Word Spies Introduction
Word Spies is a word game in the style of Codenames, not affiliated with it, in which any seat can be filled by an AI model. You can play as the operative who guesses from clues or as the spymaster who gives them, against AI or with friends in a room, and the AI teammates and opponents come from several model families, including Claude and GPT. Every clue gets a live analysis with a grade, a 3-D map of how the words relate and win odds from thousands of simulations. The site also runs an arena where models play each other and are ranked on a leaderboard; the maker explains that the ratings come from a Bradley-Terry fit across all games, mapped to the Elo scale, with each board played twice and the sides swapped. Your first three AI games are free without an account, and a free account gives three AI games a day and a rating. It was made by a college student who wanted to play Codenames when not enough friends were around, and launched on Hacker News in November 2026.
Word Spies key facts
| Launched | Nov 6, 2026 on Hacker News |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Free |
| Free tier | Yes: 3 AI games without an account, 3 a day with a free one |
| Platforms | Web browser |
| Sign-up | Not needed for the first 3 AI games |
| AI models | Claude, GPT and other models |
| Made by | An independent developer who is a college student |
We tried Word Spies
Tested on Nov 10, 2026
We clicked Play vs AI without signing in. A room opened with a board of 25 words, and a banner said this was a free AI game with GPT-6 Luna playing on both teams, with full analysis. Within 30 seconds the AI spymaster gave our side the clue "Polar" for two words, shown in the clue log, and the game waited for us to pick the two words. The banner said we had one free AI game left after this one.
Word Spies Key Features
Play With or Against AI
Fill any empty seat with an AI model, as a teammate or an opponent, and play as the guesser or the clue giver.
Live Clue Analysis
Each clue gets a grade, a 3-D map of the words and live win odds from simulations.
Model Arena and Leaderboard
AI models play each other on the same boards with sides swapped, and are ranked on an Elo-scale leaderboard.
Rooms and a Daily Puzzle
Open or join a room with a code to play with friends, or try the daily puzzle.
Word Spies Use Cases
Codenames fans: play a full game alone when friends are not around.
People curious about AI models: see how Claude, GPT and other models give and read clues.
Groups of friends: play together in a room and fill missing seats with AI.
Word Spies User Guides
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Choose to play as an operative or a spymaster.
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Click Play vs AI to start a game, or Play with friends to open a room.
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Read your spymaster's clue and click the words you think it points to.
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Sign in for free to get three AI games a day and a rating.
Word Spies Pricing
Free. Three AI games without an account, then three AI games a day with a free account.
Word Spies launch and community
Nov 6, 2026 on Hacker News · 5 points, 8 comments
“I made an app that allows you to fill any seat with an AI teammate and also play against AI.”
What people asked
How is the leaderboard rating calculated?
The maker said it is not plain Elo but a Bradley-Terry fit across all games, mapped to the Elo scale, and each board is played twice with the sides swapped for fairness.
Can the model behind a name change over time?
The maker said some models are called by dated IDs, while others go through a provider's live endpoint and can change behind the same name, so drift is possible for some of them.
Word Spies limitations
- Without an account you get three AI games, and three a day after signing in.
- Some models are reached through a provider's live endpoint, so their play can change behind the same name, as the maker noted.
- It is a fan-made Codenames-style game and is not affiliated with the original.
Word Spies Frequently Asked Questions
Is Word Spies free?
Which AI models can I play against?
How are the models rated?
Is it the official Codenames game?
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