Codenames: Duet takes the core essence of the acclaimed Codenames and transforms it into a super engaging cooperative experience for two players. The premise remains the same: give one-word clues to help your partner identify secret agents on a 5x5 word grid. The big twist here is that you're both in the same boat, working together to find all your agents before time runs out or, even worse, an assassin is revealed!

To start, you set up a 5x5 grid of 25 word cards. The key to the game is a special card that each player views from a different side. This card shows a 5x5 grid with nine green squares (your agents) and three black squares (assassins). The catch? Three of your nine agents are also your partner's agents, one assassin is an assassin for both of you, another is an agent for your partner, and the third is an innocent bystander. The goal is to reveal all fifteen agents (your nine plus your partner's six that aren't yours) without stumbling upon any assassins.

Either player can give the first clue, which consists of one word and a number. The partner then tries to guess which words on the board correspond to the clue. If they guess an agent correctly, they can continue guessing. If they identify a bystander, their guessing turn ends. But if, by chance, an assassin is revealed... it's game over for the duo! Unlike the original Codenames, here players can keep guessing as long as they correctly identify agents, which is great for revisiting old clues and correcting past mistakes. After the first clue is given, players alternate giving clues, creating a dynamic of communication and deduction that is pure fun and challenge.