Bookish Challenges discussion

Codenames



Rules

Welcome to the Bookish Codenames Challenge! This game will test your bookish instincts and reward you with exciting reading tasks. Here's how to play:

Objective

Your goal is to complete as many tasks as possible, earn points, and avoid penalties. The game ends when all connection tasks, word in title and word in cover are revealed.

Setup

The List: The game features a list of 25 words (everyone will receive a different set). Each word is secretly assigned a category:

Connection Tasks (5 words): Choosing these will mean you would need to read any book that somehow connects to that word

Cover Tasks (5 words): Choosing these will mean you need to read to have that particular object on cover

Word in Title Tasks (5 words): Choosing these will mean you need to read to have that particular word in the title

Neutral Words (5 words): These have no effect—just your lucky break! You need to read any book that meets general guidelines

Penalty Words (5 words): Landing on these triggers a penalty. You need to either give 2 points or complete one of the penalty tasks

Clue master will provide clues to guide you through the list (Be aware and make the correct choice as sometimes clues can make you tempted on penalty words).

How to Play

Clues and Turns:

The clue master will give you a one-word hint (e.g., Magic). The clue master's objective is to hint toward words which are related to connection tasks, cover tasks, or words in title tasks (avoiding the neutral and penalty). The hint relates to one or more words in the list.

Based on the clue, you pick a word from the list that you think matches.

Revealing Words:

If the word is a Connection Task / Cover / Word in title , you will complete the challenge.

If the word is Neutral, nothing happens, just read any book that meets general guidelines and you move to the next turn.

If the word is a Penalty, you must complete a small penalty task.

Scoring

Connection Tasks: 2 points each

Cover Tasks: 4 points each

Word in Title Tasks: 3 points each

Neutral Tasks: 1 point each

Penalties: -2 points or complete one of the penalty tasks from below

Wild Words: 4 randomly assigned words may have special powers:
1- Swap a task for another eg: if you have "home" as cover - you can switch it to word in title / ask for challenge / change to neutral - you will get points based on the task you change it to
2- Skip a task completely
3- Skip a penalty completely
4- Substitute that word with any other word and complete that challenge accordingly eg: if you "home" as cover but you are reading a book with "girl' on cover you can change the word home to girl and complete that challenge

Skips

1 free skip is available, then 4 points per skip

Progress
Connection: 02 / 05
Word: xx / 05
Object: 01 / 05



Your list
1- Mind - Penalty
2- Bench
3- Luck - Word
4- Destruction
5- Club
6- Hat
7- Hungry
8- Creature
9- Honey - Neutral
10- Adventure
11- Name
12- Color
13- Crying
14- Dog - Neutral
15- Skull - Object
16- Neighbour
17- Health - Connection
18- Cover
19- Window
20- Tools - Object
21- One
22- War - Connection
23- Island - Word
24- Balloon
25- Forest



Wildcards unlocked
1. Skip a task completely
2. Swap a task for another
3. Substitute that word with any other word
4.

Penalty Tasks

1- Read a book that you own
2- Read a book with author initials in "PENALTY"
3- Read from a series that you have already started
4- Read a book published before 2015
5- Read a book with any 3 letters of PENALTY in title

Points: 17

First 3 cluemaster clues are:
a. Chaos
b. Equipment
c. Medicine

These 3 clues relate to 3 different words. You now guess 3 words from the above list which you think fits the clues and I will reveal what they relate to. You can complete the first 3 tasks in any order

a Chaos - 22. War
b. Equipment - 20.Tools
c. Medicine - 17. Health

Congrats! You revealed 3 correct words!

22. War - Connection
Read a book that you can connect to war in any manner
Congrats you revealed a wild card - Skip a task completely
You can use your wild card at any point in the game

20. Tools - Object
Read a book with tools on cover

17. Health - Connection
Read a book that you can connect to health in any manner

You can read them in any manner. Only books completed after 01 February 2024 will be accepted. Cluemaster will be back with 3 more clues after you complete these tasks!

22. War - Connection
Read a book that you can connect to war in any manner
Book: Your Second Life Begins When You Realize You Only Have One
Author: Raphaëlle Giordano
Date completed: 02.02.2025
How it fits: Camille decides to change her life and distinct situations in the story read like an internal war, past Camille vs new Camille

17. Health - Connection
Read a book that you can connect to health in any manner
Book: The Gut Repair Plan: Four weeks to better health
Author: Sarah Di Lorenzo
Date completed:04.02.2025
How it fits: Labeled as health

20. Tools - Object
Read a book with tools on cover
Book:The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Author:Mitch Albom
Date completed: 06.02.2025
How it fits:Flags and other signaling tools on the cover

a. Clover
b. Pirate
c. Tropical

These 3 clues relate to 3 different words. You now guess 3 words from the above list which you think fits the clues and I will reveal what they relate to. You can complete the first 3 tasks in any order

a. Clover - 3.Luck
b.Pirate - 15.Skull
c.Tropical - 23. Island

Congrats! You revealed 3 correct words!

Luck - Word
Read a book with luck in title

Skull - Object
Read a book with skull on cover

Island - Word
Read a book with island in title
Congrats you revealed a wild card - Swap a task for another
You can use your wild card at any point in the game

You can read them in any manner. Cluemaster will be back with 3 more clues after you complete these tasks!

3.Luck - Connection
Read a book with luck in title
Book: Be Ready When the Luck Happens
Author: Ina Garten
How it fits Luck in the title

15. Skull - Object
Read a book with skull on cover
Book: Satan's Affair
Author: H.D. Carlton
How it fits Skull on the cover

Island - Word
Read a book with island in title
BookThe Island
Author Natasha Preston
How it fits Island in the title

a. Love
b. Fetch
c. Game

These 3 clues relate to 3 different words. You now guess 3 words from the above list which you think fits the clues and I will reveal what they relate to. You can complete the first 3 tasks in any order

a. Love - 9. Honey
b. Fetch - 14. Dog
c. Game-1. Mind

Unfortunately all 3 words were wrong!

Honey - Neutral
Read a book that meets guidelines

Dog - Neutral
Read a book that meets guidelines
Congrats you revealed a wild card - Substitute that word with any other word
You can use your wild card at any point in the game

Mind - Penalty
Penalty tasks or -2 points

You can read them in any manner. Cluemaster will be back with 3 more clues after you complete these tasks!