Rules and clues

Any clue allowed by the app is a valid clue. The rules in the app are different from the rules in the tabletop game.

The app does not check a clue for its meaning. It will allow rhyming clues and other wordplay that do not follow the strictest rules of tabletop play.

The app is pretty good at blocking clues that are just a slightly different form of a word in the grid. But someone who circumvents this blocking is not breaking a rule. The basic rule of this game is: “If the app allows it, it’s a valid clue.”

That said, please let us know if the clue-blocking is missing an obvious form of the word that we should have caught. And let us know if it seems to be blocking creative clues for no good reason. You help us to build a better experience for other players!

And (we wish this could go without saying) if someone uses the clue interface to send insults, that violates the terms of service, and we want you to use the CONTACT SUPPORT button to report the violation.

It does. Because we don’t want people giving clues like that. But if someone does, and the app doesn’t catch it, they have not broken a rule. (They have just made us sad). Use the CONTACT SUPPORT button to tell us about the unfun clue. Maybe we can find a way to block it in the future.

If your clue did not break any of the rules the app is checking, then it probably blocked your clue because it doesn’t know the word. When the app blocks a clue for this reason, it gives you a chance to send it to a jury. Once the jury (experienced players) approves it, you can use it as a clue.

If you give a clue and the app does not know the word, it may give you the option to send it to a jury. If the jury approves your clue, it will be added to the dictionary and will be available to everyone.

When you reach a high-enough level, you will be eligible to be invited to juries. A jury is a group of players convened to decide if a word should be added to the dictionary.

Juries are instructed to make sure the word is:

• spelled correctly

• not an abbreviation like FBI

• and an English word (or at least, a word the jurors would use when speaking English).

For guidelines on how to be a good juror, you can tap the help button in the Jury room.

When you get an infinity clue, it means you have no limit on the number of words you can guess. But you don’t know how many words the clue refers to.

As a spymaster, the infinity clue is useful when you have multiple unguessed words from previous clues. (If you have only one unguessed word, use a regular clue, and the operative can get the extra word with the “plus one” rule.)

You will see the infinity clue most often at the end of the game. For example, if you have 4 words left and the other team has only 1, they are about to win. You need to guess 4, and your spymaster gives an infinity clue for HORSE. What does this mean? It means HORSE does not relate to more than 2 of your words. If the spymaster could have tied HORSE to 3 words, you would have gotten the clue HORSE 3. Instead, you have an infinity clue, which hopefully means HORSE 2, but it might mean HORSE 1. By looking back at previous clues and by considering this final clue, maybe you can find all 4 words and win the game.

As a spymaster, you can give infinity clues by selecting the words as normal to make the number show up at the bottom of your screen. Tap on this number and it will open up a slider that allows you to give the clue for a number, zero, or infinity.

A zero clue means “Don’t guess this word.” (Unless it means “Don’t guess these words.”) You still have to guess something, and if you keep finding your team’s words, you can keep guessing. A zero clue is unlimited, like an infinity clue.

But to really understand the power of the zero clue, you have to think like your spymaster.

Let’s say you get the clue ANTLERS 0. Ask yourself, “Which word does this obviously point to?” Probably DEER. So your spymaster has told you, “Don’t guess DEER!”

Next ask, why not? If there are a bunch of other animals, your spymaster probably wants you to guess all of them instead. Or, if there are some obvious words that go with DEER, like TREE, BEAR, and PINE, your spymaster probably wants to say FOREST 3, but is afraid that would make you guess DEER. So guess TREE, BEAR, and PINE!

In VIP missions with special rules, your spymaster might have other reasons for telling you what words not to guess. But in all cases, the trick is to try to see the board from the spymaster’s point-of-view.

If you are the spymaster in this situation and you want to give the clue ANTLERS 0, first type in ANTLERS and select TREE, BEAR, and PINE. Then tap on the 3. It will allow you to change the 3 to a 0.

Yes. You can always guess one more than the number of the clue. This allows you to guess words you missed on previous turns.

Yes. There is a pointy banner hanging in the upper left corner of your mission screen. Tapping that banner will open a logbook that summarizes everything that has happened in the game so far.

Yes, they are! We didn’t want to just bring the board game to mobile devices. We decided to use all the advantages offered by a new platform. Let’s go through the most significant differences one by one:

The Codenames app is designed for a single-player experience. You are playing with real players, but you don’t have to be online simultaneously. You also don’t need to find other players on your own. The matchmaking server tries to match you with players with a similar play style. You can find solo content and modes for two or four players. No more than four players can participate in a single game in the Codenames App.

We put a log into the game so you can double-check all previous clues and guesses when you return to the game. 

When you are the spymaster, you give a clue to your operatives. You have to write the clue down, and then you should tap on all words related to it. Don’t worry; the random guess is still valid. This is mainly for the log purposes. So you have more information about the game when you return.

We decided to make some changes in the rules related to clues. Any clue allowed by the app is a valid clue. It will allow rhyming clues and other wordplay that do not follow the strictest rules of tabletop play. On the other hand, clues that lead to the first letter of the words are not allowed as far as they are not fun.