Codenames Game Reviews

Edit: very fun!. Edit: launch day English wasn’t working and now it is. Game is very fun. All the excitement of the board game but with a bigger pool of people. You can refine your guessing and clue-giving skills on the daily missions. Spend time playing to gather new game modes for bigger challenges. Play against friends and make new ones!

Great but missing a couple features. The game as it stands is a very good game and has a nice clean interface. There are a few things that could be added to make it really great. 1. Add a mode to play with friends and bots. 2. Add an option to play in a live, non-asynchronous game. Async is fine for the default, but I would like to have a choice to play through a full game in a single session rather than wait for other players to move the game forward. Sometimes the wait is days long for a single person’s move. 3. There is no excuse for a time barrier for single player missions in a one-time paid game. This seems like it draws from games with IAPs, which is completely out of place here.

Great game UI need work. This is a great game for a single player or passing play. The different modes are fun. The app could use a lot of improvement, load times are often slow or the app will freeze on what appears to be connectivity issues. Also, it would be much better if there was a “fast“ mode that eliminated or minimized the very slow animations.

Outstanding app with one stupid design choice. This app is a wonderful digital adaptation of an excellent game. The many little variants they came up with add some fun variety and new interesting decision-making. You should absolutely buy it and play it! So why 2 stars? Because after months of playing on this app and loving it, I suddenly unlocked a feature that I can't turn off and is wrecking my experience; I basically need to stop playing until they hopefully remove this (and then I will happily replace this with a 5-star review; 6+ if I could!). Specifically: you 'collect words' from different categories, and when you collect enough you get a figurine from that category and games related to that category start showing up in your selection of game variants. Since these new variants displace some old options and the app developers recognize that not everyone likes them as much, they sensibly let you 'disable' figurines that you don't want active. I disable them all, so far so good. But then once you unlock your 9th, with no warning suddenly you can't disable them all anymore! So I can no longer reliably play the games I loved anymore :( Note that as a new player you can avoid this problem by just not earning more than 8 figurines, so you should still buy and play this game; just don't make the mistake I did unless you like the collectors missions and want them appearing in your queue forever.

Excellent. The app is well designed and works really well. I love that I can just buy it and not worry about ads and micro transactions. As a fan of codenames the board game, I think it translates to the app well. I love the special game modes. Now I’m just trying to get more of my friends to buy it. Only downside is the clues you give have to be limited - no two word clues period, even something like “San Francisco” is not allowed when “Sacramento” is legal. I understand having to have clear cut rules though. Having played the app obsessively since it became public, the base card set has become a bit stale. Wishing there were some more cards in the basic game since you can’t freely play the special game modes.

Fun Game, potentially, but TWO Problems.... Second Update after several more weeks of play: -Based on years of experience playing iOS games, I can confidently report that this one has the greatest amount of Server Downtime that I've encountered. IMO, the Developers need to prioritize fixing this game play disruption. PLEASE FIX THIS *********** First Update after two weeks of playing this game: -The developers need to fix the regular server connectivity problems I have noticed. Ideally, solo game play would work better if offline play capability were available because the server down time is too frequent (this is the only app during the period that has inflicted this issue on me. ************* ORIGINAL Review: I'd rate this port of Codenames with 5 stars instead of 3 if only the Developer would update the game to allow endless solo game sessions WITHOUT requiring players to wait for the next solo game playing time window to open. BASICALLY, I want to be able to play solo games whenever and for however long I want to play and without having to wait...‼️

Broken Gameplay in Arabic Version – Exploited and Unfair. The Arabic version of this game has a serious gameplay issue that completely ruins the experience. Because Arabic contains many words and variations, players have found an easy exploit: they use the first letter of each word as a clue system. This basically bypasses the intended mechanics and turns the game into something unfair and uncompetitive. What’s worse is that a large percentage of players rely on this method—sometimes right from the start, but often switching to it when they begin losing. This removes any sense of skill, strategy, or fun. Instead of clever wordplay, the game becomes about exploiting a loophole that the system doesn’t seem capable of detecting or preventing. As a result, matches feel pointless, especially for players who want to play the game as intended. Until this issue is addressed—either by improving moderation, restricting certain clue patterns, or adapting the system for Arabic—the game will continue to feel broken in this language. I hope the developers take this seriously, because in its current state, the Arabic version is not enjoyable to play.

Super fun. Faithful implementation of the tabletop game with some fun optional gameplay. Very slick production. Little cut scenes when you level up are very cool. Can’t stop playing this! One quibble: I wish I could start a game where I and my friend could play with people who are not friends. Please make it possible to designate some slots as friend slots and leave some to matchmaking.

Need Time Limit. I read in the reviews that matches take a long time to complete because you can potentially wait days for other players to take their turn. They are right. The developers could install a timer to encourage active engagement but it might just result in more forfeited games. Overall, it’s fun but I prefer playing in person. I would buy the real game and play with people you know. It’s more fun when you know how to connect with people based on your shared experiences and memories together.

Great game but…. I’d love to give this game app 5 stars, but I cannot overlook the fact that it frequently crashes. It is something the development team does seem to be working on addressing. The other issue is that it’s rare to have real time play. I wish there were an option to start a game with a time limit of 30 minutes. Instead, games sometimes take days to complete because none of the players are online at the same time (plus the crashing problem). As a result I tend to have 20 + games open at a time, so I can actually play for a while. There are also daily challenges which you play individually, but they don’t interest me as much. Despite these weaknesses, it’s a brilliant game, and I am addicted to it. I’m grateful to the developers and hope the kinks can get worked out.

Excellent Implementation of a Modern Class. I had the great fortune of beta testing this app a while back. I was obsessed with it back then and now with the actual release -- more than a year later -- am addicted once again. As some folks mention here, the app was a bit bumpy on the first day, but the issues were addressed immediately. In addition to the standard game of Codenames, there are tons of clever variations and achievements to unlock. If you've ever enjoyed the tabletop version of Codenames, you will absolutely love this release. Recommended most highly!

Great, but missing one thing. This is a great port of an already great game! I love both it and the original. I would give it five stars, but there is one thing that irks me. The jury is a great way to test new additions to the game, but a lot of words get voted in that really don’t follow the original rules. It would be great if the developers could make a tournament mode with strict guidelines that doesn’t allow jury additions and has a base dictionary/card collection that is more similar to the original board game.

DO NOT BUY No matchmaking no customer support no refund. Tried this bc Apple featured it. Description claims there’s online matchmaking so you can play with real humans. Cannot find this anywhere in the app, just 30 minutes of boring forced tutorials for a game a child could understand in 1 minute. Their “customer support” is a useless AI chatbot (because of course it is) to which you can’t even type your own questions, only select preapproved prompts aka a glorified interactive FAQ page that’s slower, less efficient, and kills an acre of rainforest just to NOT answer your question. Can’t get a refund so they just stole my $5

Excellent App. This app is excellent, especially for the price. Generally, the community is fun to play with and there’s plenty to do both solo or with others. The pass and play feature was a nice bonus, allowing gameplay with others in person similar to the physical card/board game experience.

Brilliant Adaptation. The short guided configuration had me playing moments after purchasing in the App Store. Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the game, playing solo challenges, online turn-based opponents, or pass & play, this app delivers an engaging and fun experience that makes it easy to jump right in and enjoy playing anytime, anywhere. As a bonus, the guided introduction has greatly improved my play of the physical game as well.

Daily Challenge scoring problematic. Overall, I like this app a lot, and I’ve become addicted. But there is a major issue I’ve found with the way that spymaster scenarios are scored that is making them a lot less fun and violating the spirit of how codenames is supposed to work. If operatives select words that were on your team but not selected, it should not count the same as a bystander. It should count as one of your words, because it is one of your words (you should still lose “Perfect” points for it) It does make the scoring more complicated, but it needs to be done. As it is, it is incentivizing people to select more of their words for clues because they’re afraid someone will pick one of the words that they didn’t select, but that makes it much more likely that someone guessing as an operative will select a word that is not one of their words or an assassin and it’s just making the daily cases much harder and not as fun. It’s also not how a codenames game works (and not how the app works everywhere outside of daily challenges). A core part of being a spy master in Codenames is that you are evaluating the likelihood that someone’s gonna pick one of the words that you did not select and the penalty for that is different based on whether it is one of your words, one of the enemy words, a bystanderor an assassin. Daily challenges is violating that by making the penalty for selecting one of your words that you didn’t pick the same as selecting a bystander and that is just wrong. Also, the operative should not be stopped from guessing if they select one of your words that you didn’t pick. That’s another core part of how Codenames is supposed to work that I cannot think of a reason why that should not be part of a daily challenge. Again, I’m fine with you not getting the same amount of points if an operative selects one of your words that you didn’t pick versus one of your words that you did pick but you should not get penalized for it the same way as if the operative picked a true bystander. You could score it as the spymaster loses some perfect points and they don’t get the full hundred points for the pick so they lose points on both of those fronts but again it should not stop the operator from guessing and it should not count the same as bystander. There’s also a bug where probably about 20% of the time when I go back to the app it either crashes or doesn’t actually load for like almost 10 seconds and it’s stuck at showing the tip on the screen.

Great adaptation. [Edited my original review because English is supported now] As a long time fan of the board game, I’m enjoying this app quite a lot. Incredibly smooth and user friendly interface. Tutorials do a great job explaining the rules. Fun single player “missions” to do while waiting for your turn in the live games. I’m also very happy to see that there is an offline Pass & Play mode. Overall very happy with the game and looking forward to discovering what else there is to unlock

Fun but needs some improvements. First, the team versus team and team versus assassin are fun. But the writers should worry less about being diabolically tricky in setting up the boards so as to create overlapping words. Instead, the writers should bring many more words into the game. I have seen the same words over and over again. Egypt, pyramid, Pegasus, military terms, black hole, big bang, and so on. Over and over again! Just increase the number and diversity of words and randomize. Second, I'm not interested in the games with variations like symmetry, special themes, etc. I just want to play "regular" Codenames. Third, the daily challenges are so-so/pretty repetitive. Overall, good start but needs work.

The ultimate Codenames experience. I’ve been a fan of Codenames for years. First the board game, and then the online web page version. But this is the ultimate version. The developers really put all the love and thought into this game. First, there’s basically infinite gameplay here. You can start any number of games as spymaster or operative, so you can always have a game running. And you can collect new words, and earn upgrades to access special new variations of the Codenames format. And the daily challenges are an innovative way to help keep your brain sharp on giving and receiving clues. I also really appreciate the jury system. If a word isn’t in the dictionary you can have a jury vote to accept it. Once you’re high enough level you can help vote on the jury too. This way, the game’s lexicon can grow and evolve as real language grows and evolves. Brilliant. I can’t imaging a more perfect game.

Fun Game, But Not Good at Staying Online. I’m quite enjoying the variety of missions and finding ways to hint at words with just one clue. However, the app regularly will lose its connection to the internet and, about once a week, not reconnect for several hours. It seems to have an offline mode, but the “trying to reconnect” modal obscures it and even that is blocked.

Codenames Extravaganza!. This is Codenames with so many fun and engaging digital extras, from additional mission types to achievements to spymaster challenges. The leveling system makes complete sense and the gradual upgrades and unlocks are well considered. I find it easy to enjoy this game for a few minutes or half an hour as time permits. Now to connect with my family and friends…

Outstanding. I own a lot of board games apps and this is among the top 3 in quality. The app is incredibly well-designed, has a lot of fun and thoughtful details, and includes many interesting variants. The designers have taken a game that's only of average appeal to me in real life and created something that makes me keep coming back for more games. You can add friends on there and play with them, and so far, the random people I've played with have done pretty well. Also there's a private rating system in place so you can try to match more with people who understand your clues and vice versa. They've added in a large number of words you can unlock and optionally use to spice up your games. You'll more than get your money's worth with this app. Thank you, designers!

Finally!!. Codenames is probably my favorite game of all time. The app has small issues, mostly not found on the iPad version. We have had connection issues now and then on the iPad version but that’s it. On the iPhone version I had to delete and reinstall to avoid the language issue someone else mentioned. I have also had an issue with chatting on the iPhone version. Overall though I’m really excited to see where this goes! There are already a lot of word cards to unlock, avatars to unlock, different game types, achievements, etc. I would love to see Codenames Pictures implemented sometime. Also Duet game modes would be fun but I’m only just starting and the game modes they have created for the app are really creative and interesting. Can’t wait to see where this goes, keep it up!!

More than I expected, nearly perfect…. If you enjoy Codenames in any significant way, it is worth getting, even with the few annoying issues. There is surprisingly a LOT of game in here. And, as another reviewer mentioned, I am enjoying this so much, I have turned on notifications (which I rarely have on for anything). So. It is everything you love about Codenames. In normal, teach vs team play, it is setup in a 2 vs 2 matchup. The async gameplay is nice, you will likely have multiple matches going on so you always have some action. Whether you are the spymaster or a guessed is initially random (but you can win powerups as you play and one allows you to pick what you would rather do) It also has a play against the assassin mode that is a bit like the one team variant (although instead of the spymaster picking one card of the other color each turn. It is random.) There are also solo games where you either have guesser puzzles, or spymaster puzzles. These are fun quick time killers, but oddly rewarding as it is structured. Can play with friends if they have the app too, or can do pass and play, which is lovely when you have your tablet, and want to play. (One of the few current flaws of the game is when I wanted to do pass and play, because it couldn’t reach the server, couldn’t access anything about the game. Pass and play should always be an option, imo) As you play, you slowly unlock more stuff. I am surprised how much more they squeezed out of a simple party game, but they did. And the experience point system, while not perfect, works more than it doesn’t. All in all, it is a no brainer at $5 if you even remotely like the BoardGame version.

Has issues but decent. Since I bought this game there have been numerous times where it did not work and a subsequent message saying they are fixing it. Fine, but (for example) today it kept not working and because of it, I lost one of the daily challenges that I had begun. It’s bad enough that I have to wait for them without one being expired when it is the game’s fault. I feel they should recompense me with an extra few challenges. And it has done it again! Down for several hours where it kept the loading screen. When it finally finished its “Maintenance,” my scenario was gone and o was told I had to wait 8 hours for the next one. There should be a complaint section to complain about these issues!

New to game apps. I don’t usually play apps on the phone. I am a big fan of boardgames and my partner showed me the web version of Codenames duet, and we used to play that all the time. I really loved it. Much more than he did. I recruited my son to play with me and I also really loved it, much more than he did. I kept running out of people to play with me. I got on a discord trying to find players to play with me. I couldn’t figure out how to use that well, and so I still didn’t have people to play with me. My partner told me about this app. So I bought it for only five dollars, which I think is very reasonable. I have been enjoying the different versions of ways of playing the game. I have read some reviews and it sounds like this app is a very good digital adaptation of a board game. I really enjoyed the web version, especially for this board game because all the tiles in the actual board game became really tedious to set up for each game. I don’t usually choose digital adaptations of things, but for this instance, I think it worked out well. especially if someone found the assassin right away and then the whole game had to be reset. I just didn’t like that I couldn’t find people to play with me as much as I wanted to play it. The app version of this always has players. I think they did a good job on a lot of the aspects. I think they made it so that people could come back to the game periodically. I wish there was a way that I could play a game start to finish when I wanted to. I also wish they had the duets version. I like that game better and it would be a lot easier to find one partner than three other partners. I hope this made some sense. I do think that they did a good job of allowing me to track the clues that have been given and any other things that I may need when coming back to a game that has been in play for possibly several days. I like how they incorporated allowing players to try out giving clues and try out responding to clues as an option. I think that is quite brilliant. I also like that I get to be a juror sometimes. I do wish that some of the rules around clue giving weren’t quite so strict. I do think that for some clues such as “tri-tip”or “non-avian” which are actual words, but can’t be used because they have a – in them, would be allowed. I am not sure if this is something I should do, but if you decide to get the game, my name is Elody and I’d be happy to play the game with you.

Update fixed language issue. When I first downloaded the app, everything was in Czech with no option to switch to English. I deleted it and planned to request a refund after the charge cleared. Fortunately, the developers resolved the issue. When I redownloaded it, I could choose between English and Czech right from the beginning. The game is straightforward in a positive way—easy to navigate and play. Some parts involve guessing words, while others require providing clues. It exactly what I would want from the digital version of codenames

Fear not, English is available!. Yes, if you jumped on the very first release it was in Czech. Now, English is readily available. This takes the board game and the browser game and adds several awesome dimensions! There are many different puzzle and multiplayer modes that you unlock with XP (and shiny trophies!), and with exposure to new and different dynamics over time. CGE gamified their already awesome game which is super meta and I’m here for it.

Updated: Well polished and ad free. This is the best conversion of a board game to app I've ever played. I like that the more you level up the more you get to do. Update: after months of playing the number of non-American players have made this game unplayable for me. Some players don't grasp the most simple cultural references. There should be an international option if you wish to play this way, but I should be able to choose to play with Americans that understand what I'm trying to convey. If you tried to play the real board game with people that didn't understand because they're not from this country it would be just as frustrating and no fun. Shame because this game was so well made.

Not My Preferred Way to Enjoy Codenames. I appreciate the developers making this a flat-sale game without subscriptions or microtransactions. But at the end of the day, it’s just not a fun way to enjoy Codenames. it’s too busy with tokens and sidequests, and finishing a PvP game with other players is insufferable. You’ll have 10 active games open and still have to wait half a day between moves. I would revisit if the devs cut out the “mission” fluff and implemented a 10-minute timer before a player gets bounced. As it stands now, I’ll stick with the board game.

Server issues. Update: connectivity seems to be much better now. It only takes a couple seconds to get reconnected instead of needing to close the app multiple times. Great game! The game is fun. If you like the game you will like the app. However, the server is constantly going down and you lose access to the app. It’s very frustrating. I never know if I’ll be able to get connected again. Fix this issue and it becomes at least 4 stars, maybe 5.

It’s Codenames. Even if it launches in Czech this is still Codenames which is a fantastic and fun game. With this app too you can play essentially anywhere anytime with ease. I scarcely play games on my phone but since I have Codenames in my pocket I will be playing with my friends at work, home, or on the go. (Just in case I forgot the box in the trunk of my car lol) cheers!

Ingenious!. I love this little game. It’s conceptually ingenious, and very well made. It relies on players, which is everything you’d expect. It’s fun watching others try to decipher your mind, or make it easy for them by giving super obvious clues. When you find someone who gets it it feels like finding a friend. The person who gave me SpongeBob as a clue is my friend forever.

Awesome!. Loving the app since they fixed the language issue. My only suggestion would be to add a feature where you can jot down potential clues when you’re playing as the operative. That way you don’t forgot when it eventually becomes your turn again.

Amazing!!. I absolutely love this app!! Have played the table tap and desktop version which are great and this one is SO fun and with so many options and missions. I downloaded it a few hours after it came out and worked very well for me which is impressive considering it is new and all the amazing features, techs, art, effects, ability to play with friends or strangers. Feels very safe fluid. The game play is wonderful and so fun to see the characters come to life too. How they arrange everything between players and the options is very clever and nothing I have seen or could imagine and it such a rewarding game experience. LOVE IT!!

Worth the $5!. It’s a very well made app and completely worth the $5. No micro-transactions is such a breath of fresh air, so thank you for that. The app is packed with different things to do. ——————— Couple of comments for the developers: I’m not sure if I completely missed the message, but it would be really nice to know that it takes a few games to start getting actual humans in the online multiplayer. After playing a couple multiplayer games, it was obvious I was playing against bots, and I almost deleted the app entirely just because of that. I was bummed I didn’t get to play actual people. Fortunately I stuck with the game and eventually started getting actual humans. (Again, maybe I missed the memo about this) There needs to be a “speed mode” where games are played quickly (such as giving each player 10 minutes per turn). Obviously having 24 hour turns is nice b/c people can walk away from the game, but a lot of us want to play an entire game in one sitting :) so maybe offer two different speed modes? Lastly, it would be awesome to get codenames duet (even if that means it’s a paid DLC or an entirely different app). Maybe that’s just wishful thinking… ;)

So much fun!. I love the board game, and somehow this works so well as an app. There’s the obvious slight annoyance of having to wait for the other players to take their turn, but you can have lots of games going. You can either play with random players, play with other players that you’ve chosen, or do a pass and play with people in the room with you. There are daily scenarios, and the clues that players create for these scenarios are given to other players as daily cases to solve. There are VIP games with themed words, and lots of options for different gameplay in the games you play with friends with gadgets, different sized boards and other switchups to keep it interesting - but if you're a purist and just want to play it the original way, you totally can. It's satisfying to collect the words and achievements. It seems like the potential problems have been considered and addressed very thoroughly. If your clue isn't in the dictionary, it's submitted to a jury of other players. I don't understand how it works but you can rate your spymaster/operative when the game is over, with the implication that if you rate them unfavorably you won't get matched with them again. And if a player doesn't finish a game, they drop in a new player and call it a rescue mission (I just think the theme is fun). 🙂 One thing that might be helpful (and maybe it's there and I just don't see it) is info about how many games you've played with each one of your friends, and when it was and maybe even how often you've won. I've wondered that when I'm starting a game with friends. But that's really the only suggestion I can think of. It's a very well-thought out app iteration of the Codenames board game!

One of the best games I’ve ever played.. I’m a fan of the board game version, so I was excited to see a version that would allow me to play by myself or with my kids at college. But the ecosystem, challenges, and frankly creative ways they have taken the basic game and expanded it means there’s always something new to explore.

Fantastic. The online version of this game is beautifully designed and super intuitive. It reflects the board game version fantastically. My Only gripe is I feel that the $5 price tag scares some people away (even though it’s worth it). Hopefully one day the price can go down so more new players will start.

App constantly fails. For a paid app I’m disappointed in how little access I have to the game. I’m locked out for 12 hours with error codes and connection failed codes from the server. Not worth it. *** Updating several months later- this app crashes so much. It drives me nuts. I do really enjoy the game (except for people not understanding the game- which seems to be increasing?) but the amount of times I can’t get on is just maddening. Also, it seems there may be a cultural divide at this point with slang and modern references used as clues and that can be hard. It’s getting more difficult as time goes on. Lastly, would be great if there were more words added to the pool for the main team games.

Genius, superbly satisfying app. Folks, CGE knows how to do mobile gaming. I’d say they’re kind of the masters of it now, given their outstanding previous releases. It’s not just about the highly polished and intuitive interface and functionality of the app, which is impressive in it’s own right. The most noteworthy aspect of the Codenames app is how they’ve ingeniously expanded the appeal and variety of the game. They didn’t just take the Codenames game and put it online. Instead, they looked at how they could actually evolve the game through the opportunities an online platform offers. The result is a highly satisfying and enjoyable experience that doesn’t get old thanks to its variety. And variety doesn’t just mean the many unlockables and achievements that it also sports - variety means the 10+ different twists on the core game. In short, it’s a steal at $5 and one of the best mobile games I’ve played, and I highly recommend it to everyone I know. But be warned - dangerously addictive!

I love app … except …. LOVE the app … great for the price … love how you get to add words and profile pictures all for a one time price … I use to rank this 5 stars but two things bother me too much … 1st star drop) I REALLY want the option to play with AI players especially in friend games … I want to be able to play with people I actually know and throw in AI rather then a random friend … I want to be able to just play minefield missions with just my husband and AI players so we can sit and play and not have to wait days to finish a game. This also brings up there needs to be a way to choose to play blitz games or something where people don’t get as long of a timer - but this part didn’t make it drop a star. 2nd star drop) the jury … I loved it at first until too many questionable words got approved then I just opted out … then I’ve played matches that have used the jury to their advantage… getting words approved that are clearly two words and no matter how much searching I did could not find a legitimate use of it as one word … Then a word that has absolutely no meaning in English, only Spanish (and at least for the English version this isn’t aloud) and of course they used it to match what it means in English. How much longer until the Codenames word database is ruined? I don’t mind losing a game at all … but I like games to be fair Edit: I decided to retry to be on the jury to see if any better from that angle … nope … the amount of clues that get through for multiple word obscure company names is unreal … I get that it’s a name of a company but looking at the company there is a zero% chance clue has to do with the company and 100% it has to do with the 2 words they got away with combining into 1 word I use to have 30 games of Codenames going at once I loved the game so much … now I’m only doing friendly and VIP when I earn because the jury system is so broken End edit Would and will go back to 5 star without those two things … Also would LOVE duet!

the best mobile game. Soo good to killl. time and whatnot; just wish there was more stuff to do offline, like maybe downloading daily cases also would like better image sharing functionality like being able to share hints you gave to previous games/rounds without it showing the answers to show off how cool of a hint u made

Great video game for a great board game. I really like the board game and was excited for this to launch. Had some hitches on day 1 but they fixed quickly. This has been a great game to play with family and friends. It seems to work pretty well. I really like the online elements with rating people’s hints and providing hints for other people’s games. All really cool asynchronous online. The progression is good and feels engaging. I’m really happy it’s a one time purchase with no MTX. Keep it that way. Hoping to see features be added like bigger games for custom games. Also, a rematch option would be great for custom and online games. It’s annoying having to create a new lobby each time. Just constructive feedback to improve it, none of this is breaking the experience.

Great… when it works.. I’ve been enjoying this app for the last seven months now. However, server connection issues have become almost a daily occurrence in the past month and it’s getting frustrating to say the least. This has become the main connection page blurb, “Okay, we suppose you don't want another hint. You just want the app to connect. We apologize and wish you luck.”

Really well done. I figured the multiplayer online portion of this game would be good, but I was hesitant about how the single player would be and wasn’t sure I wanted to spend $5 on the game. If that describes you also, and you aren’t sure about this game, don’t be. Every aspect of it is really well done. You will find yourself starting the game, thinking you’ll do just one or two quick missions/games before going off and doing something else; but before you know it, you’ve spent 30 minutes in the game doing all kinds of different things and you don’t want to go do something else. If you like Codenames, getting this app is a no-brainer decision. If you’ve never played Codenames before, get this app and you’ll be hooked.

Great game, great app. Kudos to these folks for creating such a fun, unique game, for letting us play free online through the pandemic and beyond, and now for this fabulous app. Very rich experience considering it’s just one simple game. Many variations, some of which I love and others I prefer to skip. Opportunities to be more or less competitive.

Amazing Game, Amazing App!!. I’ve always loved Codenames and now have a way to play with even more people. The app design is beautiful and intuitive and the additional game modes are so fun and creative. I especially love the “scenarios” mode where I get to compete to come up with the best clue in a given board. 11/10 highly recommend

So much FUN!!. I’ve been playing codenames from the beginning and using here in the USA with some friends instead of same ole Jkbox games… really enjoying the new app! I’m so glad I downloaded it and I find the graphics/comic story telling to be compelling and I love the mood music. I’m enjoying exploring the game and look forward to playing this for years to come. I’ve already learned new words from the game - which is an added bonus and a testament to the smart people who are playing this game. Thanks for making this super cool game - the online version and now the mobile app!! I can’t wait to share this with my word game friends

Excellent adaptation of a very fun word game. Love the unlockables and additional things to do like daily cases, spymaster scenarios, and jury duty that pad out some things to do while waiting on turns in other games. No ads or microtransactions once you’ve paid the initial cost of the app which I appreciate. Also like the themed card games and alternate game modes that keep things interesting!

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An offline option with bot opponent would be great. It would be really good to have an offline version where internet connection is not required to play but still allowing a solo player to have a game against a bot - other than that it is a fun game and a good interpretation of the physical game to an electronic version

Great implementation of a boardgame. This app takes the fun of the boardgame and extends it in many ways. Aside from the traditional game (played against online humans) there are clever daily mini-games crowdsourced from all players. For example, you can be spymaster for an opening set of cards and then be the operative to guess what other spymasters chose. You are then ranked against your fellow spymasters. There’s lots of achievements and collectibles to add multiple levels of addictive gameplay. Plus, it’s available for a fixed price with no in-app purchases or ads. If you like the original game, this is a no-brainier.

Too slow. The game is good but it is just so painfully slow. It’s just not fun when you have to sit there waiting for so long. Makes it boring.

Board game. Love the board game, love this to play when my family is away

The Jury. I can’t believe the Jury rejected Spok 😣 Wat is wrong the the Jury!!

The definitive Codenames game. I love playing the board game and now I love the iOS version. Lots of game modes, great UI and clever solutions to the challenge of making it work on a mobile makes this a very enjoyable experience. Some teething problems were present but the devs responded swiftly with an update.

Absolutely addictive. I love this game. It really got me hooked, and it’s taken hold of my attention for days. My only criticism is that after getting on a roll, you’re really at the whim of your asynchronous battle partners. I find myself waiting hours for my opponents, limiting my gameplay

How brilliant is this app?. This might be the best implementation of a tabletop game into app form out there: it not only replicates the best of the original Codenames experience but actually innovates upon it. Unlike other games where achievements are just for flavour, in Codenames these lead to fun upgrades. (Upgrades that you get to choose, like building a tech tree.) Meanwhile, the app offers cooperative vs. AI mode, word collecting across various themes, an integrated “jury” for adding new words, daily challenges as both spymaster and operative, and an array of optional variants, including “mirrored” boards, “zero” and “infinity” clues, and “blindfolded” missions. Play is asynchronous and allows a generous amount of time so one need not be glued to a device or feel sheepish about keeping anyone waiting. (Pro tip: start several games if you’re the one who doesn’t like to wait.) Codenames wasn’t even my favourite tabletop word or deduction game, but this product - with its polished look to accompany the generous layers of gameplay - is just stellar. Codenames: it’s the new gold standard in board game apps.

LOVE!!. i have always loved the board game and the online version but can’t always find people to play them with me so i am very happy and excited about this app. it is very well made and put together and even offers more than the online version and board game!!

Amazing app. This is the best way to play codenames. Async play solves the issue of the clue-giving taking a lot more time than making guesses. The XP system is actually well implemented, and encourages playing for fun, without feeling like a grind. The offline spymaster mode is surprisingly addictive, I quite enjoy seeing how my clues perform compared to other players.

Great game very enjoyable. I was hesitant at first due to reviews saying no English but downloaded and I can confirm English language is available. The game itself it’s a great word game, keeps you entertained with the achievements and it’s well worth the money for what you get. For sure a five star word game.

Where is the English version?. I downloaded but everything is in Czech. Please help

App only on Czech. Purchased on the Australian store, I don’t see an option for English in the app. So probably great if you are learning Czech. Hopefully fixed soon.

Loving it. Great word game that can be quite challenging at times as well as hilarious. Playing against people from different countries certainly increases the challenge at times due to different idioms and cultural references.

Connections. It is fun but over the last few days it keeps having connectivity problems. Very annoying

Good app, bad players. A brilliantly done app, for the most part. The main blemish is when you lose a game or fail a mission because other players don’t know what words mean.

Terrible. I trusted that by making a one time purchase we would do away with the box ticking missions and have full access to the game. There’s no ranked play that I could see, was stuck doing team v team against extremely novice players. If you’ve spent any amount of time playing the board game, don’t bother with this. Also the animations are painfully slow, even with the setting about animations toggled, so clearly they’ve had complaints about it, but this setting doesn’t change things at all. Why does it take so long for a few cards to flip?

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Missing Gamemodes. Was using the online version of the app to play Codenames Duet with my mom. Was expecting the paid version to provide more game modes such as the Codenames Pictures version, or more words, or even Codenames Duet. But there’s less functionality in the paid app than the free online version. You have to play to unlock more words. But I expected to pay to be able to use those expanded word collections instantly. As much as I love Codenames, I would strongly recommend just using the online version on your web-browser.

Very disappointed!. Not only they do not have the duet mode like online now, the font is so small, I cannot read the words with my glasses on! The UX is horrible, so much worse than the online version they had. If I could, I’d request my money back. Total garbage :((((

So Much Fun!. If you love the original Codenames board-game (ha ha, could that be a one word clue?) and all the extended versions, you are going to love this app. There are so many fun variations that will keep you engaged and excited day after day. It is excellent practice for when you play Codenames in-person with your family and friends. Truly so much fun!

Very polished game. Very fun implementation of a great game. The achievements and trophies keep you reaching for more. The online play works very well. I enjoy it a lot!

Improvement upon the board game. I expected the regular board game but as online experience, what I received instead was a compelx system of progression, achievements, games and even some sort of decor.

Good but…. Good game but sucks having to always wait hours for other players…… really sucks the fun out of it.

Fun mais jeu lent. Très plaisant mais jeu très lent … Je ne sais pas si on a une façon de mettre le jeu plus rapide… J’ai remarqué que le jeu est très lent lorsque nous sommes l’espion…

Excellent version of the game!. I love the different variants and ways to play on your own and with others. They really launched it with a ton of functionality and no bugs! That is amazing in a game…plus there are no in game purchases needed! Thanks!

Why is duet missing?. I was looking for digital implementation of this game! The UI looks polished (like all other CGE games), but one disappointment is missing duet mode;(

Can’t play with one friend. Great game but you can’t team up with one friend and play against randoms which was the whole point of the game for me.

Fun. I am enjoying it but the only frustrating bit is waiting for your team to play. Otherwise a really good game.

super fun. i loved the board game so thought i'd try this. i like it but i don't like that it's not consistent and you have to wait however long. it also won't let me click on players after the games are done. it defaults to "James Bot" and says it's not available at this time and it's frustrating

Best game ever!. If you love words, playing with people around the world, and challenging yourself in healthy competition then you’ll love this game. It’s incredible!

Doesn’t load. Had two people buy at the same time and neither could even sign in. Don’t buy.

best game no joke. codenames is literally the best game ever, it's so much fun, and the app version has so many cool modes and features that are really creative and innovating. my favourite part of the app is that i can play codenames without having to force my friends to play with me. 10/10 recommend

Addictive!. Really well put together. Games with real people. As you progress you unlock more and more versions and scenarios. Can’t recommend it enough. Great job devs!

Timestamps Please. I love codenames, so I am happy that I found a way to play alone and online. My only recommendation is adding timestamps to the open games. Some players are just not active and so I have several open games going nowhere. But, unless you can remember every clue ever it is impossible to tell which games are the oldest. I would like timestamps either in game start times or on last activity so that I have the option to remove dead end games to make room for new active rounds.

Great game, but server problems. Great game, really enjoy it. But the number of times you are offline due to server problems is unacceptable.

Really well put together. Codenames was one of the very first board games I bought. I didn’t even know what I was buying at the time and feel I was very lucky to have bought a gem and not something mediocre. A couple years later and they bring out this app! It’s very well done, I’m very impressed with it. Fantastic tutorial with baby steps to teach you the game - no rule book reading needed. Rarely do I give out five stars. I’d like to give this 4.5 stars out of 5. On this occasion I’ll be generous and round up instead of down. The major flaw in my opinion is that we can only give single word clues so it is much more restrictive than playing this n the table. On the table we can use proper nouns and hyphenated words (as per the official rules) as long as it’s a single concept. I hope they will iron this flaw out in time to give the game greater interest and depth. In the meantime I’m really enjoying playing Codenames without having to schedule time with family and friends first!

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Edit: very fun!. Edit: launch day English wasn’t working and now it is. Game is very fun. All the excitement of the board game but with a bigger pool of people. You can refine your guessing and clue-giving skills on the daily missions. Spend time playing to gather new game modes for bigger challenges. Play against friends and make new ones!

Great video game for a great board game. I really like the board game and was excited for this to launch. Had some hitches on day 1 but they fixed quickly. This has been a great game to play with family and friends. It seems to work pretty well. I really like the online elements with rating people’s hints and providing hints for other people’s games. All really cool asynchronous online. The progression is good and feels engaging. I’m really happy it’s a one time purchase with no MTX. Keep it that way. Hoping to see features be added like bigger games for custom games. Also, a rematch option would be great for custom and online games. It’s annoying having to create a new lobby each time. Just constructive feedback to improve it, none of this is breaking the experience.