Rulebook

How to Play

Everything you need to teach Gridnames in under a minute.

Jump to Turn Flow

Quick Setup

Gridnames is built for living room play. One shared iPad or Mac shows the board. Two game masters scan the secret key to see which words belong to their team.

Step 1
Seat the iPad or Mac
  • Place it where everyone can see the 5×5 grid.
  • Pick a bright, comfortable orientation for the group.
Step 2
Choose Game Masters
  • One per team; they are the only people who see the key.
  • Scan the QR code to open the key on each phone.
Step 3
Check the Board
  • Cards show red, blue, neutral, or the assassin.
  • The starting team is marked on the key; they go first.
Turn Flow

Teams alternate giving a one-word clue plus a number. The clue should hint at that many cards that belong to your team.

1

Give a clue

Say one word and a number (example: “Ocean — 2”). No hyphens, proper nouns, or words on the board.

2

Guess together

Teammates discuss and tap the iPad or Mac to confirm guesses one by one, up to the clue number +1.

3

Reveal outcomes

Red and blue cards help that team. Neutral cards end the turn. The assassin ends the game immediately with a loss.

4

Pass the turn

If you stop early or hit a neutral/assassin, the other team takes over. The app tracks whose turn it is.

How to Win

First team to reveal all of their words wins. The assassin instantly loses the game for the team who taps it.

Clue Rules
Keep it clean
  • No rhymes, board words, spelling hints, or gestures.
  • Acronyms and inside jokes are okay if both teams agree.
Guessing
Work as a team
  • You can always make one extra guess beyond the number.
  • Stop whenever you want to bank progress and avoid risk.
Etiquette
Play fair
  • Table talk is encouraged, but keep clues silent.
  • Let game masters steer discussion, then tap together.