Codenames
The front of the Codenames box that I own says that it is the #1 Party Game on BoardGameGeek (BGG). Now, I don’t always agree with BGG ratings, especially since most are heavily skewed toward serious gamers who enjoy three-hour games that easily take a beginner all day to learn the basics. That said, I definitely agree that Codenames is the #1 Party Game, from both a serious gamer and a beginner point of view. The simplicity of connecting multiple different words through cleverly thought-out clues creates an experience that's casual, hilarious, and surprisingly strategic.
In Codenames, there are two teams of players with 25 word cards laid out on the table. 9/25 cards belong to the team that goes first, 8/25 belong to the team that goes second, 7/25 are neutral, and one card is a sudden-death card. One player from each team acts as the clue giver and shares a hidden reference card with the opposing clue giver, showing a 5-by-5 grid that identifies which cards on the table belong to their team and where the neutral and sudden-death cards are located. On their turn, the clue giver gives a single-word clue to their teammates, along with a number indicating how many cards match the given clue. The challenge is to correctly identify all of your team's word cards before the opposing team, while avoiding all others on the table.
For players guessing words based on their teammate’s clues, Codenames is extremely chill, with plenty of room to debate possibilities and make ridiculous connections. But when it is your turn to give clues for your team, it is time to lock in, sweat buckets, and silently analyze a table full of seemingly unrelated words, trying to connect them. Personally, I find giving clues the most rewarding part of Codenames, though my friends might disagree, given how long it takes me to come up with a single-word clue, haha. My strategy is to connect as many of my team's words as possible, then meticulously interrogate every other card on the table to make sure it has no possible connection. If I find even the slightest potential overlap, I abandon the clue and start all over. This can lead to serious analysis paralysis, but unlike other games, I find that it adds to the suspenseful joy of Codenames.
Many people will say they are better off on a team with people they know really well, so they can understand how their teammates think when it comes to giving and interpreting clues. Now, I agree that inside jokes and shared experiences can create more clues, but I don't think they have much of a material impact on the quality of clues given. In my experience, the best clue givers make the most logical connections between their team’s words, while avoiding all overlap with other cards on the table. After all, a poorly constructed clue can be disastrous, no matter how well you understand your teammates.
Whether you're a serious board gamer or a beginner looking for a fantastic party game to enjoy over a few drinks, Codenames deserves its popularity and, in my opinion, fully earns the title of the #1 Party Game on BGG.
-Mark Krabben
October 29, 2026