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Codenames Duet

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description Codenames Duet Overview

Codenames Duet is a cooperative word and deduction game published by Czech Games Edition in 2017. It adapts the original Codenames format into a collaborative two-player experience where both players work together to identify all secret agents. Each player views a different side of a shared grid of word cards, taking turns to give one-word clues and make guesses. The game features shared victory and loss conditions, adding a layer of teamwork absent in the competitive original.

help Codenames Duet FAQ

How many players can play Codenames Duet?

Codenames Duet is designed as a cooperative game for two players, though it can be played with more players split into two teams who collaborate. The box supports 2 or more players, but the core experience is optimized for exactly two people working together.

How does Codenames Duet differ from the original Codenames?

The original Codenames is a competitive team game where two spymasters give one-word clues to help their teammates find their agents first. In Duet, both players are spymasters and guessers simultaneously, each seeing a different arrangement of the key card, and they must cooperate to find all 15 agents while avoiding the deadly assassin cards.

How many assassin cards are in Codenames Duet?

Codenames Duet includes three assassin cards in the layout, and each player sees different cards marked as assassins on their side of the key card. Hitting any assassin ends the game immediately in a loss, creating tension since each player can only see their own assassins.

Can I combine Codenames Duet with the original Codenames?

Yes, Czech Games Edition designed Codenames Duet to be compatible with the original Codenames, and the word cards from both games can be mixed together. There are also rules variants in the Duet rulebook that allow playing with four or more players using components from both games.

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