How to play Pokénames
Pokénames plays like Codenames with Pokémon cards. A spymaster gives a one-word clue, and the team tries to find its Pokémon on a board of 25.
The board
Every game deals 25 Pokémon. The starting team has 9 to find and the other team has 8. The rest are 7 bystanders and 1 assassin.
- 9 or 8 for Ember
- 8 or 9 for Tide
- 7 bystanders
- 1 assassin
How a turn works
Pick your side
Split into two teams. Each team has one spymaster and at least one operative. Teams are Ember and Tide by default, and the host can switch them to any of the 18 types.
Give a clue
Only the spymasters can see the key that shows which Pokémon belong to which team. On your turn, give one word and a number. “Wings, 3” could point your team at three Flying-type Pokémon.
Guess
Operatives talk it over and reveal one Pokémon at a time. Each correct guess lets you keep going, up to the clue number plus one. You must make at least one guess before ending your turn.
Find them all, and avoid the assassin
The first team to reveal all of its Pokémon wins. Revealing a bystander or an opposing Pokémon ends your turn. Revealing the assassin loses the game on the spot.
Clue rules
A clue is a single word. Hyphenated words are fine. It can be about types, appearance, evolution, lore, or any association your team will get. You cannot say the name of a Pokémon that is still face down, spell it out, or give its Pokédex number or its spot on the board. If a clue is borderline, agree on it with the other spymaster.
A clue of 0 means none of your Pokémon fit the word, which helps your team rule cards out. A clue of ∞ leaves the count open. Both allow unlimited guesses as long as you keep finding your own Pokémon, and a first guess is still required.
Spymasters cannot guess or chat during a round, and roles stay locked until the round ends.
Solo mode
Playing alone, you are your team’s guesser. Pick a clue partner, such as Alakazam, Metagross or Slowking, and a Champion to lead the other side, from Blue and Cynthia to Leon and Geeta. Rookie gives everyday words and small safe clues. Trainer takes risks with Pokémon families and regions. Champion uses deep lore and big clues that read the whole board. After the match, the clue notebook explains what each clue was aiming at.
Good first clues
Types, colors and evolution lines are the safest place to start. Once your group knows the games, lean on lore: Fossil, Legendary, Starter or a region name. Our Pokédex pages have clue ideas for every region.
Playing with friends
Choose Host a game and send the invite link or six-character room code. Rooms take 4 to 16 players and work on phones, tablets and computers. A voice call makes it much more fun. Questions about rooms and accounts are answered in the FAQ.