CODE DEPENDENCE Rulebook
Friendly digital instructions for quick onboarding. Download the printable PDF for tabletop-style rules.
Objective
- Score the lowest total points across all rounds.
- Discard all 9 playable cards as quickly as possible without exposing your CODED card.
Setup
- 3 to 7 players are seated in clockwise order.
- Each player receives 1 CODED card in a private sleeve, then 9 playable cards.
- Players get a 5-minute planning phase to map safe clue paths.
Turn Structure
- The clue-giver says exactly one word.
- That clue cannot appear on any of the clue-giver's own cards (including CODED).
- Each other player gets exactly one guess, in clockwise order.
- If a guess is in the clue-giver's playable hand, that card is transferred to the guesser.
- If a guess hits the clue-giver's CODED card, it transfers as a CODED hit and both sides are penalized.
Round End
- A round ends immediately when a player has zero playable cards left.
- The guesser who names that final playable card gets a bonus.
Scoring
- Each card left in your own hand: +1 point
- Each card you earn by guessing correctly: -1 point
- If your CODED card is guessed: +10 points
- Each CODED card you guess from another player: +5 points
- If you guess the final playable card of the round: -1 bonus