A game that I love is Codenames. It’s a team versus team game where each team has a “spymaster” who gives one-word clues that point to specific words on a a 5×5 grid of cards containing words that correspond to a card with a 5×5 board with assigned squares to each group or assassin square (only given to the spymaster. To win, the team must guess their team words while avoiding the other team words and the “assassin square.” The main dynamic of this game is competition since the teams are trying to guess all of their words faster than the other. This dynamic creates the aesthetic of challenge, since the spymaster must think of clues that can target multiple words, while the rest of the team must decipher the clue to guess their words only. The added layer of teamwork that it takes to win the competition creates the aesthetic of fellowship for the game, where teammates can bond over inside jokes (as clues) or get to know how each other’s brains work. The mechanics of the game include a timer, the fact that only the spymaster has access to the assigned words, the restriction to one-word clue, the possibility of helping the other team by incorrectly guessing their word, and an assassin square (resulting in instant loss), all to encourage the challenge dynamic.
