Reviews of Codenames

By: CGE digital Game

List of user reviews and ratings for Codenames

Total ratings

4.72 (Rating count: 3,446)

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Review summary

Users appreciate the app's faithful and feature-rich adaptation of Codenames with multiple modes, no ads, and creative gameplay enhancements. However, slow asynchronous turns, game limitations like inability to quit games easily, occasional server and login issues, and progression-gated features cause frustration. Despite these drawbacks, the app offers well-designed UI, engaging challenges, and a positive multiplayer experience that many find enjoyable and worth the upfront cost.

Pros

Faithful and high-quality adaptation of the original Codenames board game with creative expansions.
Multiple game modes including single-player challenges, async multiplayer, and variant play add great replay value.
No ads or microtransactions; paid upfront which improves user experience and reduces trolls.
Helpful features like quick access to Wikipedia, dictionary, and Google for clues enhance gameplay.
Well-designed user interface and thoughtful progression system with achievements and collectibles.

Cons

Asynchronous gameplay causes very slow turns; players often wait hours or days causing frustration.
Limited number of simultaneous games and restrictions on quitting games frustrate players.
Login and server issues with long waiting times and occasional unresponsiveness harm the experience.
Some game modes and features are gated behind rank progression, causing long queues for higher-level modes.
Lack of clear communication during server outages or maintenance leaves players uninformed.

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User Reviews

Recent rating average: 4.10

All time rating average: 4.72

Upgrade to see all 28 reviews

Date	Author	Comment
2025-01-28	Mo*****	The gameplay is incredibly slow. From the point that you spend 15 seconds making your word associations, it's 3-4 minutes before you get another turn. It's so boring. The whole concept of assassins, missions, opponents, and operatives does not make any sense and doesn't add anything to the game; it just slows it down. If you have a quick mind, this game is not for you. On the plus side, there are no ads.
The gameplay is incredibly slow. From the point that you spend 15 seconds making your word associations, it's 3-4 minutes before you get another turn. It's so boring. The whole concept of assassins, missions, opponents, and operatives does not make any sense and doesn't add anything to the game; it just slows it down. If you have a quick mind, this game is not for you. On the plus side, there are no ads.
2025-01-21	Ca*****	Enjoying this app immensely. It takes an already fun game and creatively transitions it to virtual play. Regular game aspects there plus a variety of challenges, achievements, and tools to make play easier. For example, one touch connects the card or clue to Wikipedia, a dictionary, or Google. So you can learn and check as you go. Specialized vocabulary sets, user input for new words and peer juries for these words. Quite a bargain for a thoroughly thought through and well executed app!!
Enjoying this app immensely. It takes an already fun game and creatively transitions it to virtual play. Regular game aspects there plus a variety of challenges, achievements, and tools to make play easier. For example, one touch connects the card or clue to Wikipedia, a dictionary, or Google. So you can learn and check as you go. Specialized vocabulary sets, user input for new words and peer juries for these words. Quite a bargain for a thoroughly thought through and well executed app!!
2025-01-20	Pa*****	I love the board game (and especially the cooperative variant, Codenames: Duet), but this simply isn't ready for primetime yet. Every single thing is great except for one overwhelming drawback - between almost every action you take, even in menus, a spinning "loading" circle appears and never goes away, requiring a restart. I imagine it's just that their servers are overtaxed, but it's still an absolute dealbreaker on what would otherwise be an amazing experience.
I love the board game (and especially the cooperative variant, Codenames: Duet), but this simply isn't ready for primetime yet. Every single thing is great except for one overwhelming drawback - between almost every action you take, even in menus, a spinning "loading" circle appears and never goes away, requiring a restart. I imagine it's just that their servers are overtaxed, but it's still an absolute dealbreaker on what would otherwise be an amazing experience.
2025-01-12	me*****	It's a nice game. But there shouldn't be Limitations to the amounts of games at once+the inability to quit games. It's like Scrabble app- even though it's a long game you should be able to quit it. I don't plan on playing tons of games to level up. Which means you lost a player. And people should be able to quit games. Also you should make a version like the tabletop game where the player will only see his color, so there can be two-player games which will take much shorter.
It's a nice game. But there shouldn't be Limitations to the amounts of games at once+the inability to quit games. It's like Scrabble app- even though it's a long game you should be able to quit it. I don't plan on playing tons of games to level up. Which means you lost a player. And people should be able to quit games. Also you should make a version like the tabletop game where the player will only see his color, so there can be two-player games which will take much shorter.
2024-12-20	Al*****	I love the original board game more than my friends care to play it, so this app is a dream come true! I learned of it through the author's blog on BoardGameGeek and was fascinated by the tightly-integrated design of all the game modes. I especially like the special powerup/themed game modes and wish they were playable over the board too. My only complaint is that it's hard to navigate lots of simultaneous games, but maybe that's a sign I should take a break!
I love the original board game more than my friends care to play it, so this app is a dream come true! I learned of it through the author's blog on BoardGameGeek and was fascinated by the tightly-integrated design of all the game modes. I especially like the special powerup/themed game modes and wish they were playable over the board too. My only complaint is that it's hard to navigate lots of simultaneous games, but maybe that's a sign I should take a break!
2024-12-14	Si*****	This game would be a 5 for me, but the fact it more than likely takes several minutes to log into the server is killing the experience. Staring at a black screen with one line of text for more than a few seconds seems archaic. I would suggest a little progress bar , so people can watch what is actually happening while they wait. Or the option to change apps while they wait (can they change apps?) Any ways, once the issue is fixed it will definitely get the rating it deserves ❤❤
This game would be a 5 for me, but the fact it more than likely takes several minutes to log into the server is killing the experience. Staring at a black screen with one line of text for more than a few seconds seems archaic. I would suggest a little progress bar , so people can watch what is actually happening while they wait. Or the option to change apps while they wait (can they change apps?) Any ways, once the issue is fixed it will definitely get the rating it deserves ❤❤
2024-11-21	Jo*****	I guess there was an outage that was causing really weird problems. They resolved it, but they should have someway to communicate that to users. I saw nothing at all and searched many methods. It's a great game, but communication could be better.
I guess there was an outage that was causing really weird problems. They resolved it, but they should have someway to communicate that to users. I saw nothing at all and searched many methods. It's a great game, but communication could be better.
2024-11-09	Al*****	Absolutely love the real-life version of this game, and delighted by the excellent job they've done in creating this app. Great to play with friends in person or on line, challenges to solve by yourself, and lots of people worldwide to play with too! Great communication re server updates, downtime etc. Some really fun modes get unlocked as you work your way up through the levels - my family loves it, and we can't stop playing!
Absolutely love the real-life version of this game, and delighted by the excellent job they've done in creating this app. Great to play with friends in person or on line, challenges to solve by yourself, and lots of people worldwide to play with too! Great communication re server updates, downtime etc. Some really fun modes get unlocked as you work your way up through the levels - my family loves it, and we can't stop playing!
2024-11-01	Je*****	Wow. They went far beyond simply bringing this great word clue game from the table to an app, and did a spectacular job with it! I'm completely hooked! The original (smart, insanely successful) Codenames is at the core, plus really creative options that aren't possible on a table. (Nothing extra to buy.) You're matched up to play with english speakers from all over, and can also do clue puzzles by yourself. Friends (both in-app and in life) may set up games with more flexible rules and chat.
Wow. They went far beyond simply bringing this great word clue game from the table to an app, and did a spectacular job with it! I'm completely hooked! The original (smart, insanely successful) Codenames is at the core, plus really creative options that aren't possible on a table. (Nothing extra to buy.) You're matched up to play with english speakers from all over, and can also do clue puzzles by yourself. Friends (both in-app and in life) may set up games with more flexible rules and chat.
2024-10-30	A *****	I really like this app. We've enjoyed the board games (I even have a codenames shirt). The app is more than I was hoping for. I think they have really done a good job in representing the game and enhancing it. Come play!! It does need more people playing. I just start as many as possible (unless I'm doing pass and play) and don't worry about if people slack off. I hope that I can unlock more pass and play options. Thank you codenames team!
I really like this app. We've enjoyed the board games (I even have a codenames shirt). The app is more than I was hoping for. I think they have really done a good job in representing the game and enhancing it. Come play!! It does need more people playing. I just start as many as possible (unless I'm doing pass and play) and don't worry about if people slack off. I hope that I can unlock more pass and play options. Thank you codenames team!