When I received Codenames Pictures as one of my monthly games to review, I was actually really excited. We already own the original version of Codenames (and I’ve had my eye on the Disney version) but we’ve never played the picture version before. At first glance, the game is basically the same as the original, but the biggest difference of course is that instead of using code WORDS, there are code PICTURES. If you want more fun-filled games like this, then sites such as 먹튀검증 are definitely for you.
To play Codenames (any version) you must have at least four players. This is because you play in two teams and each team needs at least two players. You can play in much bigger groups too although I have to admit I have only ever played as a two.
Two players sit one side of the table and two players sit the other. You generally sit opposite the other player on your own team. The cards are laid out in a series of 25 – this is 5 columns, each with 4 cards in them.
On one side of the table, sit the people who will give the clues for the cards and on the other are the players who are guessing. You play in two teams – red and blue. For the players who are giving out the clues, they take a random card which will show which cards are blue, which are red, which are white (the innocent bystanders) and which is black (the assassin). Only the players giving out the clues can see this and there are multiple cards with the positions marked on them so no two games are ever the same (not to mention you can use different pictures each time too).
The card being used to show the cards positions, also shows which team should go first (marked by the colour at the left and right edge). This is because there is one more clue to be found by that team. The blue player in this example, goes first by giving a one word clue to his fellow spy and guesser. This clue should be something that will help his other player(s) guess which card he is wanting them to pick. He also picks a number, for the amount of cards that relate to that clue. For example he could say animal and four. This would mean there are four possible cards to be picked with the clue that relates to animal.
The other player or players on his team, pick a card at a time for which they believe he is hinting at. If they get it right, a colour token for their team is placed over the card and guessing can continue. If they pick wrong, there are two options. If the card picked is a blank/white token, then an bystander card gets placed on top. Nothing bad happens by the turn ends and is passed to the other team. This also rules out a pick making it slightly easier for future guesses for both teams. If the card guessed wrong is black – the asassin card – then play ends and that team loses automatically. It’s basically like being shot and you’re dead. After at least one guess, the guessing players can stop and choose not to guess any more as well. They can also guess all four of their clues and risk guessing more if they wish – perhaps using previous clues they have been given and missed.
Play continues until a) someone picks the assasin and the game ends automatically or b) one team wins.
Its a great quick game, which can be a bit complicated and hurt your brain but is also great for a laugh. Any game which requires one player to give a clue and another person to try and be in their head and guess that clue, is always going to be a bit humorous. We play as a family, often one adult and child versus another adult and child and we have never laughed so much. I definitely recommend this as a family game as its a really easy concept to grasp and doesn’t take a lot of skill (plus you can play easy clues and words to help younger children). The picture version is incredibly more wide open for giving clues as as you may see, the pictures are not quite your average straight forward image either!
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