Did you know? Codenames was announced to be published on Steam! But it’s also already available on mobiles. Yes, this is separate from the free browser-based Codenames Online platform that you might have seen on Twitch or YouTube the last few years. Each provides a pretty unique Codenames experience. If you’re curious about how the newest digital Codenames and Codenames Online platform are different, read on! We’ll break down what you can expect from each offering and provide recommendations to help steer you in the right direction.
What is Codenames Online?
Codenames Online is a free, browser-based platform that CGE launched back in the early days of the pandemic. Our goal was to create a simple and fun way for people to play Codenames with their friends and family remotely, during a time when it was pretty difficult to play board games in person. CNO essentially plays the same as a regular game of Codenames — there aren’t any rule changes. It’s basically a virtual table that lets you gather online to play Codenames. No rules are enforced, and it’s up to you how you play. The main difference from the physical game is that you’re playing online with your friends, using third-party chat services like Zoom or Discord to talk things out as you play.
Over time the platform has evolved and grown. We’ve incorporated Codenames Duet and added many new features to make the online experience more accessible and fun to play. The player base has also exploded, thanks to the platform gaining popularity among Twitch streamers and YouTube content creators. You can learn more about that story in this article on BGG, if you like.
What’s the Codenames App and What’s New?
In development for many years, the Codenames App is an all new standalone game available for iOs and Android and developed for Steam at the moment that is based on the same word association principles as Codenames, but with some cool twists. It offers some slightly changed rulesets and features that are tailored to asynchronous gameplay and other exclusive unlockable content. It’s a premium game. You only pay for it once, then you gradually unlock a ton of additional modes, skins, features, word packs, and more as you play it over time.
What’s new:
- Tons of new game modes to unlock — It’s still the Codenames you know, but with some wild rules, new twists, and mechanics. For example, in Converter the spymaster can change the color of two words each turn. Quantum Gadget lets you touch two words instead of one when guessing, and only the better result applies. Mines is a crossover between Codenames and the popular Windows game Minesweeper, where you can see how many of your agents are adjacent to the flipped card. These are just a few of the many new ways to experience Codenames through the mobile app.
- Word packs galore — You can collect and play with thousands of new word cards divided into thematic categories (words that refer to pop-cultural phenomena, etc.). All these words were chosen by our designers and linguistic specialists to reflect both the category itself and their potential to work well in the game.
- New solo play — Challenging solo cases are served daily to train your Codenames skills (as in Duolingo, for instance). Also, explore daily scenarios to compete in “who gives the best clues” challenges.
- Secret agent career — As you play, you’ll train and level up your agent, which earns you interesting upgrades that allow you to enhance and customize your progress.
- Cool stuff to collect — Lots of trophies to earn, achievements to fulfill, and avatars and animated backgrounds to unlock.
Which game is right for you?
If you enjoy playing Codenames, each format suits a different occasion. We still believe that playing the original physical board game is the best way to experience the game when you want to hang out with friends and play games in person. But maybe that’s not always an option. Here are some recommendations on which other version to play, based on what you’re looking for.
When Codenames Online is the best choice:
- You can play a synchronous game with your friends online (perhaps all of you want to spend some time together, but distance doesn’t allow you to meet up to play in person).
- Your gaming group is much bigger that what the original game can support (CNO can be played by up to 64 players per session).
- You are looking for a fun online party game that you can easily share with others (no installation is needed, all you have to do is just send a link to play).
- You want to play with your own words (CNO supports custom words).
- You are looking for different languages (CNO is available in all 45 languages that the original game can be found in).
When Codenames App is the best choice:
- You want to spend some time playing Codenames when no friends are available (and perhaps find new gaming friends while playing).
- You have friends you would love to play with, but it is difficult to set up a time when all of you are available to play the game from start to finish.
- You are looking for a clever game to kill some time during the day.
- You want to experience something new from the Codenames world (CNapp offers new game modes, solo puzzles, and other ways to enjoy Codenames differently).
- You like building your secret agent’s career, and you want to see your progress and accomplished achievements across time.
- You want to play whenever you have some spare time (even a few minutes are enough for a session).
- You would enjoy playing multiple games simultaneously at a slower pace, not waiting for the other players. ( All you have to do is just let the app notify you when it is your turn, and play it whenever it suits you.