The game works because there are many different elements on each card, and they're all expressive and open to interpretation. Meanwhile, non-storytellers get a point for everyone who voted for their card. The storyteller must give a good clue but not make it too obvious-if they're able to do this, both they and the correct-guessers get 3 points. If nobody- or everybody-figures out the storyteller's card, the storyteller gets nothing and all other players score 2 points.

The non-storytellers then vote on what they think the storyteller's card was. All the other players try to match the idea with a card from their hands, and then all the cards are shuffled together and spread out by the storyteller. In each round, one player is the 'storyteller' and says a word or phrase that represents a card from their hand. (It's currently the top party game on BoardGameGeek.) If you want to play it without a group, we suggest the new Codenames Duet, designed expressly as a co-op for two players it's a blast.ģ-6 players, 30 minutes, age 8+ / $32 at Amazon, Walmartĭixit is, in some ways, like a slightly more complex Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity, but the cards here are all wordless pictures.

If you have friends who love to entertain, buy them this game. The only clue as to which cards are safe to select comes from each team's spymaster, and their clue can only be a single word followed by the number of cards to which it applies. Choosing a word that belongs to the opposing team could give away points, while accidentally selecting the hidden 'assassin' card immediately ends the match. On each card is a single word, and the mission is to select only those words that belong to your team.

The game sees two teams racing to cover up cards on a 5x5 grid through word association. Everyone we've ever taught the game, from grandmothers to hardcore gamers, has been entranced by its super-simple setup and the exciting space it creates for creative thinking. We've been told that there are people who don't like the 2015 smash hit Codenames, but we don't buy it. Codenames: 2-8 players, 20 minutes, age 10+ / $8 at Amazon, TargetĬodenames Duet: 2 players, 20 minutes, age 10+ / $19 at Amazon, Target

Prince of persia 3d concept artwork