%2Fpic8911183.png&w=3840&q=75)
Codenames: Duet
#275BGG7.4RATING
Updated Jun 9
—
PLAYERS
15–30
MINUTES
2
BEST WITH
1.4
LIGHT
DESIGNER CLARIFICATIONS2
Single letters and numbers valid only by meaning, not spellingdesigner
- CONTEXT
- Players debated whether a single letter like "D" is a legal clue, since the rulebook bans clues that reference spelling or letters of visible words.
- RULING
- "Co-Designer here. I think this is a valid clue. The fact that 'D' is the 4th letter is part of the meaning. What Vlaada was trying to avoid with that rule was clues based on the spelling of the word. For example, 'D, 2' to point to 'Dream' and 'Duet'."
Fractional clue counts are illegaldesigner
- CONTEXT
- A player asked whether a clue count of "2.5" could be given to allow between two and three guesses.
- RULING
- "Also no. Play however you want, but this is clearly an illegal clue."
Q&A7
Timer token is always spent exactly once per turndesigner
- QUESTION
- When and how is a timer token spent each turn — specifically when a wrong guess is made, when the team passes, or when the assassin is hit?
- ANSWER
- "This is correct for the main mode of the game." Exactly one timer token is spent per turn: face-up on a bystander card if the team guesses wrong or passes, face-down in the box if the team hits the assassin (ending the game immediately with no token placed on the board).
Unlimited correct guesses per clue (unlike base Codenames)designercommunity high-engagement
- QUESTION
- Is the n+1 guess limit from the original Codenames in effect?
- ANSWER
- No. Your partner can make an unlimited number of correct guesses per clue. The rulebook explicitly states this is different from the original Codenames rule.
AUTHOR: chardir (community, citing rulebook p.4); PaulGrogan (designer) present and validatingSOURCE: boardgamegeek.comDATE: 2018-05-24Clues may be spelled aloud letter by letter to avoid pronunciation commitmentdesignercommunity high-engagement
- QUESTION
- Can the clue-giver spell out the clue letter by letter instead of pronouncing it?
- ANSWER
- Yes. The rulebook explicitly allows spelling a clue aloud (e.g., "B-O-W") to avoid committing to a particular pronunciation when ambiguity exists.
AUTHOR: thadcar / MercifulBiscuit (community, citing rulebook B-O-W example); peakhope (designer) presentSOURCE: boardgamegeek.comDATE: 2019-11-22Board words cannot be used as clues while visible; once covered they are legaldesigner
- QUESTION
- Can a clue-giver use a word currently visible on the board? What about after it is covered?
- ANSWER
- A visible board word cannot be used as a clue. Once a word is covered up you can use it. Additionally, the advanced zero-clue rule can be used to repurpose a board word — consult the rulebook's advanced rules section for that specific interaction.
AUTHOR: TabletopBellhop (designer); BleuVII (Scot Eaton, co-designer)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.comDATE: 2022-01-02Asking for reminders of past clues and lifting tokens to check words are both permitteddesigner
- QUESTION
- Is it legal to ask your partner to repeat a previous clue? And can you lift a discovered agent token to read the word underneath?
- ANSWER
- "Both fine for me." Both actions are permitted.
Assassin cards are asymmetric: a black square on your key means your partner cannot accidentally trigger it when guessing your cluesdesignercommunity high-engagement
- QUESTION
- How do assassin cards work when one player sees it as black (assassin) and the other sees it as green (agent)?
- ANSWER
- Assassins are only assassins when triggered by the "wrong" player. A black square on your key means your partner cannot hit it as an assassin while you are the clue-giver — your partner's guesses during your turn target cards that are green (or bystanders/black) on your key only. The same card may be a valid green agent target when roles switch.
AUTHOR: MercifulBiscuit (community); PaulGrogan (designer) present and validatingSOURCE: boardgamegeek.comDATE: 2017-09-10You cannot communicate anything about your key card except by placing tokens during gameplaydesignercommunity high-engagement
- QUESTION
- Can partners share any information about what they see on their side of the key card outside of normal gameplay actions?
- ANSWER
- No. You are not allowed to tell your partner anything about your side of the key card. The only permitted communication about the key is the implicit one of placing a token when they touch a card to guess.
AUTHOR: grasa_total (community); PaulGrogan (designer) present and validatingSOURCE: boardgamegeek.comDATE: 2017-09-14
EDGE CASES3
Timer token is spent even when the final word is guessed on the last turndesigner
- SITUATION
- The team guesses their last remaining agent word correctly — do they still need to spend a timer token, potentially making it impossible to win certain missions?
- RULING
- Yes, a timer token is always spent. "You always spend a token." This is relevant for missions where the token budget is tight (e.g., the starting Prague mission with 9 bystanders).
Compound words used as clues are legal if the compound is a valid word with its own meaningdesigner
- SITUATION
- A player wants to use a compound word as a clue, but it combines parts of two visible board words. Is this legal?
- RULING
- Legal, as long as the compound word is a real existing word with its own meaning that does not reference the spelling or letters of the board words. "I am certain it is [legal]. The clue must be an existing word that refers to anything but the letters, spelling etc."
Reusing a clue word previously given by the opposing team is legaldesigner
- SITUATION
- One player gives a clue word that the other player had given in a recent earlier turn. Is this prohibited?
- RULING
- No rule prohibits it. The clue-giver confirmed the reuse was legal and proceeded with it.
Last researched: 2026-05-03
CATEGORIES
Card Game·Deduction·Spies / Secret Agents·Word Game
MECHANICS
Communication LimitsCooperative GameMemory
HOW MIRA KNOWS
Not an AI guessing rules. A curated archive.
Every answer Mira gives is grounded in an official rulebook — not in what a language model thinks the rules probably say. Our team reads, structures, and curates each game's rulebook before Mira can answer a single question about it.
An opponent's settlement blocks your road network — your road cannot be built through or past an occupied intersection.
◆ Catan — Roads & Building, p. 7
At the end of each round, the player with the most of the goal trait scores points equal to their amount; the player with the second most scores fewer.
◆ Wingspan — End of Round, p. 11
Null cards deal 0 damage regardless of base value or any bonuses applied.
◆ Gloomhaven — Attack Modifier Deck, p. 23
SOURCE
Official Rulebook PDF
PROCESS
Curated by our team
ANSWER
Mira answers with confidence
Brass: Birmingham · Spirit Island · Terraforming Mars · Dune: Imperium · Root · Wingspan · Gloomhaven · Arnak · Pandemic · Catan · Ticket to Ride · Scythe · Everdell · Twilight Imperium · Agricola · Power Grid · Puerto Rico · Azul · Viticulture · Clank! · Cascadia · Ark Nova · Flamecraft · Cosmic Encounter · Brass: Birmingham · Spirit Island · Terraforming Mars · Dune: Imperium · Root · Wingspan · Gloomhaven · Arnak · Pandemic · Catan · Ticket to Ride · Scythe · Everdell · Twilight Imperium · Agricola · Power Grid · Puerto Rico · Azul · Viticulture · Clank! · Cascadia · Ark Nova · Flamecraft · Cosmic Encounter ·
360
games in the archive
~7,000
pages of official rulebooks
EN · ES · FR
languages
Recently added: Everdell · Nemesis · Lost Ruins of Arnak
Ready to never pause a game again?
Start for free — no credit card, no rulebook required.