Codenames: Duet is a cooperative word-association game where players give one-word clues to identify shared agent cards while avoiding assassins and limited-turn mistakes.
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Published cooperative Codenames: Duet play using clue turns and limited mistakes.
Codenames: Duet is cooperative Codenames for partners. You share a word grid, but each side of the key card gives different information, so each player must clue the words their partner can safely guess.
Lay out 25 random word cards in a 5 by 5 grid, place the double-sided key card so each partner sees only their side, and set out the agent and timer tokens. Each side of the key tells you which words your partner can safely guess, not which words you should guess. On a turn, the clue-giver says one word and one number, such as “weather: 2,” trying to connect multiple safe words. The guesser points to words one at a time. A correct agent is covered with an agent tile and the guesser may continue. A bystander usually ends the turn and spends a timer token. An assassin immediately loses the game. Partners alternate giving clues and guessing, and the team wins by finding all 15 agents before the timer pressure or sudden-death rules defeat them.
Codenames: Duet is a cooperative win/loss result. Win by contacting all 15 agents. Lose by hitting an assassin or failing the timer/sudden-death pressure. Optional notes can track mission map, tokens used, and agents remaining.
Record the team result as win or loss. Add notes for player count, mission-map city, timer tokens used, assassins hit, and agents remaining on a loss.