Alias 24

Eliminate all assets of the opposing team using clues from your Mastermind.

INTRODUCTION

“Alias 24” is based on “Codenames” by Vlaada Chvatil. Two rival secret agencies are battling for world domination. Take over the world by eliminating all assets of the opposing team using clues from your Mastermind. But watch out for the nuclear weapon!

BASIC RULES

Every player on two teams (RED and BLUE) know the same list of 24 aliases. These aliases represent 9 assets for one team, 8 assets for the other, 6 decoys (GREY), and 1 dangerous nuke (BLACK). Under the close watch of international intelligence agencies, one member of each team – the Mastermind – knows the identity behind every alias but can only provide limited clues. The goal is to eliminate all of the opposing team’s assets using clues from your Mastermind while keeping your own assets alive and avoiding the nuke.

To help identify opposing assets on each turn, the team's Mastermind gives a one-word clue followed by the number of untargeted aliases that relate to the clue (e.g. "Wound, 2" for "Dress" and "Hurt"). Using this clue, the team must target at least one alias to eliminate. If a decoy or the team's own asset is eliminated, their turn ends. If the nuke is targeted, it explodes. (See the Nuclear Weapon rules below.) Otherwise, the team may attempt to target another alias, up to a maximum of the number given by the Mastermind plus one, or end their turn (e.g. "Wound, 2" means up to three aliases may be targeted but the team can pass after one). The two teams alternate turns until the nuke explodes or one team has all their assets eliminated and loses. This may happen during their own turn (e.g. RED Team accidentally targets the last RED asset on their turn).

NUCLEAR WEAPON

Before playing, decide on one of two modes for the nuke:

BASIC: Only the team who targeted it loses.

MUTUALLY ASSURED DESTRUCTION: The weapon becomes fully armed when more than half of all other aliases (13 or more) have been targeted. If it explodes before being fully armed, only the team who targeted it loses. Otherwise, both teams lose.

ADDITIONAL RULES

Masterminds may use the number 0 to mean no aliases relate to the clue, or infinity to mean that many aliases relate to the clue. If 0 or infinity is used, there is no limit to the maximum number of targets. This may be helpful for a team to catch up and/or to avoid the nuke (e.g. "Inorganic, infinity" or "Organic, 0" when the nuke is "Grass").

The Mastermind is forbidden from revealing anything else other than the word and number clue. Word clues must relate to the meaning of the alias(es) to which it applies, not other properties like spelling or pronunciation (e.g. “I, 3” for "Eye"). The number part of the clue cannot be a hint in itself (e.g. "Fingers, 5” for "Hand" when there aren't four other words that relate to fingers). The aliases or sub-parts of aliases for assets which have yet to be eliminated cannot be used as clues, but eliminated aliases may be used (e.g. "Out, 1" with "Outside" in play). Whether proper names and/or acronyms are allowed as clues is up to the players to decide.

Enjoy!

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