Codenames was a very simple game, yet it was probably the best game I had played for this class. Codenames split players into two groups, allowing each team to determine the names belonging to their spy. Each team will have one player acting as the “spymaster” who tries to construct a single word to describe single or multiple codenames. The trick to this is trying to cover as many codenames as possible with a single clue while remaining hopeful that your teammate will correctly guess as many codenames as they can. One wrong guess and the team loses their turn. There is also the possibility of picking a codename that is revealed to be an assassin. This ends the game immediately and results in a win for the other team.
I think the best part of this game is that it is fun in either position, guessing the codenames, or playing as a spymaster. There is a lot of pressure when trying to find the perfect word to describe several codenames, but this is what makes the game much more exciting and fun to play. Especially when you see your teammate frustratingly trying to uncover the code names. This also allows players to interact more with their teammates to try and understand their line of thinking and get closer to the correct answers. This mechanic successfully brings players closer together, creating a great experience even if players do not necessarily know each other well. On the flip side, it can also demonstrate how much players know each other by using words associated with inside jokes that a player and their teammate are aware of.
The one downside of this game that I did not encounter, but I am sure could eventually become a problem, is replayability. Of course, it would take many rounds to play this game to reach this point, but there is a chance that players will become too familiar with the codenames. Because the game uses the same codenames repeatedly, I could see players eventually growing tired of thinking of new words to describe the same codenames. Despite this lack of variation, I can see players reaching for this game every once in a while. Of course, given human short-term memory, I cannot imagine players being completely annoyed by this aspect of the game.
I believe that this game is entertaining not only to play but also to watch. Watching players argue over the most ridiculous things and try to synchronize themselves with their mindset is amusing. Subsequently, it also feels surprising and rewarding when players correctly guess the codenames. Overall, I was surprised by how fun this game turned out to be, considering the fact that it can be played quite quickly. Of course, give and take how much time players take to banter and laugh. I enjoyed this game and I cannot think of any way to make it better than what it already is. It has great replayability (until it does not) and is easy to learn, making it much more accessible.
