Codenames: Pictures

This game is so much fun for both people who have and have not played the original Codenames word game. Basic idea: you have a bunch of cards with random photos on it. The best way to describe the cards is as if you had a random word generator, generated two words, and made it a THING. For example, ice and horse. You get an ice horse, or a horse slipping on ice in a photo. Then you lay out a random set of picture cards in a 5 x 4 arrangement on a table. A codemaster card is drawn which has red, blue, neutral, and one black tile labeled that coordinates to the 5 x 4 arrangements, which is randomized on each card so there are tons of options (think of this like a "key" to the map where the map is the board). 2 people get to be "codemasters" who will each pick out a team and delegate out one clue to by taking turns. The clue is typically one word and a number (indicating how many photo tiles are related to their word clue). The team that is able to guess all of their team's pictures (red or blue team) first wins. It gets fun and ballsy to see risky plays where someone tries general clues and says there are 4-6 tiles related to it. Promise its fun for groups of all sizes. Kids can play too. We play at home with friends and with friends at work during lunch all the time, and the Codenames series has been the favorite for both people who do and do not normally play board games. It is so easy to pickup and introduce new players and to make new friends within a group. Additionally, this game has so much replay value, between the different tile card photos, different players, different people as Codemasters, and different options for code tiles. I honestly even think you could mix and match with regular Codenames and Undercover Codenames to expand it all into one big deck. It is a little harder to work on large teams with a big group of people unless you all sit really close. Since there are no words, you have to point at the picture of the card and not touch it to generate discussion with friends and this is a little harder than saying a word (as it was in the original game). Not that this is a bad thing, but it is better with groups of people who are smaller than 8 I would say and who are sitting relatively close together. I think it is the most fun with 6-8 people. 4 can be too small since it feels very 2 vs. 2, with no one to discuss with. I recommend to get both this game and the original Codenames, both are fun in their own ways and bring fun to the table.

Easy to learn and fun for all ages. Perfect for groups, game nights, and getting everyone laughing and involved quickly.

This is a really cool game for 3-4 people (can work with 3, designed for 4). Maybe more. In short, you lay out 20 cards with odd images on them--like a windmill but with dragonfly wings instead of blades. One player on each team is a spy master who knows where their team's spies are hidden in that 4x5 grid of cards and provides clues to finding them. The other player has to make contact with their spies. First one to find all their spies wins. The trick is that the spymaster can only give 1 word and 1 number as a clue--no accents, gesturing, or any other information. Just a word and a number (like "wings, 3"). That word is the clue and the number is how many images it applies to. Sounds easy, right? It's not. This is a game of a) understanding your partner and knowing how they will interpret both the word you give them and how it relates to the cards before them, b) getting REALLY creative with your clue giving, and c) giving just the right clue that conveys the images you want without leading them down false paths. You can quickly tell who is on the same wavelength and who is not. I've played this with several other couples to great effect. My six year old also likes to play it. She's surprisingly good at guessing, but her limited vocabulary and knowledge of some terms makes her clue giving a little simple and often misleading ("round" for example, where my wife might say a more nuanced "rotund" to distinguish between a round person and a picture of a globe). My daughter also gets a little distracted by the fun of giving clues and sometimes loses the part about only giving it for her side's spies. So it's fun to play with her for the pure joy of it and it is great for building game play logic and pattern recognition skills--but you probably need at least an 8 year old to really start making it fun AND more competitive.

Fun game wish we played it more. Totally recommend great for parties.

If you aren't familiar with the concept of these games, there are a series of cards on the table you are trying to get your team to guess all of their cards, but can only give a one word clue. First team to identify all their cards wins the round. This version has pictures on the cards instead of words. Here is how that fact changes the game. 1- it is easier which makes it more enjoyable to play with younger kids. My 8 year old daughter had no issues and 2- it is quicker to play. If you are going to only been playing with adults, I suggest the other version that users words. If you are playing with kids, especially younger kids (under 14) I would recommend this version. Or you can do what we did and buy both. We were introduced to the game at a family reunion and found the pace of the game to be enjoyable, the playability was nice, and while there is some thinking (to try to figure out if you can describe more than one card with a single clue) there wasn't the long pauses while that one person tried to think through every scenario before they take a turn. Our family would highly recommend the game.

such a fun game. easy to play for families and groups

We love this game

I absolutely love the regular Codenames game. I've been playing it with friends for years. It's a great game for when you have a lot of people over because it's easy to manage, and the people can pick up the rules really quickly. I've bought other versions of this game where it can be played with just two people for friends as gifts and they loved it too. I got a combo deal of the original game and the pictures version here for such a great price! I plan on gifting one and keeping the pictures for myself. This is also a true test of how well you know and can predict the thought patterns of your friends. I highly recommend this.