50 free Codenames trivia questions with answers — entertainment quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
Codenames is the party game that turned one word and a number into a whole evening. Vlaada Chvátil designed it, Czech Games Edition published it in 2015, and a year later it won the Spiel des Jahres. Two spymasters, a five-by-five grid of words, a black assassin square nobody wants to touch, and the agonising choice of whether to take that bonus guess. These 50 questions start with the rules people argue about: how many cards go on the table, what the lights on a key card mean, why phonetic clues are frowned on, what happens after an invalid clue, and whether you have to guess at all. Then the spin-offs: the adult Deep Undercover sold only at Target, the surreal Pictures deck, the Disney, Marvel, Simpsons and Harry Potter editions, the two-player Duet co-designed by Scot Eaton, the XXL boxes and the Blizzard edition that was never sold. There are questions on the 38 languages and six alphabets, the apps, and the designer's other work from Through the Ages to Galaxy Trucker. Every answer is cited to a page we checked and comes with a short explanation, so you learn something even when you miss. Play it solo or print it for a game-night tiebreaker.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01Who designed Codenames?
Vlaada Chvátil
The Czech designer had previously made Through the Ages, Galaxy Trucker and Mage Knight.
Q 02Which company publishes Codenames?
Czech Games Edition
Founded in 2007, the company also makes Galaxy Trucker, Space Alert and Lost Ruins of Arnak.
Q 03In what year was Codenames first released?
2015
It won Germany's Game of the Year award the following summer.
Q 04What is the game's title in Czech?
Krycí jména
The literal translation is "cover names".
Q 05What is the clue-giving player on each team called?
Spymaster
The rest of the team play as field operatives.
Q 06What are the guessing players on each team called?
Field operatives
They must make at least one guess per turn and may stop voluntarily after a correct one.
Q 07How many word cards are laid out at the start of a standard game?
25
They form a five-by-five grid that everyone can see.
Q 08What colour marks the assassin on the key card?
Black
Revealing it ends the game immediately with a loss for the guessing team.
Q 09What colour are the innocent bystanders on the key card?
Beige
Hitting one ends the turn, but unlike the assassin it does not lose the game.
Q 10What are the two teams' colours?
Red and blue
Whichever colour is lit on the key card goes first and has one extra agent to find.
Q 11What do the "lights" on a key card indicate?
Which team goes first
The starting team also has one more agent to find than its opponent.
Q 12A valid clue consists of what?
A single word and a number
"Ocean 3" could point operatives to beach, whale and water.
Q 13How many guesses may operatives make at most per turn?
The stated count plus one
The bonus guess lets a team mop up a word missed on an earlier turn.
Q 21Which 2016 edition was sold exclusively at Target with adult double entendres?
Deep Undercover
Published by Lark & Clam, it carried a parental advisory label and later got a 2.0 update.
Q 22Which company published the adult, Target-exclusive edition?
Lark & Clam
The adult edition shipped with 200 new word cards full of sexual references.
Q 23Codenames: Pictures uses a grid of what size?
5x4
That puts 20 surreal image cards in play instead of 25 words.
Q 24How many double-sided cards come with Codenames: Pictures?
Q 14What is the minimum number of guesses a team must make each turn?
One
After one correct guess they may keep going or stop.
Q 15What happens if a clue-giver gives an invalid clue?
The turn ends and the rivals reveal an agent
Clues cannot be or contain a word visible on the board, and phonetic hints are discouraged.
Q 16Which type of hint is discouraged by the rules?
Phonetic
A clue must relate to meaning, not sound.
Q 17What happens when a team reveals an opposing agent?
Their turn ends immediately
It also hands the other side free progress toward their own win.
Q 18What timing device is included in the box for speeding up play?
A sand hourglass
It is optional, meant for slow guessers or a quicker game.
Q 19What is the minimum number of players for Codenames?
Four
Duet later supplied an official two-player version.
Q 20Which major award did Codenames win in 2016?
Spiel des Jahres
It was the designer's first win, though Galaxy Trucker and Space Alert had been recognised before.
200
The surreal images blend everyday objects in odd ways and can be mixed with the word cards.
Q 25The Disney Family Edition's easier variant for younger players uses what?
A smaller four-by-four grid
It features characters and locations from Disney and Pixar films for younger players.
Q 26The superhero edition depicts its characters as seen in which continuity?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Iron Man and Captain America all feature.
Q 27Who co-designed the cooperative two-player version, Codenames: Duet?
Scot Eaton
It was released in October 2017 with 200 new word cards.
Q 28How many agents must be found in a game of Codenames: Duet?
15
Nine are visible from each side of the key card, with three overlapping.
Q 29In Codenames: Duet, how do the two players use the key card?
Each sees one side of it
They sit opposite each other, each reading their own side of the double-sided card.
Q 30In Codenames: Harry Potter, which group are players trying to reveal?
Order of the Phoenix members
They must dodge the Ministry of Magic and the Death Eaters before time runs out.