Decrypto will see you guiding your team to get your keywords in the right order.

But try not to tip off the other team!

Players compete in two teams in Decrypto, with each trying to correctly interpret the coded messages presented to them by their teammates while cracking the codes they intercept from the opposing team.

Decrypto Game Play

Players split themselves into two teams and sit on opposite sides of a table. A stand is placed in the middle with 4 words on either side.

One player on the team will draw a card which will contain 3 numbers, for example, 2.1.3. This means they need to communicate to them the keywords shown on the grid in that order. In the image above 2.1.3 would be Olympics, Crown, Soap.

The player out loud will give a clue for each of these so their team will try and get it correct. For example, “Rings, Royal, Clean”. This will hopefully lead to your team members looking at the words and picking 2.1.3.

At the same time, the players on the opposite team will get those clues too.

The other team take a turn then the next player on your team takes another turn. The player on your team will get a different order they have to arrange the keywords, but they are the same 4 words.

The idea here is to be specific enough to get your team to get the correct words, but be vague enough that your opponents don’t know what they are. As the game goes on, for Crown for example, maybe the clues your team have said are “Royal, Head, Valuable etc” Eventually the other team will have enough to go on to guess that maybe it’s Crown or something similar.

This is because the other team will try to guess the number code first. If they get it right they get a white token. If your team gets it wrong you get a black token. Get 2 white tokens first and your team wins, get two black tokens and your team loses.

Theme

There is no theme… but there is a theme! It does feel like you’re trying to decrypt the code based on pieces of information you’re getting.

Setup

Put out the thing and put cards in it. Done.

Components & Artwork

That stand thing is good. I still have no idea why it’s got those encoded cards you need that red filter to see. The other team are on the other side so can’t see it anyway. It just makes it more difficult for you to see it from your end.

Ease of Teaching

It is easy to teach when done correctly. I wasn’t taught to me very well so I thought the game was terrible when we started. Then we started playing and I realised what the bit of info they hadn’t told me was so it made sense eventually.

Decrypto Summary

Codenames is the obvious one that comes to mind here and there are a lot of team-based deduction games that followed that release.

This one is better.

For starters, you’re doing several things at once. You’re trying to make sure you can give clues to your team on your turn. On your opponent’s turn, you’re trying to guess their codewords and workout which clue goes to which word based on the info you’ve been given. You’re also trying to work out the clues given by your teammates.

This makes the game interesting and keeps every player in the game all the time.

The downside is you really need 6 players minimum to make it fun but those 6 players will enjoy the game.

Jesta ThaRogue