5 Best Games Like Codenames That You Should Know Update 04/2024

Games Like Codenames

Many Party games had to be included in our search for similar board games like Codenames because of their unique gameplay and mechanics.

Codenames at a Glance

Codenames at a Glance

Computational and memory-based play, as well as the use of deduction and teamwork, are some of the features of the Party-type word card game Codenames.

As always, we’ve tried to include a game that is different from the one that needs comparisons in our list of games (Codenames). In the world of board games, variety is the best medicine!

Dixit – Smart Clue giving advances this Game

Dixit is a card game in which the fronts of the cards feature bizarre and surreal imagery, and players score by placing rabbit markers inside the box.

Dixit at a Glance

Dixit at a Glance

To play, each participant in the game has their own deck of cards, and one person at a time sets one of their cards on the table and gives other players clues about the card. The fun of Dixit is that you don’t require every player to correctly guess your card image in order to gain points; instead, you need at least one other player to do so. Winner is whoever has accumulated the most points at the conclusion of play.

However weird it may seem, there have been instances where people have guessed at random and been correct. This is because players are expected to be creative with their hints, which should not be obvious or ridiculously difficult to guess. Irrefutable harmony between the hidden and the obvious!

When comparing Codenames to other party and deduction games, it’s about the team-based aspect (or rather a single player being a storyteller). It doesn’t include the term “stuff,” but it makes up for it with a variety of strange images.

You can finish Dixit in 30 minutes or less if you have a bunch of players that are good at giving innovative hints and aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. Even though the suggested minimum age is 8, younger players may benefit from setting the game’s difficulty such that everyone gives hints at the same level.

Decrypto – A close side by side Comparison

Decrypto is a party and word game compared to Codenames that many gamers consider to be better than Codenames.

Decrypto at a Glance

Decrypto at a Glance

Decryto is a two-player game in which participants work together to decipher messages using code words. If the opposing team can’t get their hands on your codes, you’ll have to intercept and break theirs. In order to prevent the enemy team from intercepting the codes sent by the encryptor to his teammates, each team must have an encryptor who is neither too evident nor too obscure to the opposing side.

Decryto’s components stand out from those of Codenames for a variety of reasons. As a way to keep track of clues and other information, teams are provided with a screen stand on which cards can be placed. As an added bonus, you’ll have a timer that can be utilized to put pressure on the opposing team to solve their clues faster than the encryptors expected.

After two Interception tokens have been collected by one team and they win the game, or after two Miscommunication tokens have been collected by the other team and they lose the game, the game is over. How to win or lose a game in such an unusual way.

Unlike Codenames, Decryto is a game that lasts around 15 to 45 minutes and involves two teams of four to eight players, but a three-person version of the rules is also available. Ages 12 and up are recommended.

If you’re a fan of Codenames, Decrypto is a must-have. Both games stand on their own merits, despite the fact that they share and diverge in a plethora of ways.

Spyfall – Team Based “Who’s The Spy Game”

In addition to Codenames, Spyfall is a spy-themed party game that checks many of the same boxes. Everyone in the game gets a card, and one person is designated as the covert operative, with the goal of having the other players figure out who he or she is. A good time may be had by all.

Spyfall at a Glance

Spyfall at a Glance

That round’s points are awarded if non-spies unanimously agree that one person is the spy and he or she is, and the spy must locate the other players in order to do so. If you’re a spy, the most challenging part of all this is figuring out how to ask questions (too specific or vague can cost you points).

For this game to be successful, you’ll need a group that enjoys social deduction and bluffing, as well as a player who has mastered the game’s mechanics before you start playing. In the game, knowing places without consulting the location sheet is a barrier that reveals your status as a spy, which is why we bring it up (there are ways around this).

It’s hard work for many people to be the spy in this game because you’re in the spotlight and you do not want to show that. For some, this adds tension and intrigue; for others, it may be a problem.

One of 2017’s most popular video games, “Spyfall 2,” features six players and two spies, as well as the original Spyfall.

There are three to six participants in this game, which takes about 15 minutes to complete (6 is best). The suggested minimum user age is 13 years old, according to the manufacturer.

CrossTalk – Be Cautious With Those Clues

In CrossTalk, two teams of players compete in a cooperative social game. Each side has a hint giver who must be careful not to give out too much information to the opposite team at the same time.

CrossTalk at a Glance

CrossTalk at a Glance

In CrossTalk, the secret word or words that teams must compete to discover must be jointly decided by both clue providers. A “clue board,” used only once throughout the course of a game, allows players to fine-tune what has occurred thus far as a result of clues provided by the game’s clue provider. These give a Codenames-style game a new twist.

The best parts of this game are when both teams go off on tangents that at first glance seem to be related but are actually about completely unrelated things. It’s possible to believe that you’re gleaning valuable information from the other team, only to discover that they’re guiding you down the wrong path (not purposely).

Many people believe that Codenames are preferable to CrossTalk, while others believe that Decrypto is superior. Nevertheless, we’ve discovered some parallels and distinctions across the three, so if this is your cup of tea, go ahead and play them all; they’re a lot of fun and go well together.

As a general rule, we think this game has a higher level of difficulty than Codenames does, which is good news for most players.

You can utilize the provided timer to play a game of CrossTalk in roughly 20 minutes or more. The recommended age range for this game is 10 and older, and it can accommodate 4 to 8 players.

A Fake Artist Goes To New York – Great Hidden Role Party Game

The Adventures of a Fake Artist in New York City – A Fun and Clever Party Game

New York’s Fake Artist Goes To New York shares some similarities with Codnemaes in terms of secrecy (Fake Artist) and determining the dishonest artist by not connecting with the group’s alternate drawing outcome.