Which Codenames should I buy? 6 versions compared
Last checked 9 November 2026
Quick answer: Get classic Codenames for a group of 4 or more (10 and up, about 15 minutes). For two players, Codenames: Duet is a co-op. Codenames: Pictures swaps words for drawings, and Codenames XXL has extra-large cards for a big room or anyone who finds small print hard. Back to Hogwarts is the Harry Potter version, and Critical Role Adventures is a co-op campaign.
Codenames is the clue game where one word has to point your team at two or three cards at once, without landing on the assassin. Czech Games Edition refreshed the main boxes in 2025 with a revised word list, new art and a tidier rulebook, and there are now several ways to play it. Some are the same game in a different format, two change it properly. Here's what each one is for. Player counts, ages and times come from Czech Games Edition's own pages, and each card says how easy it is to teach.
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1. Codenames
Two teams race to find their secret agents in a grid of words, working from one-word clues given by their team's spymaster.
- Players
- 4+ players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- about 15 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Easy to teach
Why it suits this: The one to start with. Two teams, two spymasters, 25 word cards on the table and one-word clues with a number. It's 4 to 8 or more players aged 10 and up, about 15 minutes a game, and the box has 200 cards with 400 words, so it lasts. If you're buying one Codenames for Christmas Day with the family, this is it.
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Details last checked 19 October 2026.
2. Codenames: Duet
Work together, giving each other one-word clues, to find 15 secret agents hidden in a grid of 25 words.
- Players
- 2+ players
- Age
- 11+
- Play time
- about 15 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Easy to teach
Why it suits this: Codenames for two, and a co-op (you win or lose together). Each of you sees half of the key, so you take turns giving clues to each other to find 15 agents before you run out of time. Czech Games Edition says 2 or more players and 11 and up, so it also works with a group that would rather not compete. It's the best pick for couples.
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Details last checked 9 November 2026.
3. Codenames: Pictures
Codenames with picture cards instead of words. Spymasters give one-word clues and their team picks out the right images before the other team finds theirs.
- Players
- 4+ players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- about 15 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Easy to teach
Why it suits this: Same rules, but the grid is 20 odd little drawings instead of words. That makes it easier for younger players or anyone playing in a second language, and the pictures are often harder to link than you'd expect. It's 4 to 8 or more players, 10 and up, about 15 minutes.
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Details last checked 24 October 2026.
4. Codenames XXL
Classic Codenames with extra-large word cards and an even bigger font in the 2025 edition. Good for a big room, a big group or anyone who struggles with small print.
- Players
- 4+ players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- about 15 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Easy to teach
Why it suits this: Classic Codenames with extra-large cards. Czech Games Edition says it's ideal for players with visual impairments and for large groups, and the 2025 edition has an even bigger font in a smaller box than before. Same 4 to 8 or more players, 10 and up, 15 minutes. Good for grandparents, a big living room or a classroom.
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Details last checked 9 November 2026.
5. Codenames: Back to Hogwarts
Vlaada Chvátil's Wizarding World Codenames. Two Hogwarts houses race to find their cards, each with a special house ability, and Argus Filch takes the assassin's job.
- Players
- 4+ players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- about 15 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Takes a little explaining
Why it suits this: The Harry Potter version, and more than new pictures. Two Hogwarts houses compete, each with a prefect giving clues, and Argus Filch takes the assassin's job (find him and the other house wins). Each house picks one of two special abilities, which changes how the rounds go, and you can keep a running House Cup score across nights. It's 4 to 8 or more players, 10 and up, 15 minutes. It takes a little longer to teach than the original.
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Details last checked 9 November 2026.
6. Codenames: Critical Role Adventures
A co-op Codenames campaign set in Critical Role's Exandria. One player is the game master giving clues, and the party levels up heroes over three branching campaigns.
- Players
- 2+ players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- about 25 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Takes some explaining
Why it suits this: The big change: a co-op campaign. One player is the game master (GM), giving clues to the rest of the party, and you play branching missions across three campaigns, with heroes that gain experience, items and a D20 (a 20-sided dice) for skill checks. Czech Games Edition lists it as 2 to 4 or more players, 10 and up, about 25 minutes a mission. Brilliant for Critical Role fans, but it's a lot more to teach than Codenames.
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Details last checked 9 November 2026.
Which Codenames is best for…
- A family or party of 4 or more: classic Codenames.
- Two players: Codenames: Duet.
- Younger players or mixed languages: Codenames: Pictures.
- Anyone who finds small print hard, or a big room: Codenames XXL.
- Harry Potter fans: Back to Hogwarts.
- A regular group that wants a story: Critical Role Adventures.
Codenames expansion packs
Czech Games Edition also makes small expansion packs, which aren’t games on their own. The Sci-Fi and Fairy Tales packs each have 50 themed words, 3 new agent tiles and 4 pictures, and work with Codenames or Codenames: Duet. The Cute Critters pack is 40 animal pictures and needs Codenames: Pictures. They’re a cheap way to freshen up a box you already own.
Codenames questions
How many players do you need for Codenames?
Classic Codenames, Pictures, XXL and Back to Hogwarts are for 4 or more, split into two teams. For two players, get Codenames: Duet.
What age is Codenames for?
Czech Games Edition says 10 and up for Codenames, Pictures, XXL, Back to Hogwarts and Critical Role Adventures, and 11 and up for Duet.
Is there a Codenames for two players?
Yes. Codenames: Duet is made for two, and you play together against the game rather than against each other.
Want something different with the same feel? See games like Codenames, party games and 2 player card games.
How we choose and check
We pick games for the situation, and ignore hobby rankings and hype. Player counts, ages and play times come from the publisher's own page or the box. If we can't confirm a detail there, we leave it off the card. The teaching rating is our own view from reading the rules, not a publisher figure. Nobody pays us to include a game. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. See how we make money.