Best Codenames Board Games of 2026

The CGE Codenames Party Game is a fun and engaging word association game for friends and family. You and your team will race to find your secret agents on a 5×5 grid, guided by a spymaster who knows the hidden identities. The spymaster gives clever one-word clues and a number to connect several words, encouraging you to think creatively and strategically. As you guess, you must avoid selecting the other team’s agents, innocent bystanders, or the assassin, which ends the game immediately—adding excitement and tension to every round. This makes the game both challenging and a great way to sharpen your teamwork and communication skills.

The Connect 4 Classic Grid Board Game is a 2-player strategy game that challenges players to get 4 of the same color discs in a row to win. With its sleek modern style and cool colors, this game offers 3 ways to play: classic Connect 4 gameplay, the free-for-all Connect 4 Frenzy variation, or a third option that lets players drop a disc or eject one from the bottom with the pop-out feature. It is easy, fast, and fun for families and excellent gifts for kids that love playing classic board games.

HUES and CUES is a vibrant group party game of colorful communication where players are challenged to make connections to colors with words. Players try to get others to guess a specific hue from the 480 colors squares on the unique game board, with the winner being the player with the most points on the outside grayscale scoring track after 1 or 2 rounds. With 3-10 players, ages 8+, and a 30+ minute play time, this award-winning board game is perfect for family game night.

Join the herd with this hilarious family strategy board game. Players answer questions and try to figure out what everyone else would write to win cows. Avoid being the odd one out and receiving the dreaded Pink Cow. Herd Mentality is a social deduction game that is great for ages 10+ and 4-20 players. Plus, the game is eco-friendly, with one tree planted for every game sold.

Big Potato's The Chameleon is a social deduction board game that is perfect for families and friends. In this game, players must race to catch the chameleon before it's too late. Everyone knows the secret word except for the player with the chameleon card. The goal is to use hidden codes, carefully chosen words, and a bit of finger-pointing to track down the guilty player before they blend in and escape. It only takes 2 minutes to learn and 15 minutes to play, making it a quick and easy game that is recommended for 3-8 players and ages 14+. With the additional 80 secret words, this game is even more exciting and challenging. The travel-friendly version comes with 20 extra questions and takes up less shelf space at home too!

Wavelength is a party game for the whole family up to 12 players, with easy setup and quick rules. It is a great quality game with heavy duty components, and is a great game to spark discussion with a sometimes serious yet funny vibe. It is a great game for both adults and children, and is a great conversation starter.

The Clue board game has been reimagined with a new murder mystery storyline, intriguing characters and Tudor Mansion. The game includes six suspects and weapons, each with their own backstory to uncover. The game components are elevated with gold-plated zinc tokens and sculpted character movers. Clue cards help uncover clues faster, providing a fun family game for players aged 8 and up.

Azul is a tile placement game in which players become artisans tasked with creating the most beautiful tiled mosaics. It is a strategy board game that is competitive and challenging, yet easy to learn. It is suitable for 2 to 4 players aged 8 and up and the average playtime is 30 - 45 minutes. It is a great game for adults and family to spend time together, and is visually appealing with the multicolored tiles. It is a simple game with a lot of depth, and is a great gateway game for gamers new to board gaming.