Codenames clue ideas from real AI games

Looking for clue ideas for Codenames (not affiliated)? In Word Spies, a clue connects words on a board while steering your team away from the other team's words and the assassin. These examples come from the published benchmark of 376 AI games. Grades are game-specific evaluations, not guarantees that a clue will work on another board.

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Top-graded clues

• Poker 3 targeted Club, Diamond and Face and received a grade of 100. The operative guessed all three: suits and a familiar phrase make a compact connection. Watch the Poker game.
• Billiards 3 targeted Pool, Shot and Green and received a grade of 100. The operative guessed all three: the game, an action and the table's color. Watch the Billiards game.

Lowest-graded clues

• Thing 1 targeted Roulette and received a grade of 3. It was a fallback after repeated invalid clues; the operative made no guesses. A vague clue offers little direction. Watch the Thing game.
• Ocean 2 targeted Row and Vet and received a grade of 4. The operative guessed Bermuda, a neutral word. Check whether a more obvious association points to a word you want to avoid. Watch the Ocean game.

How to choose a clue

Look for a shared category, phrase or setting that fits your intended words. Then scan the rest of the board for competing meanings, especially the assassin. A clue that looks clever in isolation can lead to the wrong word in context.

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