Codenames: Critical Role Adventures Coming From CGE

For over a decade, Codenames has been the undisputed king of party word games. But what happens when you take those tight, deductive mechanics and drop them into the sprawling, high-stakes world of Exandria?

CZE (Czech Games Edition) has officially revealed Codenames: Critical Role Adventures, and it is far more than just a “themed” reskin. This is a complete reimagining that transforms the classic competitive game into a fully cooperative, campaign-driven RPG experience.

A New Way to Play: The “GM” Leads the Way

In a massive departure from the standard “Spymaster vs. Spymaster” format, this version is fully cooperative.

One player steps into the boots of the Game Master (GM). Instead of just identifying agents, the GM provides clues to lead their party through perilous missions toward an epic final boss. You aren’t just clearing a grid; you’re navigating three separate, branching campaigns. Each mission introduces unique goals and rules that twist the standard Codenames formula, forcing your party to adapt their strategy on the fly.

Choose Your Heroes

Before starting a campaign, the party selects three heroes from a roster of seven iconic characters spanning multiple Critical Role campaigns:

• Vox Machina: Vex’ahlia (& Trinket), Percy, Grog

• The Mighty Nein: Jester, Nott the Brave

• Bells Hells: Dorian Storm, Fresh Cut Grass

Each hero comes with their own cardboard miniature and—most importantly—a character sheet. As you play, you’ll earn XP to unlock personalized abilities and spend coins on items to help you survive.

Yes, You Get to Roll a D20

It wouldn’t be Critical Role without a little bit of chaos from the dice. The box includes a D20, which players must use to pass unique skill checks. These checks determine how effectively (or if at all) your character’s special abilities trigger, adding a layer of “push-your-luck” tension to every clue guessed.

What’s in the Box?

The game is packed with components that bridge the gap between “Party Game” and “Dungeon Crawler”:

• 400 Themed Words: 200 double-sided cards full of Exandrian lore.

• The GM Screen: A specialized key card holder to keep the party’s fate secret.

• Campaign Essentials: 3 Campaign Maps and a detailed Campaign Book.

• RPG Mechanics: 25 Item cards, a D20, and various tokens for Health, XP, and Coins.

Day-One Expansion: Vox Machina Pack

Wizards and Warriors take note: a Vox Machina Expansion Pack will be released alongside the base game. This pack bolsters your adventures with even more words and items, plus an additional playable character to round out your party.

Codenames: Critical Role releases this summer at Gen Con, with pre-orders open for a month from March 10.