Codenames is a recent smash hit party game.  Two teams, red and blue, compete against each other to find the most words of their color out of a grid of 25 words, based on clues given to them by their team leader.

 

The grid has 25 words; for example:
 

Card    Odor    Shirt   Burp    Mist
Tie     Wings   Lip     Rake    Napkin
Axe     Seed    Slipper Game    Island
Crowd   Shake   Booger  Butter  Love
Bed     Wall    House   Bucket  Fur

There are four types of words, which are known to the team leaders but not the guessers.  Some of the words in the grid are "red"; the red team leader wants to give clues to their team so that they can guess all of the red words. The same applies for the blue team and blue words. Some of the words are "neutral", and one of them is the "assassin"; if guessed, the team automatically loses.

For example, suppose the red team leader gave the clue, "Rummy 2" (one-word clue, which can't be on the board, and one number, which is the number of words associated with the clue).  The red team's guessers would look through the board and try to find 2 words associated with "Rummy".  For example, they could pick "Card" and "Game".  When the guessers pick a card, the type of the word gets revealed.  If a team guesses correctly (the word is in the team's color), they get to guess again; otherwise, play passes to the next team.  After a team is finished guessing, the opposing team can give a clue.

 

Anyone want to start a forum game of Codenames?  We'd need at least 4 people (two team leaders and two guessers), but the more the better!

Sounds interesting, I'd be willing to play

I'll give it a go.

I'm in

Great!  So let's get this started. We need two teams, and each team needs a guesser and a team leader. I can be one of the team leaders. Who wants to be the other team leader?

 

Then I'll generate a random board, send the other team leader the solution key, and we can start giving clues.

if the team leader is the one that gives the clues, then I'll do that unless anyone else wants to

I'm in

sounds interesting

Okay everyone, here's the board.

vase    cork     blade       foot        passenger
sleep   bell     bath        night       wish
fear    plant    river       moon        trip
north   fall     scissors    waste       land
goat    animal   punishment  plantation  boundary

And here are the teams:

Blue Team: sffc1 (leader/spymaster), Sister Midnight, 1ceCream, Chaplain of death
Red Team: D34THBR1NG3R (leader/spymaster), Sqrdsqr, Samus

If anyone wants to join late, pick a team to join and you can be a guesser for that team!

Let's lay out the rules just so we're all on the same page. Here's the sequence of play:

• Starting with the blue team, the team leader gives a clue.  The clue must follow the following format: "CLUE #".  CLUE is any word, compound word, proper name, or acronym that is not on the board in whole or in part.  For example, "snowbell" would be illegal because "bell" is on the board, but "snow" is okay, as would be "liberty" or "church". Multiple words are allowed only if they are frequently used together; for example, "garbage truck" or "elementary school". # is a number, which should usually be the number of matching words on the board.  For example, on the clue "Shoe 1", the solution would probably be Foot.  Larger numbers can make your team get more words, but you have to be careful that the clues don't accidentally trigger an opponent's word or the assassin.
• Once the team leader gives a clue, the guessers may begin discussion.  The discussion may be public in this thread.  At no point may the team leaders talk to the other players other than giving their clue!  When the guessers have agreed on a word, they should post their guess along with "FINAL ANSWER".  If the words in their guess are in their color, they may guess again; otherwise, their turn is over.  Multiple-word guesses are evaluated from left to right (if the first word in a multi-word guess is the wrong color, the remaining words won't be counted.)  The guessers may also "PASS" at any time if they no longer have enough information to make any more guesses.  It's up to the guessers for how long they want to deliberate, but I probably recommend making guesses within a few posts of when the clue was given in order to keep the game moving.  The guessers may make at most # + 1 guesses on their turn.  Guessers do not have to use all of their guesses if they don't feel confident enough to make another guess!  The guessers on the opposing team may also chime into the discussion (possibly to give misleading information), but they may not touch words until it is their turn.
• When the guessers touch a word, either one of the team leaders should reply to the thread with the verdict, whether the word was red, blue, neutral, or the assassin.  The game will then continue, either with more guesses or with a new clue.

Note that the blue team has 9 words, and the red team has only 8 words, but the blue team goes first.

Performing research on the internet is allowed for both the team leaders and the guessers.
 
I have sent D34THBR1NG3R the legend. So, let's get started with the first clue for the BLUE TEAM.

---

Crescent: 2

(at this point, Sister Midnight and 1ceCream should start deliberating, and submit a guess when ready)

Sister Midnight and 1ceCream, any guesses? Which words am I talking about when I give the clue "Crescent 2"?

I'm supposed to talk privately with Ice cream?  You seem to want me to guess.  I know both of them.  Should I list them now, or talk with Ice Cream.  It is very late here and my brain is not operating on all cylinders.

I'll join!

Moon and Blade?

 

*resists urge to make a remark about Blade's blade being curved because I'm too classy to say such a thing.*

Joining blue.

 

I think its blade and moon.

Joining blue.

 

I think its blade and moon.

hey, I said that!

Welcome to the game, Chaplain of death!

I'll take the order in SM's guess since she suggested it first.  In the future, include "FINAL ANSWER" in the post if it is your actual guess.

Moon: Moon is BLUE.
Blade: Blade is YELLOW.
 
Yellow is not bad, because it doesn't count for either team.  So right now, Blue is in the lead with 1 word identified!
 
Here's the updated board:

---
vase ... cork ....... blade ........... foot ........... passenger
sleep .. bell ........ bath ............. night ......... wish
fear ..... plant ..... river ............. moon ......... trip
north ... fall ........ scissors ....... waste ......... land
goat .... animal .. punishment .. plantation .. boundary
---

Time for D34THBR1NG3R's clue.

My clue is Dream 2. Think people think!

@sff, might be a good idea to make a google doc for the board and then embed it to the OP or something

I want to say sleep for the first one, and the second is probably night but that one is a bit less for sure. Samus?

Samus any thoughts?

Or maybe wish instead of night, that might make more sense.

I feel like @Samus  forgot about us 

i'm not playing at this moment guys

Oh, well then touch sleep. If that one is good go ahead and touch wish

Wish: Moon is RED. 
Sleep: Blade is YELLOW. 
 
Right now it is a tie for both teams having 1 word identified! 
 
Here's the updated board:

---
vase ... cork ....... blade ........... foot ........... passenger
sleep .. bell ........ bath ............. night ......... wish
fear ..... plant ..... river ............. moon ......... trip
north ... fall ........ scissors ....... waste ......... land
goat .... animal .. punishment .. plantation .. boundary
---

Time for Sffc1's clue.