Official Codenames: Duet Rules

Last Updated on January 22, 2026 by The Official Game Rules Team

Welcome to the rules for Codenames: Duet, the cooperative word game where two agents work together to identify their hidden contacts before time runs out. This page will guide you through setup, gameplay, and everything you need to embark on your secret missions. Make sure to checkout the original Codenames party game!

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How to Play Codenames: Duet

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OVERVIEW

Two secret agents are on a clandestine mission in a bustling city. Their objective: for each to help the other identify their respective nine hidden contacts. Using cryptic one-word clues, they must carefully navigate and evade enemy assassins to complete their mission before time runs out.

Codenames: Duet is a cooperative word game designed for two or more players.

Each player receives a key card revealing nine words they must provide clues for and three words their partner must avoid at all costs. Clues consist of a single word and a number, indicating how many of the 25 visible words relate to the clue. Your partner will similarly give you clues to help you find your nine designated words. Success is achieved when both players have identified all their target words before the turns are exhausted.

These rules are primarily for a two-player game, but adapting for larger groups is straightforward.

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MISSION PREPARATION (SETUP)

Gather the following:

• 9 timer tokens (for the time bank)
• One set of 25 word cards
• 15 green agent cards
• 1 black assassin card
• The second player
• One double-sided key card and its stand

Setup Instructions:

1. Partners should sit opposite each other at the table.
2. Shuffle the word cards and arrange 25 of them randomly into a 5×5 grid, as illustrated.
3. Place the green agent cards and the assassin card within easy reach of both players.
4. Position 9 timer tokens, bystander side up, next to the word grid to form the time bank (as shown).
5. Keep the remaining 2 timer tokens in the box. While the standard game uses 9, adding a 10th or 11th (blue) token can make the game slightly easier. Remember to use only 9 for a standard challenge.
6. Place the plastic stand near the word grid. Shuffle the key card deck, draw one card, and insert it into the stand so that each player can only see one side. Ensure the wider edge of the card is oriented horizontally at the top.
   • Tip: Drawing from the middle of a vertically held deck can help ensure you only see your side.

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DUET KEY CARDS

Each mission utilizes a double-sided key card. On your side, nine words are marked in green – these are your partner’s secret agents that you need to help them find.

You will also see three assassin words marked in black. If your partner guesses any of these, the mission immediately fails for both of you.

The remaining words are innocent bystanders, simply obstacles. An incorrect guess of a bystander word ends the current turn.

Your partner’s side of the key card also shows nine green agent words and three black assassin words, though these are mostly different from what you see. They will be giving you clues for the words that are green on their side, the side you cannot view.

• Provide clues for the green agent words.
• Avoid giving clues that could lead to the three assassin words.
• Try to avoid clues that might point to innocent bystanders.

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MISSION OBJECTIVE (GOAL)

Both players achieve victory by successfully identifying all 15 agent words in nine turns or fewer.

• Note: While each player has nine green words on their side of the key card (9 + 9 = 18), there are only 15 unique agent words in total, as some overlap between the two sides. Further details are on the back page.

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FOR CODENAMES VETERANS (IF YOU KNOW CODENAMES)

Even if you are familiar with the original Codenames, these rules for Duet are essential. While the core concept is similar, many of the specific mechanics have been adapted for cooperative play.

The double-sided key card allows for alternating clue-giving. Timer tokens introduce a limit to the number of turns. Additionally, a word that appears as a green agent on your side might have a completely different designation (bystander or even assassin) when your partner is giving you clues.

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MISSION ENGAGEMENT (GAME PLAY)

Begin by searching for a clue that could potentially link two or more of the green agent words visible to you. Simultaneously, your partner will be looking for a suitable clue for the green words on their side of the key card.

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GIVING A CLUE

A clue consists of a single word and a number. The number indicates how many words currently on the table you believe are related to your chosen clue word.

• Example: “Weather: 2” could be a good clue for the words “STORM” and “RAINBOW.”

The clue word itself cannot be any of the words visible in the 5×5 grid. Furthermore, you cannot use a form of a visible word as your clue. In the example above, “storm: 2” or “rain: 2” would be invalid. Complete details on valid and invalid clues can be found on page 10.

While giving a clue for only one word is permitted, you will likely need to provide clues for multiple words to achieve victory within the turn limit. Successfully linking three or more words with a single clue is a significant advantage.

The Initial Clue:

Either player can offer the first clue.

Suppose you identify a promising clue while your partner is still considering their options. You offer to start. You state a single word followed by a number, and nothing else. Your partner then attempts to deduce which words you intended.

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MAKING A GUESS

On a turn where you provide the clue, your partner will make the guesses. They will examine all the words on the table before making their selection by touching one of the word cards.

• Correct Agent Contact: If your partner touches a word that is green on your side of the key card, it’s a successful guess. Immediately cover that word with a green agent card. Your partner has established contact with one of your agents, bringing you closer to victory. (Important: Even if this wasn’t the specific word you had in mind for your clue, you still cover it with a green agent card and act as if it was your intended target. Do not reveal this discrepancy to your partner.)
• Enemy Assassin Encounter: If your partner touches a word that is black on your side, it’s an assassin. The mission ends immediately, and both players lose. Your partner has inadvertently stumbled upon an enemy assassin.
• Innocent Bystander Encounter: If your partner touches a word that is tan (not green or black) on your side, mark it with a timer token. Take one timer token from the time bank and place it on the chosen word card, bystander side up, with the arrow pointing from you towards your partner. This indicates that your partner’s guess led them to an innocent bystander during your clue. Do not cover the word; it might still be a target word for your partner later.

Encountering an innocent bystander immediately ends the current turn. Encountering an assassin ends the entire mission. However, successfully finding an agent word allows for further guesses.

One Clue, Multiple Guesses:

If the first guess is correct (a green agent word), your partner can make another guess. You do not provide another clue. This second guess follows the same procedure, and the word is marked according to the same rules. If that guess is also correct, your partner can guess again, and so on. There is no limit to the number of correct guesses your partner can make on a single turn.

Ideally, your partner will identify all the words related to your clue. However, this is not always the case.

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END OF THE TURN

Each turn consists of exactly one clue and at least one guess. Assuming no assassin is encountered, a turn can conclude in two ways:

• Incorrect Guess: If your partner guesses an innocent bystander, you mark it with a timer token from the time bank, and the turn ends immediately.
• Voluntary End After Correct Guesses: After one or more correct guesses, your partner may choose to end the turn by taking a timer token from the time bank and placing it checkmark side up in front of them.

A turn always consumes one timer token from the time bank. The number of remaining tokens in the bank represents the number of turns (and clues) left in the mission.

While ideally your partner will guess all the words related to your clue and then stop, they have the option to end their turn early. Making additional, speculative guesses is also allowed, though generally not recommended due to the risk of encountering an assassin or bystander.

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NEXT TURN

You and your partner will alternate giving clues. If you provided the clue for the first turn, your partner will give the clue for the subsequent turn.

When you are the guesser, only your partner’s side of the key card is relevant. The words they want you to guess might appear as green, tan, or even black on your side. Your focus should be solely on the words themselves, disregarding your side of the key card.

A word covered by a green agent card no longer needs to be guessed. Notably, if you guess a word that is green on both sides of the key card, your partner will cover it, and neither of you will provide clues for it again. (If this occurs, do not inform your partner that you were also trying to clue that word.)

A word marked with a timer token might still need to be guessed by the other player. For instance, if your partner incorrectly guessed a bystander during your turn, you marked it with a token pointing towards them. If you then guess that same word:

• Your partner might see it as an assassin, resulting in an immediate loss.
• Your partner might see it as another innocent bystander, in which case they will mark it with a second timer token, with the arrow pointing towards you. The two timer tokens should be arranged to cover the word, as neither player can guess it again.
• Your partner might see it as a green agent, in which case they will cover it with a green agent card. The timer token from the previous incorrect guess should be placed on top of the agent card as a reminder.

Utilizing Clues from Previous Turns:

You might not successfully guess all the words related to your partner’s initial clue. Perhaps the turn ended prematurely due to an incorrect guess, or you chose to end it early to avoid the risk of an assassin.

When it’s your turn to guess, remember the clues given in previous turns. You are not obligated to only guess words related to the most recent clue. You can attempt to guess any word for which you have received a clue. Sometimes, it’s wise to guess the words you feel most confident about first, even if they don’t align with the current clue.

This is also an important consideration when you are formulating your clues. Your partner will have another opportunity to guess a word they missed from your first clue, so it might not be necessary to provide another clue specifically for that word.

Guessing the Final Word:

Once all nine words that are green on your side of the key card have been covered by agent cards, inform your partner that they have no more words left for you to guess. Your partner will then be the sole clue-giver for all remaining turns.

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EXAMPLE OF PLAY

(The example provided in the original text remains a good illustration of gameplay and is not significantly reworded here for brevity.)

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ENDING THE GAME

When all green agent words from both sides of the key card have been successfully guessed, the mission is a success, and both players win!

There are 15 agent cards and 15 target words in total (nine on each side, with three overlaps). Victory is achieved when the final agent card is placed.

Other Possible Outcomes:

ASSASSIN: If either player guesses a word that the other player sees as black (an assassin), the team is compromised, and both players immediately lose.

SUDDEN DEATH: If the team runs out of timer tokens and there are still unguessed agent words, a final “sudden death” turn occurs.

• During sudden death, no new clues are given. Time has run out. This turn allows a final attempt to win using the information already available.
• If only one player has remaining agent words to guess, that player is the guesser. If both players still have targets, both become guessers. Guesses can be made in any order, without taking turns, but discussing a guessing strategy is not permitted.
• Guesses are made one at a time and marked as usual. For example, when your partner touches a word, your side of the key card determines if the guess is correct.
• An incorrect guess during sudden death results in an immediate loss for both players, even if the guessed word was just an innocent bystander.
• If all remaining guesses are correct, and the last green agent is found, both players achieve a hard-fought victory!

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LIMITED COMMUNICATION

Information shared should be strictly limited to what can be inferred from each other’s clues. When commenting on a guess, do not reveal any information about your side of the key card. If you guess a word your partner marks as a green agent, do not disclose what that word looks like on your side. Refrain from advising your partner on when to stop guessing and do not reveal how many words remain to be guessed unless all the words that are green on your side have been covered by agent cards.

YOU ARE NOW READY TO BEGIN YOUR FIRST MISSION! Afterward, turn the page to review your performance.

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FAILED: ENCOUNTERED ENEMY AGENT (ASSASSIN)

Unfortunately, this mission ended prematurely. Contact was made with a hostile operative (assassin). This results in immediate mission failure. For future operations, diligently review the three designated enemy agents on your key card prior to providing any intelligence (clues). This will help minimize the risk of such encounters. The game area should now be reset with a reshuffled set of word cards and a new key card assignment.

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FAILED: TIME CONSTRAINT EXCEEDED

The final, critical attempt during the sudden death phase was unsuccessful, and not all friendly agents were located within the allocated timeframe. This constitutes mission failure. A new mission should be initiated with a fresh setup. Focus on establishing connections between multiple friendly agents with each piece of intelligence provided. While innovative intelligence may be necessary, always consider potential unintended links to hostile operatives.

Should time limitations consistently pose a challenge, the optional deployment of a 10th or 11th time token may be considered. Alternatively, undertaking missions with less stringent parameters may serve as valuable preparatory exercises before engaging in standard difficulty operations.

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SUCCESSFUL: MISSION COMPLETED WITH EXTENDED TIMEFRAME (10 or 11 Tokens)

Mission objectives achieved. All friendly agents were successfully contacted without encountering any hostile operatives, despite the utilization of an extended timeframe.

You may elect to undertake further missions under these conditions or proceed to the standard 9-token mission for a more demanding assignment. Be advised that successful completion of standard difficulty missions may necessitate multiple attempts and a degree of favorable circumstances.

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SUCCESSFUL: STANDARD 9-TOKEN MISSION COMPLETED

Mission objectives successfully executed under standard operational parameters. Your performance indicates a high level of proficiency in cooperative intelligence gathering.

Refer to the subsequent mission map for a range of new assignments presenting diverse strategic requirements and levels of complexity.

Re-engaging in the standard 9-token mission remains an option. The extensive variety of key card configurations and word arrangements ensures a unique intelligence-gathering challenge with each deployment.

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MISSION EVALUATION: STANDARD 9-TOKEN DEPLOYMENT

Performance during a standard 9-token mission can vary. Some successful outcomes may involve navigating numerous neutral contacts and requiring a final, critical effort during the sudden death phase. Others may be executed with greater efficiency, concluding in as few as 7 or 8 turns. Quantify your team’s effectiveness using the following evaluation metrics:

• Award 3 commendation points for each unused time token remaining in the time bank upon mission completion (excluding the token expended during the final, successful contact).
• Award 1 commendation point for each time token voluntarily withdrawn by the agent making contact to conclude a turn after one or more successful contacts.
• Deduct 1 commendation point if the sudden death phase was required to achieve mission success.

A total exceeding 5 commendation points signifies a commendable operation. A score of 9 or 10 indicates exceptional performance. Should your team consistently achieve scores above 10, progression to the more challenging assignments detailed on the mission map is strongly advised.

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MISSION MAP

Congratulations on successfully completing a standard 9-token mission! You’ve proven your collaborative intelligence skills.

(If you haven’t achieved this yet, keep practicing! Return to this section once you’ve succeeded.)

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MANAGING YOUR TIME (USING THE TIMER TOKENS)

When the guessing operative decides to conclude their turn after one or more successful contacts, they retrieve a checkmark-side-up token from the time bank. If only bystander-side-up tokens remain, they take one of those instead and place it checkmark side up in their designated area.

If a turn ends due to an incorrect guess (a neutral contact), the operative providing the intelligence takes a bystander-side-up token from the time bank and uses it to mark the incorrectly guessed word, following the standard procedure. However, once the supply of bystander-side-up tokens is depleted, incorrect guesses incur a greater penalty. In such cases, a neutral contact is marked by removing two checkmark-side-up tokens and flipping them over to indicate the neutral contact. This mistake now costs the team two turns instead of one.

(A stack of two tokens is treated as a single marker.)

It’s crucial to remember that encountering a hostile operative (assassin) overrides all time considerations – the mission ends in immediate failure.

If a turn’s actions deplete your final time token, or the last two simultaneously due to the increased penalty, the sudden death phase is initiated as usual.

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CONTINUING YOUR OPERATIONS

Upon successful completion of a mission in Berlin, Moscow, or Cairo, mark it as accomplished. This unlocks further missions. You can then proceed along any of the newly accessible paths.

Each mission presents unique strategic challenges. Some will necessitate a highly cautious and deliberate approach. Others will reward bold intelligence and aggressive contact attempts. Utilize the mission map in a way that maximizes your enjoyment. You might discover preferred missions to revisit, or you might strive to conquer them all. The lines beneath the map can serve as a log of your successes and setbacks.

Should your mission maps become depleted, additional copies are available for download in PDF format at czechgames.com.

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MISSION PARAMETERS

Each mission is defined by two key parameters. The first numerical value indicates the total number of turns permitted. When preparing for a specific mission, place this exact number of tokens in the time bank, leaving any remainder in the storage box. For instance, Moscow missions utilize only 8 tokens, while Berlin requires all 11. Cairo, like the initial Prague mission, uses 9.

The second numerical value represents the number of acceptable neutral contact errors. Only this specific number of tokens should be placed bystander side up. The remaining tokens are flipped to the checkmark side. For example, when setting up a Cairo mission, only 5 of the 9 initial tokens will be bystander side up, representing the limited tolerance for neutral contact errors.

However, if an incorrect guess leads to the depletion of more time tokens than are currently available, the mission ends in immediate failure. This will only occur when a single checkmark-side-up token remains, and the guessing operative selects a neutral contact.

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ADVANCING YOUR CAMPAIGN

Upon successful completion of missions in Berlin, Moscow, or Cairo, mark them as completed on your mission map. This will unlock new paths to explore. You can then choose to undertake any mission connected to a completed one.

Different missions demand different tactical approaches. Some require meticulous planning and cautious execution, while others favor daring intelligence and rapid contact attempts. Utilize the mission map in a way that aligns with your preferred play style. You may find certain missions particularly engaging and choose to replay them, or you may strive to conquer the entire network of challenges. The lines beneath the map provide space to record your successes and lessons learned.

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INTELLIGENCE PROTOCOLS: VALID AND INVALID CLUES

Certain pieces of intelligence (clues) are deemed invalid as they violate the fundamental principles of the operation.

Your intelligence must pertain to the semantic meaning of the target words. It cannot refer to the orthographic composition (letters) of a word or its spatial arrangement on the grid. For example, “Middle: 1” is not valid for the word located in the center of the grid, and “S: 3” is not valid for three words commencing with the letter ‘S’.

Alphanumeric characters can serve as valid intelligence, provided they relate to meaning. “One: 2” could be a valid clue for “METER” and “DOLLAR” (though “Hundred: 2” might be more effective). Similarly, “B: 2” could work for “FLAT” and “LETTER” (though its effectiveness may be limited to musically inclined operatives).

The numerical component of your intelligence cannot itself be interpreted as a clue. “Hair: 5” is not a valid clue for “SHAMPOO” and “PENTAGON”.

Any form of a word currently visible on the grid is prohibited as intelligence. If “HIDE” is visible, “hid,” “hidden,” or “rawhide” are not permissible. However, “hideous” would be acceptable. A word is considered “visible” until it is either covered by a green agent card or marked by two timer tokens indicating incorrect guesses from both operatives. A word marked as an incorrect guess from only one operative remains “visible”.

Components of compound words visible on the grid cannot be used as intelligence. If “EARTHQUAKE” is visible, “earth,” “quake,” “earthy,” or “quaking” are invalid. However, “hearth” and “ear” would be acceptable.

Spelling out your intelligence is permitted. This can be useful when aiming for a specific word like “knight” while avoiding associations with “night”.

Prosodic elements such as accents, vocal inflections, and singing are prohibited during intelligence transmission. For instance, conveying “pancake” with a French accent as a clue for “FLAT” and “NAPOLEON” is not allowed. Similarly, consulting foreign language dictionaries for clue words is against protocol. Only foreign words commonly integrated into English-language conversation are acceptable (e.g., “crepe”).

Proper nouns consisting of a single word are permissible. “Michelangelo” is a valid clue, but “Leonardo da Vinci” is not… unless your team agrees to a more lenient interpretation.

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RELAXED PROTOCOLS (LOOSENING UP THE RULES)

While “Leonardo da Vinci,” “IRS,” “New South Wales,” “Boxing Day,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “moth-eaten,” and “guinea pig” could potentially serve as effective intelligence, they violate the single-word constraint. Recognizing the potential frustration of having an ideal clue rendered unusable, your team may choose to relax this rule and permit multi-word names, acronyms, titles, and compound words.

You might also opt to allow homonyms and other forms of wordplay. “Boy: 2” does not directly relate to the meaning of “SUN” but could be a clever link to “SUN” and “BROTHER.” Given the rich tradition of wordplay in the English language, feel free to incorporate such clues if they enhance the enjoyment of the operation.

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CONSEQUENCES OF INVALID INTELLIGENCE (PENALTY FOR INVALID CLUE)

Should an operative inadvertently provide invalid intelligence, a one-turn penalty will be incurred. This involves discarding one timer token from the time bank. Subsequently, the guessing operative should proceed with their attempt as if the intelligence were valid. (The turn will then conclude in the standard manner, typically expending another timer token.) In exceptional circumstances where invalid intelligence reveals a significant amount of information, the team may decide that a complete mission reset is the most appropriate course of action. However, in most instances, the one-turn penalty should suffice.

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ADVANCED TACTIC: THE ZERO CLUE

Providing intelligence with a numerical value of zero is a permissible tactic. For example, if the objective is to guide your partner to “ELEPHANT,” “ANT,” and “MOSQUITO” while specifically avoiding the hostile operative “SLOTH,” the clue “lazy: 0” could be employed. This signals to your partner that “SLOTH” should be avoided and may even highlight its interference with an otherwise straightforward clue such as “animals: 3.”

Even when a “zero clue” is given, the guessing operative must still attempt to identify at least one word.

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OPERATING WITH LARGER TEAMS (WITH MORE THAN 2 PLAYERS)

While this operation was initially designed for two operatives, field testing has indicated successful and enjoyable deployments with larger teams. In such scenarios, operatives should divide into two opposing teams, positioned across from each other. Each operative should maintain a view of only one side of the key card.

The fundamental gameplay remains consistent with two-player operations. Any operative on the clue-providing team may offer intelligence, and all operatives on the opposing team act as guessers. The clue-providing team may confer regarding potential intelligence, ensuring that their discussions are not overheard by the opposing team. Communication can be facilitated through whispering, written notes, or even temporary departure from the immediate area. However, team consultation is not mandatory; often, the most efficient approach is to provide intelligence directly if a suitable clue is identified.

The guessing team may discuss their interpretations of the intelligence, but they must refrain from disclosing any information pertaining to their side of the key card. As per standard protocol, a guess is only officially registered when one of the guessing operatives physically indicates a word card.

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FLEXIBLE TURN ALLOCATION (LOOSER TURN ORDER)

Some field operatives have expressed a preference for a modified operational flow where strict turn alternation is not enforced. Your team may choose to allow a single operative to provide two consecutive pieces of intelligence, if desired. However, this should be followed by the other operative providing intelligence. The practice of one operative providing all their intelligence before the other begins is contrary to the spirit of cooperative intelligence gathering.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

• Each turn: One clue is given, followed by one or more guesses. Correct guesses allow unlimited further attempts in the same turn.
• Word Identity: A guessed word’s outcome (agent, bystander, assassin) is determined solely by the clue-giver’s key card view.
• Guessing Consequences: Touching a bystander word ends the current turn. Touching an assassin word ends the entire game.
• Marked Words: A word marked incorrectly by one player can still be guessed by the other. When marked by both, it’s considered covered and cannot be guessed again.
• Turn Cost: Each turn consumes one timer token from the time bank, either used by the clue-giver for a bystander guess or taken by the guesser to end their turn.
• Sudden Death: If no win occurs after the last timer token, a final “sudden death” turn allows both players to guess without a clue. Any incorrect guess during this phase results in a loss.
• Mission Map Penalties: On the mission map, an incorrect guess beyond the allowed limit costs two timer tokens. If only one token remains when two are required, sudden death is skipped, and the game is lost.
• Key Card Secrecy: Players must never disclose information about their side of the key card, except to announce when all their green words have been found.