousands of games and they’d each be different. My one caution would be the level of difficulty, as it’s the kind of game that either clicks with someone or it doesn’t. My wife and I are highly experienced gamers and nerdy intellectual types and as such we win the overwhelming majority of the time, as in 90% or more, with very little difficulty. However, we believe our coworkers and their spouses, our parents, our friends, etc would have a much harder time and a much lower win rate, as it’s the kind of game where a single strategic mistake ends the day. If you hit an “assassin” tile you just lose and there’s no opportunity for redemption, so avoiding giving clues that could by any stretch of the imagination lead to your partner guessing one of the forbidden words is absolutely mission critical. Basically, I think this game is probably feast or famine with its difficulty and most average people will lose a lot, and you have to be okay with that if you’re going to purchase this. To the game’s credit, however, it does have a few built-in ways, specifically addressed in its rule book, to make it easier if you need to. Still, given that a certain level of vocabulary is necessary and then within that creativity and abstract thinking is required, this game is almost certainly NOT suitable for younger children. Games are fast and setup/cleanup don’t take long either, and the game itself is small and easy to store. In my mind the pros vastly outweigh the cons for us and we’re very satisfied with our purchase. Like I mentioned earlier, for just 25 dollars or less if you’re even vaguely interested in this kind of game it’s hard to go too far wrong here.

If you are a fan of the original Code Names game then this is for you, especially if you want to be able to play with just two people. I was really curious about how you could play it with two people so here is the jist. You and your partner sit on opposite sides of the table and the setup is the same with 25 cards out in rows of five. There is a double sided "map" card, so you see your own and your partner sees another. The objective is co-op style. You are working together so that you and your partner guess all the keywords on the map before the allotted amount of turns runs out. Oh, and there are three assassin cards instead of one. It's challenging and fun at the same time. You can also play with more than two people if you want.