Czech Games Edition's word-clue party hit has now passed 16 million copies sold. The publisher confirmed the milestone alongside news of a refreshed 10th anniversary edition and a teaser for a brand-new Codenames title coming in Q3 2026.
Run game nights? Backseat Gamer handles RSVPs, waitlists, date polling, and game voting so you can focus on playing.
Start organising for freeIf you've somehow dodged it for a decade, Codenames is the two-team word-association game where spymasters give one-word clues paired with a number, hoping their teammates tap the right agents on a 5x5 grid without hitting the assassin. Designer Vlaada Chvátil first released it in 2015 and watched it scoop the Spiel des Jahres, get translated into more than 45 languages, and spawn spin-offs in Codenames Pictures, Duet, XXL and Deep Undercover. CGE's relaunch refreshes the core game with new art across box, agents and word cards, eco-friendly RE-Wood card stands, a streamlined rulebook, and a smarter word list cleaned up using data from the free Codenames Online platform.
The fresh angle is what's coming next. CGE has teased a new Codenames edition with an "adventurous twist" for Q3 2026. Details are firmly under wraps, but the timing puts it on shelves in time for autumn game nights and the Christmas market.
Got a regular group? Create a private community, poll for the best date, vote on games, and let your friends RSVP in one place.
Set up your group for freeFor anyone running a casual board game night, Codenames remains the secret weapon for getting non-gamers to stay for the whole evening. The rules fit on a beermat, it scales painlessly from four to ten or more players, and a single round is usually enough to convince sceptics that "board games" no longer means three hours of Monopoly. If you're trying to grow a group this is the hook game, and if you don't have one yet, find a board game community near you on Backseat Gamer.
Sources: Czech Games Edition | BoardGameWire | Expats.cz
