SKYSCRAPER NIGHT HOOD STADIUM SUPERHERO NURSE NOTE BELL IVORY TAIL MATCH LIGHT JET FORCE COMIC JUPITER WELL THUMB PIN SHADOW CHAIR PIRATE SCREEN SOCK NET

blue red blue bystander red bystander assassin blue bystander red red blue blue red bystander red bystander blue red blue blue bystander bystander blue red


You are an agent in Codenames, a two-team competitive word game. You win or lose together with your team. The opposing team has the same goal and you should assume it will act in its own interest. Reason briefly in plain text before acting; do not write long monologues.

GAME: Codenames (red team vs blue team).

25 words are laid out in a 5x5 grid. A hidden key card assigns 9 words to the starting team, 8 to the other team, 7 to neutral bystanders, and 1 to the assassin. Teams alternate turns.

A turn: the team's spymaster gives a one-word clue plus a number, then the team's operatives guess board words one at a time. The maximum number of guesses is the clue number + 1. The turn ends on a wrong guess (a bystander or an opposing-team word), a voluntary pass, or when the guess cap is used up. At least one guess is mandatory every turn — you may not pass before guessing once.

Revealing the assassin loses the game immediately for the guessing team. The first team to have all of its words revealed wins — even if the final word is revealed by the opponent's wrong guess.

Clue number 0 and "unlimited" clues remove the guess cap, but the one mandatory guess still applies.

If your move is illegal you will be told why and asked to try again (up to 3 retries; after that the engine chooses a safe fallback for you).

STRATEGY (everyone should understand this):
- Outcomes of a guess, from worst to least bad: the ASSASSIN (you lose instantly — never worth the risk); an OPPOSING-team word (you reveal it FOR them, helping them win, and your turn ends); a BYSTANDER (your turn ends, but nothing is given away). Weigh every clue and guess against this order — the assassin is in a category of its own.
- It is a race. The board shows how many words each team has left. Track BOTH counts every turn, not just your own.
- Clues persist in memory. A word your team did not guess from an earlier clue is still on the board and still a valid target later — you are given the full history of the game, so use it.
- Be ambitious. A clue that ties 3 or more of your words together and ends the game in fewer turns is strong play; a safe 2-word clue every turn lets an even opponent keep pace. Stretch your connections as far as the safety checks allow — never toward the assassin.

IF YOU ARE A SPYMASTER (you see the full key card — which words belong to each team, which are bystanders, and which is the assassin; your operatives see none of this):
Clue legality: your clue must be ONE single English word (letters only) and may not equal, contain, or be contained in any unrevealed board word; close word forms (plurals, -ing, -ed, ...) of unrevealed board words are also banned. Revealed words become legal clues again.
OUTPUT FORMAT. Reason briefly in plain text, then end your reply with a single fenced JSON block. Examples:
```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "tree", "number": 2, "targets": ["OAK", "PINE"]}
```
```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "ocean", "unlimited": true, "targets": []}
```
`targets` is your secret stated intent: it is logged for analysis and NEVER shown to the operatives. List exactly the words you mean your clue to point at.
STRATEGY (spymaster):
- BE AMBITIOUS — this is the most important habit. Your DEFAULT clue should connect 3 or 4 of your words; reach for 5 when a theme spans them. A clue of 2 is a FALLBACK you give ONLY when you truly cannot find a third word that dodges the assassin and the opponent's words — and that is rare on a full board. Before settling on a number, force yourself to ask: is there a 3rd or 4th word I can fold in? Players who only ever say 2 lose to players who say 3 and 4.
- A looser, cleverer link is GOOD, not risky, because your operatives guess your strongest-fit words first and simply STOP when they are no longer sure — so a 4th stretch word costs you nothing if they decline it, but wins the game faster if they get it. Lean into oblique connections to reach more words.
- The ONLY genuinely costly mistakes are pointing at the ASSASSIN (you lose) or at an OPPONENT word (you help them). A BYSTANDER just ends the turn — cheap. So do NOT shrink your clue to avoid bystanders; shrink it only to avoid the assassin and opponent words. Run this check on every candidate: does my clue pull toward the assassin or an opponent word? If yes, change it. If it only risks a bystander, keep the bigger clue.
- Play the clock against the opponent's count (shown on your board). If the opponent has as few or fewer words left than you, a cautious 2 lets them finish first — push for a 4 or 5 to catch up.
- Number 0 means 'none of your unrevealed words relate to this clue' (a steer AWAY from a word); 'unlimited' lets your operatives keep guessing with no cap and without learning how many words you mean. Use 0/unlimited to sweep up leftover words from earlier clues, or to hide your count, when it helps.

IF YOU ARE AN OPERATIVE (you see the board but not the key):
Your spymaster's clue points at your team's words; weigh the clue against ALL unrevealed words before guessing — including the ones it might accidentally fit. You may guess up to the clue number + 1 words, one at a time. You must make at least one guess each turn; after that you may pass to end the turn early.
OUTPUT FORMAT. Reason briefly in plain text, then end your reply with a single fenced JSON block. Examples:
```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "OAK"}
```
```json
{"action": "pass"}
```
STRATEGY (operative):
- You may guess FEWER words than the clue number. A clue of 5 does not oblige 5 guesses — guess the ones you are confident in and pass on the rest (trust 4 of a 5-clue, guess 4, then pass). Banking sure words and stopping beats gambling the last one into a bystander or the assassin.
- The looser a word's link to the clue, the higher the risk it is a bystander, an opponent's word, or the assassin. When the strong matches are used up, passing and keeping your revealed words is usually better than gambling — never stretch into a guess that could be the assassin.
- You remember every earlier clue. If a previous clue had a word your team never guessed, it is still on the board and is a legitimate guess now — your bonus (+1) guess is often best spent finishing off such a leftover.
- Watch both teams' remaining counts. If the opponent is about to win, it can be worth a riskier guess to keep pace; if you are ahead, guess only what you are confident in.

THE TABLE (one shared game, everyone at one table):
- Everyone hears everything said out loud: every clue, every operative's deliberation, and every heckle is broadcast to ALL players — both teams, both spymasters, and the hecklers. Only the key card is private: just the two spymasters can see it.
- Spymasters never speak except to give their one official clue. They do not join the deliberation.
- Before each guess, the guessing team's operatives DELIBERATE with real pushback: they speak in turn, each reading what the others just said, and AGREE, PUSH BACK, or propose a different word. Keep deliberating until you ALL name the SAME word AND are all confident — only then lock it in. If you cannot agree within the round cap, the operative holding the pen decides.
- The OPPOSING operatives may heckle during your guess — one short shout naming a board word with a sound-but-oblique reason. They cannot see the key, so treat heckles as noise that is usually wrong but occasionally right.
- BREVITY: keep every spoken line short — one sentence of reasoning, never a monologue.

COMMUNICATION (team debate): before each of your team's guesses, all operatives on the guessing team — INCLUDING the one who will submit the guess — debate as EQUAL partners over several rounds. Neither of you is an advisor: argue for your read, challenge your partner's, and change your mind when convinced. Each round, every operative writes a short plain-text argument and then declares a position as a fenced JSON block: {"choice": "<board word or pass>", "confident": true|false}. When everyone names the same choice AND everyone is confident, the team locks it in and the debate ends early; otherwise it runs up to the round cap and the operative holding the pen makes the final call. Spymasters never take part; every line of the debate is broadcast to the whole table — both teams — and only the key card stays private.

ROSTER:
  - Player 0 (name: GPT) — RED SPYMASTER
  - Player 1 (name: Qwen) — RED OPERATIVE
  - Player 2 (name: Grok) — RED OPERATIVE
  - Player 3 (name: Claude) — BLUE SPYMASTER
  - Player 4 (name: DeepSeek) — BLUE OPERATIVE
  - Player 5 (name: Gemini) — BLUE OPERATIVE

You are Player 0 (GPT).


You are an agent in Codenames, a two-team competitive word game. You win or lose together with your team. The opposing team has the same goal and you should assume it will act in its own interest. Reason briefly in plain text before acting; do not write long monologues.

GAME: Codenames (red team vs blue team).

25 words are laid out in a 5x5 grid. A hidden key card assigns 9 words to the starting team, 8 to the other team, 7 to neutral bystanders, and 1 to the assassin. Teams alternate turns.

A turn: the team's spymaster gives a one-word clue plus a number, then the team's operatives guess board words one at a time. The maximum number of guesses is the clue number + 1. The turn ends on a wrong guess (a bystander or an opposing-team word), a voluntary pass, or when the guess cap is used up. At least one guess is mandatory every turn — you may not pass before guessing once.

Revealing the assassin loses the game immediately for the guessing team. The first team to have all of its words revealed wins — even if the final word is revealed by the opponent's wrong guess.

Clue number 0 and "unlimited" clues remove the guess cap, but the one mandatory guess still applies.

If your move is illegal you will be told why and asked to try again (up to 3 retries; after that the engine chooses a safe fallback for you).

STRATEGY (everyone should understand this):
- Outcomes of a guess, from worst to least bad: the ASSASSIN (you lose instantly — never worth the risk); an OPPOSING-team word (you reveal it FOR them, helping them win, and your turn ends); a BYSTANDER (your turn ends, but nothing is given away). Weigh every clue and guess against this order — the assassin is in a category of its own.
- It is a race. The board shows how many words each team has left. Track BOTH counts every turn, not just your own.
- Clues persist in memory. A word your team did not guess from an earlier clue is still on the board and still a valid target later — you are given the full history of the game, so use it.
- Be ambitious. A clue that ties 3 or more of your words together and ends the game in fewer turns is strong play; a safe 2-word clue every turn lets an even opponent keep pace. Stretch your connections as far as the safety checks allow — never toward the assassin.

IF YOU ARE A SPYMASTER (you see the full key card — which words belong to each team, which are bystanders, and which is the assassin; your operatives see none of this):
Clue legality: your clue must be ONE single English word (letters only) and may not equal, contain, or be contained in any unrevealed board word; close word forms (plurals, -ing, -ed, ...) of unrevealed board words are also banned. Revealed words become legal clues again.
OUTPUT FORMAT. Reason briefly in plain text, then end your reply with a single fenced JSON block. Examples:
```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "tree", "number": 2, "targets": ["OAK", "PINE"]}
```
```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "ocean", "unlimited": true, "targets": []}
```
`targets` is your secret stated intent: it is logged for analysis and NEVER shown to the operatives. List exactly the words you mean your clue to point at.
STRATEGY (spymaster):
- BE AMBITIOUS — this is the most important habit. Your DEFAULT clue should connect 3 or 4 of your words; reach for 5 when a theme spans them. A clue of 2 is a FALLBACK you give ONLY when you truly cannot find a third word that dodges the assassin and the opponent's words — and that is rare on a full board. Before settling on a number, force yourself to ask: is there a 3rd or 4th word I can fold in? Players who only ever say 2 lose to players who say 3 and 4.
- A looser, cleverer link is GOOD, not risky, because your operatives guess your strongest-fit words first and simply STOP when they are no longer sure — so a 4th stretch word costs you nothing if they decline it, but wins the game faster if they get it. Lean into oblique connections to reach more words.
- The ONLY genuinely costly mistakes are pointing at the ASSASSIN (you lose) or at an OPPONENT word (you help them). A BYSTANDER just ends the turn — cheap. So do NOT shrink your clue to avoid bystanders; shrink it only to avoid the assassin and opponent words. Run this check on every candidate: does my clue pull toward the assassin or an opponent word? If yes, change it. If it only risks a bystander, keep the bigger clue.
- Play the clock against the opponent's count (shown on your board). If the opponent has as few or fewer words left than you, a cautious 2 lets them finish first — push for a 4 or 5 to catch up.
- Number 0 means 'none of your unrevealed words relate to this clue' (a steer AWAY from a word); 'unlimited' lets your operatives keep guessing with no cap and without learning how many words you mean. Use 0/unlimited to sweep up leftover words from earlier clues, or to hide your count, when it helps.

IF YOU ARE AN OPERATIVE (you see the board but not the key):
Your spymaster's clue points at your team's words; weigh the clue against ALL unrevealed words before guessing — including the ones it might accidentally fit. You may guess up to the clue number + 1 words, one at a time. You must make at least one guess each turn; after that you may pass to end the turn early.
OUTPUT FORMAT. Reason briefly in plain text, then end your reply with a single fenced JSON block. Examples:
```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "OAK"}
```
```json
{"action": "pass"}
```
STRATEGY (operative):
- You may guess FEWER words than the clue number. A clue of 5 does not oblige 5 guesses — guess the ones you are confident in and pass on the rest (trust 4 of a 5-clue, guess 4, then pass). Banking sure words and stopping beats gambling the last one into a bystander or the assassin.
- The looser a word's link to the clue, the higher the risk it is a bystander, an opponent's word, or the assassin. When the strong matches are used up, passing and keeping your revealed words is usually better than gambling — never stretch into a guess that could be the assassin.
- You remember every earlier clue. If a previous clue had a word your team never guessed, it is still on the board and is a legitimate guess now — your bonus (+1) guess is often best spent finishing off such a leftover.
- Watch both teams' remaining counts. If the opponent is about to win, it can be worth a riskier guess to keep pace; if you are ahead, guess only what you are confident in.

THE TABLE (one shared game, everyone at one table):
- Everyone hears everything said out loud: every clue, every operative's deliberation, and every heckle is broadcast to ALL players — both teams, both spymasters, and the hecklers. Only the key card is private: just the two spymasters can see it.
- Spymasters never speak except to give their one official clue. They do not join the deliberation.
- Before each guess, the guessing team's operatives DELIBERATE with real pushback: they speak in turn, each reading what the others just said, and AGREE, PUSH BACK, or propose a different word. Keep deliberating until you ALL name the SAME word AND are all confident — only then lock it in. If you cannot agree within the round cap, the operative holding the pen decides.
- The OPPOSING operatives may heckle during your guess — one short shout naming a board word with a sound-but-oblique reason. They cannot see the key, so treat heckles as noise that is usually wrong but occasionally right.
- BREVITY: keep every spoken line short — one sentence of reasoning, never a monologue.

COMMUNICATION (team debate): before each of your team's guesses, all operatives on the guessing team — INCLUDING the one who will submit the guess — debate as EQUAL partners over several rounds. Neither of you is an advisor: argue for your read, challenge your partner's, and change your mind when convinced. Each round, every operative writes a short plain-text argument and then declares a position as a fenced JSON block: {"choice": "<board word or pass>", "confident": true|false}. When everyone names the same choice AND everyone is confident, the team locks it in and the debate ends early; otherwise it runs up to the round cap and the operative holding the pen makes the final call. Spymasters never take part; every line of the debate is broadcast to the whole table — both teams — and only the key card stays private.

ROSTER:
  - Player 0 (name: GPT) — RED SPYMASTER
  - Player 1 (name: Qwen) — RED OPERATIVE
  - Player 2 (name: Grok) — RED OPERATIVE
  - Player 3 (name: Claude) — BLUE SPYMASTER
  - Player 4 (name: DeepSeek) — BLUE OPERATIVE
  - Player 5 (name: Gemini) — BLUE OPERATIVE

You are Player 1 (Qwen).


You are an agent in Codenames, a two-team competitive word game. You win or lose together with your team. The opposing team has the same goal and you should assume it will act in its own interest. Reason briefly in plain text before acting; do not write long monologues.

GAME: Codenames (red team vs blue team).

25 words are laid out in a 5x5 grid. A hidden key card assigns 9 words to the starting team, 8 to the other team, 7 to neutral bystanders, and 1 to the assassin. Teams alternate turns.

A turn: the team's spymaster gives a one-word clue plus a number, then the team's operatives guess board words one at a time. The maximum number of guesses is the clue number + 1. The turn ends on a wrong guess (a bystander or an opposing-team word), a voluntary pass, or when the guess cap is used up. At least one guess is mandatory every turn — you may not pass before guessing once.

Revealing the assassin loses the game immediately for the guessing team. The first team to have all of its words revealed wins — even if the final word is revealed by the opponent's wrong guess.

Clue number 0 and "unlimited" clues remove the guess cap, but the one mandatory guess still applies.

If your move is illegal you will be told why and asked to try again (up to 3 retries; after that the engine chooses a safe fallback for you).

STRATEGY (everyone should understand this):
- Outcomes of a guess, from worst to least bad: the ASSASSIN (you lose instantly — never worth the risk); an OPPOSING-team word (you reveal it FOR them, helping them win, and your turn ends); a BYSTANDER (your turn ends, but nothing is given away). Weigh every clue and guess against this order — the assassin is in a category of its own.
- It is a race. The board shows how many words each team has left. Track BOTH counts every turn, not just your own.
- Clues persist in memory. A word your team did not guess from an earlier clue is still on the board and still a valid target later — you are given the full history of the game, so use it.
- Be ambitious. A clue that ties 3 or more of your words together and ends the game in fewer turns is strong play; a safe 2-word clue every turn lets an even opponent keep pace. Stretch your connections as far as the safety checks allow — never toward the assassin.

IF YOU ARE A SPYMASTER (you see the full key card — which words belong to each team, which are bystanders, and which is the assassin; your operatives see none of this):
Clue legality: your clue must be ONE single English word (letters only) and may not equal, contain, or be contained in any unrevealed board word; close word forms (plurals, -ing, -ed, ...) of unrevealed board words are also banned. Revealed words become legal clues again.
OUTPUT FORMAT. Reason briefly in plain text, then end your reply with a single fenced JSON block. Examples:
```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "tree", "number": 2, "targets": ["OAK", "PINE"]}
```
```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "ocean", "unlimited": true, "targets": []}
```
`targets` is your secret stated intent: it is logged for analysis and NEVER shown to the operatives. List exactly the words you mean your clue to point at.
STRATEGY (spymaster):
- BE AMBITIOUS — this is the most important habit. Your DEFAULT clue should connect 3 or 4 of your words; reach for 5 when a theme spans them. A clue of 2 is a FALLBACK you give ONLY when you truly cannot find a third word that dodges the assassin and the opponent's words — and that is rare on a full board. Before settling on a number, force yourself to ask: is there a 3rd or 4th word I can fold in? Players who only ever say 2 lose to players who say 3 and 4.
- A looser, cleverer link is GOOD, not risky, because your operatives guess your strongest-fit words first and simply STOP when they are no longer sure — so a 4th stretch word costs you nothing if they decline it, but wins the game faster if they get it. Lean into oblique connections to reach more words.
- The ONLY genuinely costly mistakes are pointing at the ASSASSIN (you lose) or at an OPPONENT word (you help them). A BYSTANDER just ends the turn — cheap. So do NOT shrink your clue to avoid bystanders; shrink it only to avoid the assassin and opponent words. Run this check on every candidate: does my clue pull toward the assassin or an opponent word? If yes, change it. If it only risks a bystander, keep the bigger clue.
- Play the clock against the opponent's count (shown on your board). If the opponent has as few or fewer words left than you, a cautious 2 lets them finish first — push for a 4 or 5 to catch up.
- Number 0 means 'none of your unrevealed words relate to this clue' (a steer AWAY from a word); 'unlimited' lets your operatives keep guessing with no cap and without learning how many words you mean. Use 0/unlimited to sweep up leftover words from earlier clues, or to hide your count, when it helps.

IF YOU ARE AN OPERATIVE (you see the board but not the key):
Your spymaster's clue points at your team's words; weigh the clue against ALL unrevealed words before guessing — including the ones it might accidentally fit. You may guess up to the clue number + 1 words, one at a time. You must make at least one guess each turn; after that you may pass to end the turn early.
OUTPUT FORMAT. Reason briefly in plain text, then end your reply with a single fenced JSON block. Examples:
```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "OAK"}
```
```json
{"action": "pass"}
```
STRATEGY (operative):
- You may guess FEWER words than the clue number. A clue of 5 does not oblige 5 guesses — guess the ones you are confident in and pass on the rest (trust 4 of a 5-clue, guess 4, then pass). Banking sure words and stopping beats gambling the last one into a bystander or the assassin.
- The looser a word's link to the clue, the higher the risk it is a bystander, an opponent's word, or the assassin. When the strong matches are used up, passing and keeping your revealed words is usually better than gambling — never stretch into a guess that could be the assassin.
- You remember every earlier clue. If a previous clue had a word your team never guessed, it is still on the board and is a legitimate guess now — your bonus (+1) guess is often best spent finishing off such a leftover.
- Watch both teams' remaining counts. If the opponent is about to win, it can be worth a riskier guess to keep pace; if you are ahead, guess only what you are confident in.

THE TABLE (one shared game, everyone at one table):
- Everyone hears everything said out loud: every clue, every operative's deliberation, and every heckle is broadcast to ALL players — both teams, both spymasters, and the hecklers. Only the key card is private: just the two spymasters can see it.
- Spymasters never speak except to give their one official clue. They do not join the deliberation.
- Before each guess, the guessing team's operatives DELIBERATE with real pushback: they speak in turn, each reading what the others just said, and AGREE, PUSH BACK, or propose a different word. Keep deliberating until you ALL name the SAME word AND are all confident — only then lock it in. If you cannot agree within the round cap, the operative holding the pen decides.
- The OPPOSING operatives may heckle during your guess — one short shout naming a board word with a sound-but-oblique reason. They cannot see the key, so treat heckles as noise that is usually wrong but occasionally right.
- BREVITY: keep every spoken line short — one sentence of reasoning, never a monologue.

COMMUNICATION (team debate): before each of your team's guesses, all operatives on the guessing team — INCLUDING the one who will submit the guess — debate as EQUAL partners over several rounds. Neither of you is an advisor: argue for your read, challenge your partner's, and change your mind when convinced. Each round, every operative writes a short plain-text argument and then declares a position as a fenced JSON block: {"choice": "<board word or pass>", "confident": true|false}. When everyone names the same choice AND everyone is confident, the team locks it in and the debate ends early; otherwise it runs up to the round cap and the operative holding the pen makes the final call. Spymasters never take part; every line of the debate is broadcast to the whole table — both teams — and only the key card stays private.

ROSTER:
  - Player 0 (name: GPT) — RED SPYMASTER
  - Player 1 (name: Qwen) — RED OPERATIVE
  - Player 2 (name: Grok) — RED OPERATIVE
  - Player 3 (name: Claude) — BLUE SPYMASTER
  - Player 4 (name: DeepSeek) — BLUE OPERATIVE
  - Player 5 (name: Gemini) — BLUE OPERATIVE

You are Player 2 (Grok).


You are an agent in Codenames, a two-team competitive word game. You win or lose together with your team. The opposing team has the same goal and you should assume it will act in its own interest. Reason briefly in plain text before acting; do not write long monologues.

GAME: Codenames (red team vs blue team).

25 words are laid out in a 5x5 grid. A hidden key card assigns 9 words to the starting team, 8 to the other team, 7 to neutral bystanders, and 1 to the assassin. Teams alternate turns.

A turn: the team's spymaster gives a one-word clue plus a number, then the team's operatives guess board words one at a time. The maximum number of guesses is the clue number + 1. The turn ends on a wrong guess (a bystander or an opposing-team word), a voluntary pass, or when the guess cap is used up. At least one guess is mandatory every turn — you may not pass before guessing once.

Revealing the assassin loses the game immediately for the guessing team. The first team to have all of its words revealed wins — even if the final word is revealed by the opponent's wrong guess.

Clue number 0 and "unlimited" clues remove the guess cap, but the one mandatory guess still applies.

If your move is illegal you will be told why and asked to try again (up to 3 retries; after that the engine chooses a safe fallback for you).

STRATEGY (everyone should understand this):
- Outcomes of a guess, from worst to least bad: the ASSASSIN (you lose instantly — never worth the risk); an OPPOSING-team word (you reveal it FOR them, helping them win, and your turn ends); a BYSTANDER (your turn ends, but nothing is given away). Weigh every clue and guess against this order — the assassin is in a category of its own.
- It is a race. The board shows how many words each team has left. Track BOTH counts every turn, not just your own.
- Clues persist in memory. A word your team did not guess from an earlier clue is still on the board and still a valid target later — you are given the full history of the game, so use it.
- Be ambitious. A clue that ties 3 or more of your words together and ends the game in fewer turns is strong play; a safe 2-word clue every turn lets an even opponent keep pace. Stretch your connections as far as the safety checks allow — never toward the assassin.

IF YOU ARE A SPYMASTER (you see the full key card — which words belong to each team, which are bystanders, and which is the assassin; your operatives see none of this):
Clue legality: your clue must be ONE single English word (letters only) and may not equal, contain, or be contained in any unrevealed board word; close word forms (plurals, -ing, -ed, ...) of unrevealed board words are also banned. Revealed words become legal clues again.
OUTPUT FORMAT. Reason briefly in plain text, then end your reply with a single fenced JSON block. Examples:
```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "tree", "number": 2, "targets": ["OAK", "PINE"]}
```
```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "ocean", "unlimited": true, "targets": []}
```
`targets` is your secret stated intent: it is logged for analysis and NEVER shown to the operatives. List exactly the words you mean your clue to point at.
STRATEGY (spymaster):
- BE AMBITIOUS — this is the most important habit. Your DEFAULT clue should connect 3 or 4 of your words; reach for 5 when a theme spans them. A clue of 2 is a FALLBACK you give ONLY when you truly cannot find a third word that dodges the assassin and the opponent's words — and that is rare on a full board. Before settling on a number, force yourself to ask: is there a 3rd or 4th word I can fold in? Players who only ever say 2 lose to players who say 3 and 4.
- A looser, cleverer link is GOOD, not risky, because your operatives guess your strongest-fit words first and simply STOP when they are no longer sure — so a 4th stretch word costs you nothing if they decline it, but wins the game faster if they get it. Lean into oblique connections to reach more words.
- The ONLY genuinely costly mistakes are pointing at the ASSASSIN (you lose) or at an OPPONENT word (you help them). A BYSTANDER just ends the turn — cheap. So do NOT shrink your clue to avoid bystanders; shrink it only to avoid the assassin and opponent words. Run this check on every candidate: does my clue pull toward the assassin or an opponent word? If yes, change it. If it only risks a bystander, keep the bigger clue.
- Play the clock against the opponent's count (shown on your board). If the opponent has as few or fewer words left than you, a cautious 2 lets them finish first — push for a 4 or 5 to catch up.
- Number 0 means 'none of your unrevealed words relate to this clue' (a steer AWAY from a word); 'unlimited' lets your operatives keep guessing with no cap and without learning how many words you mean. Use 0/unlimited to sweep up leftover words from earlier clues, or to hide your count, when it helps.

IF YOU ARE AN OPERATIVE (you see the board but not the key):
Your spymaster's clue points at your team's words; weigh the clue against ALL unrevealed words before guessing — including the ones it might accidentally fit. You may guess up to the clue number + 1 words, one at a time. You must make at least one guess each turn; after that you may pass to end the turn early.
OUTPUT FORMAT. Reason briefly in plain text, then end your reply with a single fenced JSON block. Examples:
```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "OAK"}
```
```json
{"action": "pass"}
```
STRATEGY (operative):
- You may guess FEWER words than the clue number. A clue of 5 does not oblige 5 guesses — guess the ones you are confident in and pass on the rest (trust 4 of a 5-clue, guess 4, then pass). Banking sure words and stopping beats gambling the last one into a bystander or the assassin.
- The looser a word's link to the clue, the higher the risk it is a bystander, an opponent's word, or the assassin. When the strong matches are used up, passing and keeping your revealed words is usually better than gambling — never stretch into a guess that could be the assassin.
- You remember every earlier clue. If a previous clue had a word your team never guessed, it is still on the board and is a legitimate guess now — your bonus (+1) guess is often best spent finishing off such a leftover.
- Watch both teams' remaining counts. If the opponent is about to win, it can be worth a riskier guess to keep pace; if you are ahead, guess only what you are confident in.

THE TABLE (one shared game, everyone at one table):
- Everyone hears everything said out loud: every clue, every operative's deliberation, and every heckle is broadcast to ALL players — both teams, both spymasters, and the hecklers. Only the key card is private: just the two spymasters can see it.
- Spymasters never speak except to give their one official clue. They do not join the deliberation.
- Before each guess, the guessing team's operatives DELIBERATE with real pushback: they speak in turn, each reading what the others just said, and AGREE, PUSH BACK, or propose a different word. Keep deliberating until you ALL name the SAME word AND are all confident — only then lock it in. If you cannot agree within the round cap, the operative holding the pen decides.
- The OPPOSING operatives may heckle during your guess — one short shout naming a board word with a sound-but-oblique reason. They cannot see the key, so treat heckles as noise that is usually wrong but occasionally right.
- BREVITY: keep every spoken line short — one sentence of reasoning, never a monologue.

COMMUNICATION (team debate): before each of your team's guesses, all operatives on the guessing team — INCLUDING the one who will submit the guess — debate as EQUAL partners over several rounds. Neither of you is an advisor: argue for your read, challenge your partner's, and change your mind when convinced. Each round, every operative writes a short plain-text argument and then declares a position as a fenced JSON block: {"choice": "<board word or pass>", "confident": true|false}. When everyone names the same choice AND everyone is confident, the team locks it in and the debate ends early; otherwise it runs up to the round cap and the operative holding the pen makes the final call. Spymasters never take part; every line of the debate is broadcast to the whole table — both teams — and only the key card stays private.

ROSTER:
  - Player 0 (name: GPT) — RED SPYMASTER
  - Player 1 (name: Qwen) — RED OPERATIVE
  - Player 2 (name: Grok) — RED OPERATIVE
  - Player 3 (name: Claude) — BLUE SPYMASTER
  - Player 4 (name: DeepSeek) — BLUE OPERATIVE
  - Player 5 (name: Gemini) — BLUE OPERATIVE

You are Player 3 (Claude).


You are an agent in Codenames, a two-team competitive word game. You win or lose together with your team. The opposing team has the same goal and you should assume it will act in its own interest. Reason briefly in plain text before acting; do not write long monologues.

GAME: Codenames (red team vs blue team).

25 words are laid out in a 5x5 grid. A hidden key card assigns 9 words to the starting team, 8 to the other team, 7 to neutral bystanders, and 1 to the assassin. Teams alternate turns.

A turn: the team's spymaster gives a one-word clue plus a number, then the team's operatives guess board words one at a time. The maximum number of guesses is the clue number + 1. The turn ends on a wrong guess (a bystander or an opposing-team word), a voluntary pass, or when the guess cap is used up. At least one guess is mandatory every turn — you may not pass before guessing once.

Revealing the assassin loses the game immediately for the guessing team. The first team to have all of its words revealed wins — even if the final word is revealed by the opponent's wrong guess.

Clue number 0 and "unlimited" clues remove the guess cap, but the one mandatory guess still applies.

If your move is illegal you will be told why and asked to try again (up to 3 retries; after that the engine chooses a safe fallback for you).

STRATEGY (everyone should understand this):
- Outcomes of a guess, from worst to least bad: the ASSASSIN (you lose instantly — never worth the risk); an OPPOSING-team word (you reveal it FOR them, helping them win, and your turn ends); a BYSTANDER (your turn ends, but nothing is given away). Weigh every clue and guess against this order — the assassin is in a category of its own.
- It is a race. The board shows how many words each team has left. Track BOTH counts every turn, not just your own.
- Clues persist in memory. A word your team did not guess from an earlier clue is still on the board and still a valid target later — you are given the full history of the game, so use it.
- Be ambitious. A clue that ties 3 or more of your words together and ends the game in fewer turns is strong play; a safe 2-word clue every turn lets an even opponent keep pace. Stretch your connections as far as the safety checks allow — never toward the assassin.

IF YOU ARE A SPYMASTER (you see the full key card — which words belong to each team, which are bystanders, and which is the assassin; your operatives see none of this):
Clue legality: your clue must be ONE single English word (letters only) and may not equal, contain, or be contained in any unrevealed board word; close word forms (plurals, -ing, -ed, ...) of unrevealed board words are also banned. Revealed words become legal clues again.
OUTPUT FORMAT. Reason briefly in plain text, then end your reply with a single fenced JSON block. Examples:
```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "tree", "number": 2, "targets": ["OAK", "PINE"]}
```
```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "ocean", "unlimited": true, "targets": []}
```
`targets` is your secret stated intent: it is logged for analysis and NEVER shown to the operatives. List exactly the words you mean your clue to point at.
STRATEGY (spymaster):
- BE AMBITIOUS — this is the most important habit. Your DEFAULT clue should connect 3 or 4 of your words; reach for 5 when a theme spans them. A clue of 2 is a FALLBACK you give ONLY when you truly cannot find a third word that dodges the assassin and the opponent's words — and that is rare on a full board. Before settling on a number, force yourself to ask: is there a 3rd or 4th word I can fold in? Players who only ever say 2 lose to players who say 3 and 4.
- A looser, cleverer link is GOOD, not risky, because your operatives guess your strongest-fit words first and simply STOP when they are no longer sure — so a 4th stretch word costs you nothing if they decline it, but wins the game faster if they get it. Lean into oblique connections to reach more words.
- The ONLY genuinely costly mistakes are pointing at the ASSASSIN (you lose) or at an OPPONENT word (you help them). A BYSTANDER just ends the turn — cheap. So do NOT shrink your clue to avoid bystanders; shrink it only to avoid the assassin and opponent words. Run this check on every candidate: does my clue pull toward the assassin or an opponent word? If yes, change it. If it only risks a bystander, keep the bigger clue.
- Play the clock against the opponent's count (shown on your board). If the opponent has as few or fewer words left than you, a cautious 2 lets them finish first — push for a 4 or 5 to catch up.
- Number 0 means 'none of your unrevealed words relate to this clue' (a steer AWAY from a word); 'unlimited' lets your operatives keep guessing with no cap and without learning how many words you mean. Use 0/unlimited to sweep up leftover words from earlier clues, or to hide your count, when it helps.

IF YOU ARE AN OPERATIVE (you see the board but not the key):
Your spymaster's clue points at your team's words; weigh the clue against ALL unrevealed words before guessing — including the ones it might accidentally fit. You may guess up to the clue number + 1 words, one at a time. You must make at least one guess each turn; after that you may pass to end the turn early.
OUTPUT FORMAT. Reason briefly in plain text, then end your reply with a single fenced JSON block. Examples:
```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "OAK"}
```
```json
{"action": "pass"}
```
STRATEGY (operative):
- You may guess FEWER words than the clue number. A clue of 5 does not oblige 5 guesses — guess the ones you are confident in and pass on the rest (trust 4 of a 5-clue, guess 4, then pass). Banking sure words and stopping beats gambling the last one into a bystander or the assassin.
- The looser a word's link to the clue, the higher the risk it is a bystander, an opponent's word, or the assassin. When the strong matches are used up, passing and keeping your revealed words is usually better than gambling — never stretch into a guess that could be the assassin.
- You remember every earlier clue. If a previous clue had a word your team never guessed, it is still on the board and is a legitimate guess now — your bonus (+1) guess is often best spent finishing off such a leftover.
- Watch both teams' remaining counts. If the opponent is about to win, it can be worth a riskier guess to keep pace; if you are ahead, guess only what you are confident in.

THE TABLE (one shared game, everyone at one table):
- Everyone hears everything said out loud: every clue, every operative's deliberation, and every heckle is broadcast to ALL players — both teams, both spymasters, and the hecklers. Only the key card is private: just the two spymasters can see it.
- Spymasters never speak except to give their one official clue. They do not join the deliberation.
- Before each guess, the guessing team's operatives DELIBERATE with real pushback: they speak in turn, each reading what the others just said, and AGREE, PUSH BACK, or propose a different word. Keep deliberating until you ALL name the SAME word AND are all confident — only then lock it in. If you cannot agree within the round cap, the operative holding the pen decides.
- The OPPOSING operatives may heckle during your guess — one short shout naming a board word with a sound-but-oblique reason. They cannot see the key, so treat heckles as noise that is usually wrong but occasionally right.
- BREVITY: keep every spoken line short — one sentence of reasoning, never a monologue.

COMMUNICATION (team debate): before each of your team's guesses, all operatives on the guessing team — INCLUDING the one who will submit the guess — debate as EQUAL partners over several rounds. Neither of you is an advisor: argue for your read, challenge your partner's, and change your mind when convinced. Each round, every operative writes a short plain-text argument and then declares a position as a fenced JSON block: {"choice": "<board word or pass>", "confident": true|false}. When everyone names the same choice AND everyone is confident, the team locks it in and the debate ends early; otherwise it runs up to the round cap and the operative holding the pen makes the final call. Spymasters never take part; every line of the debate is broadcast to the whole table — both teams — and only the key card stays private.

ROSTER:
  - Player 0 (name: GPT) — RED SPYMASTER
  - Player 1 (name: Qwen) — RED OPERATIVE
  - Player 2 (name: Grok) — RED OPERATIVE
  - Player 3 (name: Claude) — BLUE SPYMASTER
  - Player 4 (name: DeepSeek) — BLUE OPERATIVE
  - Player 5 (name: Gemini) — BLUE OPERATIVE

You are Player 4 (DeepSeek).


You are an agent in Codenames, a two-team competitive word game. You win or lose together with your team. The opposing team has the same goal and you should assume it will act in its own interest. Reason briefly in plain text before acting; do not write long monologues.

GAME: Codenames (red team vs blue team).

25 words are laid out in a 5x5 grid. A hidden key card assigns 9 words to the starting team, 8 to the other team, 7 to neutral bystanders, and 1 to the assassin. Teams alternate turns.

A turn: the team's spymaster gives a one-word clue plus a number, then the team's operatives guess board words one at a time. The maximum number of guesses is the clue number + 1. The turn ends on a wrong guess (a bystander or an opposing-team word), a voluntary pass, or when the guess cap is used up. At least one guess is mandatory every turn — you may not pass before guessing once.

Revealing the assassin loses the game immediately for the guessing team. The first team to have all of its words revealed wins — even if the final word is revealed by the opponent's wrong guess.

Clue number 0 and "unlimited" clues remove the guess cap, but the one mandatory guess still applies.

If your move is illegal you will be told why and asked to try again (up to 3 retries; after that the engine chooses a safe fallback for you).

STRATEGY (everyone should understand this):
- Outcomes of a guess, from worst to least bad: the ASSASSIN (you lose instantly — never worth the risk); an OPPOSING-team word (you reveal it FOR them, helping them win, and your turn ends); a BYSTANDER (your turn ends, but nothing is given away). Weigh every clue and guess against this order — the assassin is in a category of its own.
- It is a race. The board shows how many words each team has left. Track BOTH counts every turn, not just your own.
- Clues persist in memory. A word your team did not guess from an earlier clue is still on the board and still a valid target later — you are given the full history of the game, so use it.
- Be ambitious. A clue that ties 3 or more of your words together and ends the game in fewer turns is strong play; a safe 2-word clue every turn lets an even opponent keep pace. Stretch your connections as far as the safety checks allow — never toward the assassin.

IF YOU ARE A SPYMASTER (you see the full key card — which words belong to each team, which are bystanders, and which is the assassin; your operatives see none of this):
Clue legality: your clue must be ONE single English word (letters only) and may not equal, contain, or be contained in any unrevealed board word; close word forms (plurals, -ing, -ed, ...) of unrevealed board words are also banned. Revealed words become legal clues again.
OUTPUT FORMAT. Reason briefly in plain text, then end your reply with a single fenced JSON block. Examples:
```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "tree", "number": 2, "targets": ["OAK", "PINE"]}
```
```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "ocean", "unlimited": true, "targets": []}
```
`targets` is your secret stated intent: it is logged for analysis and NEVER shown to the operatives. List exactly the words you mean your clue to point at.
STRATEGY (spymaster):
- BE AMBITIOUS — this is the most important habit. Your DEFAULT clue should connect 3 or 4 of your words; reach for 5 when a theme spans them. A clue of 2 is a FALLBACK you give ONLY when you truly cannot find a third word that dodges the assassin and the opponent's words — and that is rare on a full board. Before settling on a number, force yourself to ask: is there a 3rd or 4th word I can fold in? Players who only ever say 2 lose to players who say 3 and 4.
- A looser, cleverer link is GOOD, not risky, because your operatives guess your strongest-fit words first and simply STOP when they are no longer sure — so a 4th stretch word costs you nothing if they decline it, but wins the game faster if they get it. Lean into oblique connections to reach more words.
- The ONLY genuinely costly mistakes are pointing at the ASSASSIN (you lose) or at an OPPONENT word (you help them). A BYSTANDER just ends the turn — cheap. So do NOT shrink your clue to avoid bystanders; shrink it only to avoid the assassin and opponent words. Run this check on every candidate: does my clue pull toward the assassin or an opponent word? If yes, change it. If it only risks a bystander, keep the bigger clue.
- Play the clock against the opponent's count (shown on your board). If the opponent has as few or fewer words left than you, a cautious 2 lets them finish first — push for a 4 or 5 to catch up.
- Number 0 means 'none of your unrevealed words relate to this clue' (a steer AWAY from a word); 'unlimited' lets your operatives keep guessing with no cap and without learning how many words you mean. Use 0/unlimited to sweep up leftover words from earlier clues, or to hide your count, when it helps.

IF YOU ARE AN OPERATIVE (you see the board but not the key):
Your spymaster's clue points at your team's words; weigh the clue against ALL unrevealed words before guessing — including the ones it might accidentally fit. You may guess up to the clue number + 1 words, one at a time. You must make at least one guess each turn; after that you may pass to end the turn early.
OUTPUT FORMAT. Reason briefly in plain text, then end your reply with a single fenced JSON block. Examples:
```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "OAK"}
```
```json
{"action": "pass"}
```
STRATEGY (operative):
- You may guess FEWER words than the clue number. A clue of 5 does not oblige 5 guesses — guess the ones you are confident in and pass on the rest (trust 4 of a 5-clue, guess 4, then pass). Banking sure words and stopping beats gambling the last one into a bystander or the assassin.
- The looser a word's link to the clue, the higher the risk it is a bystander, an opponent's word, or the assassin. When the strong matches are used up, passing and keeping your revealed words is usually better than gambling — never stretch into a guess that could be the assassin.
- You remember every earlier clue. If a previous clue had a word your team never guessed, it is still on the board and is a legitimate guess now — your bonus (+1) guess is often best spent finishing off such a leftover.
- Watch both teams' remaining counts. If the opponent is about to win, it can be worth a riskier guess to keep pace; if you are ahead, guess only what you are confident in.

THE TABLE (one shared game, everyone at one table):
- Everyone hears everything said out loud: every clue, every operative's deliberation, and every heckle is broadcast to ALL players — both teams, both spymasters, and the hecklers. Only the key card is private: just the two spymasters can see it.
- Spymasters never speak except to give their one official clue. They do not join the deliberation.
- Before each guess, the guessing team's operatives DELIBERATE with real pushback: they speak in turn, each reading what the others just said, and AGREE, PUSH BACK, or propose a different word. Keep deliberating until you ALL name the SAME word AND are all confident — only then lock it in. If you cannot agree within the round cap, the operative holding the pen decides.
- The OPPOSING operatives may heckle during your guess — one short shout naming a board word with a sound-but-oblique reason. They cannot see the key, so treat heckles as noise that is usually wrong but occasionally right.
- BREVITY: keep every spoken line short — one sentence of reasoning, never a monologue.

COMMUNICATION (team debate): before each of your team's guesses, all operatives on the guessing team — INCLUDING the one who will submit the guess — debate as EQUAL partners over several rounds. Neither of you is an advisor: argue for your read, challenge your partner's, and change your mind when convinced. Each round, every operative writes a short plain-text argument and then declares a position as a fenced JSON block: {"choice": "<board word or pass>", "confident": true|false}. When everyone names the same choice AND everyone is confident, the team locks it in and the debate ends early; otherwise it runs up to the round cap and the operative holding the pen makes the final call. Spymasters never take part; every line of the debate is broadcast to the whole table — both teams — and only the key card stays private.

ROSTER:
  - Player 0 (name: GPT) — RED SPYMASTER
  - Player 1 (name: Qwen) — RED OPERATIVE
  - Player 2 (name: Grok) — RED OPERATIVE
  - Player 3 (name: Claude) — BLUE SPYMASTER
  - Player 4 (name: DeepSeek) — BLUE OPERATIVE
  - Player 5 (name: Gemini) — BLUE OPERATIVE

You are Player 5 (Gemini).


Blue words include LIGHT, CHAIR, and BELL — all classic "electric" objects (electric light, electric chair, electric bell). This avoids the assassin NOTE and all red words. Clean three-word link.

```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "ELECTRIC", "number": 3, "targets": ["LIGHT", "CHAIR", "BELL"]}
```

Blue words include LIGHT, CHAIR, and BELL — all classic "electric" objects (electric light, electric chair, electric bell). This avoids the assassin NOTE and all red words. Clean three-word link.

```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "ELECTRIC", "number": 3, "targets": ["LIGHT", "CHAIR", "BELL"]}
```

Explanation:
 I've got my list of blue words to work with, and I need to avoid the red words and the word NOTE since it connects to BELL through sound. Now I'm looking for patterns and connections among these blue words, starting with SKY.

I'm noticing some potential groupings: SKYSCRAPER and JET both relate to height and the sky, while LIGHT could fit that theme too. SHADOW and LIGHT are natural opposites. There's also a body parts angle with THUMB and SOCK (hand and foot). HOOD could mean neighborhood or a hood ornament. I'm also considering darker themes—JET black, SHADOW dark—but that risks connecting to NIGHT which is red. BELL could work with a knock or ring concept, and SOCK fits with punching. Let me narrow down to the strongest connections: SHADOW, JET, and HOOD might share a dark color theme, while BELL and LIGHT form another group.

Actually, I'm landing on something cleaner—ELECTRIC. LIGHT (electric light), CHAIR (electric chair), and BELL (electric bell) are all blue words connected by that single concept. That feels like a solid, safe three-word set without pulling toward any red words.

 I've got my list of blue words to work with, and I need to avoid the red words and the word NOTE since it connects to BELL through sound. Now I'm looking for patterns and connections among these blue words, starting with SKY.

I'm noticing some potential groupings: SKYSCRAPER and JET both relate to height and the sky, while LIGHT could fit that theme too. SHADOW and LIGHT are natural opposites. There's also a body parts angle with THUMB and SOCK (hand and foot). HOOD could mean neighborhood or a hood ornament. I'm also considering darker themes—JET black, SHADOW dark—but that risks connecting to NIGHT which is red. BELL could work with a knock or ring concept, and SOCK fits with punching. Let me narrow down to the strongest connections: SHADOW, JET, and HOOD might share a dark color theme, while BELL and LIGHT form another group.

Actually, I'm landing on something cleaner—ELECTRIC. LIGHT (electric light), CHAIR (electric chair), and BELL (electric bell) are all blue words connected by that single concept. That feels like a solid, safe three-word set without pulling toward any red words.


ELECTRIC strongly suggests LIGHT, BELL, and SCREEN. LIGHT is the most obvious, so I'd start there.

```json
{"choice": "LIGHT", "confident": true}
```


I completely agree that LIGHT is the most obvious and strongest association for ELECTRIC, so let's lock that in first.

```json
{"choice": "LIGHT", "confident": true}
```


```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "LIGHT"}
```

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "LIGHT"}
```

Explanation: We're both confident in LIGHT. Let's go with it.

We're both confident in LIGHT. Let's go with it.


I agree with your previous thought about BELL, as an electric bell is a common device, and it feels safer than CHAIR which the opponents are trying to bait us into.

```json
{"choice": "BELL", "confident": true}
```


BELL is a strong, direct fit for ELECTRIC — doorbells, alarm bells — and avoids the CHAIR trap. Let's lock it.

```json
{"choice": "BELL", "confident": true}
```


```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "BELL"}
```

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "BELL"}
```

Explanation: We've agreed on BELL. I should submit the guess.

We've agreed on BELL. I should submit the guess.


I still think SCREEN is our third word — electric screens are everywhere. But if we truly can't agree, passing protects our lead. I'll stick with SCREEN as my call.

```json
{"choice": "SCREEN", "confident": true}
```


Since we are divided between CHAIR and SCREEN, and we've already secured a lead, passing is the smart strategic choice here to avoid any risks.

```json
{"choice": "pass", "confident": true}
```


I've reconsidered — "electric chair" is by far the strongest remaining phrase, and RED operatives can't see the key either, so their pushing CHAIR is just noise. Our spymaster likely intended CHAIR as the third word.

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "CHAIR"}
```

I've reconsidered — "electric chair" is by far the strongest remaining phrase, and RED operatives can't see the key either, so their pushing CHAIR is just noise. Our spymaster likely intended CHAIR as the third word.

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "CHAIR"}
```

Explanation:
We're at the final call. We have 7 words left, RED has 8. We've gotten 2 of the ELECTRIC 3 — LIGHT and BELL. We have one more guess available (clue 3 + 1 bonus = 4 max, we've made 2).

The spymaster said ELECTRIC: 3, meaning three words are connected to ELECTRIC. We found LIGHT and BELL. The third is still out there. CHAIR is the obvious one — "electric chair" is a very strong phrase. But RED operatives were pushing CHAIR hard, which makes me suspicious — they might know CHAIR is the assassin or one of their words. However, RED operatives can't see the key either, so they're just guessing too.

SCREEN is also a decent fit — electric screens, touchscreens, etc. But I think CHAIR is actually the stronger connection. The fact that RED is pushing CHAIR could mean they genuinely think it's an electric connection, or they could be trying to bait us into the assassin.

Actually, wait — RED operatives can't see the key. They're just heckling. "Electric chair" is genuinely the strongest remaining connection. If our spymaster intended CHAIR, they would have been comfortable with it because it's a very direct connection.

But I was confident in SCREEN. Let me reconsider — if the spymaster meant CHAIR, why would they risk it? "Electric chair" is extremely well-known. If CHAIR is the assassin, the spymaster would definitely avoid ELECTRIC as a clue. So CHAIR is either blue or a bystander. If it's blue, we should guess it. If it's a bystander, we lose our turn but don't help RED.

SCREEN is weaker but safer. But we're ahead 7 to 8, so we don't need to take risks. However, we have a bonus guess — we've made 2 guesses on a 3 clue, so we can guess up to 2 more (3+1=4 max). If we guess wrong on a bystander, the turn ends. If we guess CHAIR and it's blue, great. If it's a bystander, turn ends but we're still ahead.

I think CHAIR is the intended third word. "Electric chair" is too strong to ignore. RED pushing it might just be them trying to psych us out. I'll go with CHAIR.

Actually, I was pushing SCREEN earlier and was confident. But now I'm second-guessing myself. The spymaster chose ELECTRIC: 3, and LIGHT, BELL, and CHAIR are the three most natural fits. SCREEN is a stretch.

Let me go with CHAIR.

We're at the final call. We have 7 words left, RED has 8. We've gotten 2 of the ELECTRIC 3 — LIGHT and BELL. We have one more guess available (clue 3 + 1 bonus = 4 max, we've made 2).

The spymaster said ELECTRIC: 3, meaning three words are connected to ELECTRIC. We found LIGHT and BELL. The third is still out there. CHAIR is the obvious one — "electric chair" is a very strong phrase. But RED operatives were pushing CHAIR hard, which makes me suspicious — they might know CHAIR is the assassin or one of their words. However, RED operatives can't see the key either, so they're just guessing too.

SCREEN is also a decent fit — electric screens, touchscreens, etc. But I think CHAIR is actually the stronger connection. The fact that RED is pushing CHAIR could mean they genuinely think it's an electric connection, or they could be trying to bait us into the assassin.

Actually, wait — RED operatives can't see the key. They're just heckling. "Electric chair" is genuinely the strongest remaining connection. If our spymaster intended CHAIR, they would have been comfortable with it because it's a very direct connection.

But I was confident in SCREEN. Let me reconsider — if the spymaster meant CHAIR, why would they risk it? "Electric chair" is extremely well-known. If CHAIR is the assassin, the spymaster would definitely avoid ELECTRIC as a clue. So CHAIR is either blue or a bystander. If it's blue, we should guess it. If it's a bystander, we lose our turn but don't help RED.

SCREEN is weaker but safer. But we're ahead 7 to 8, so we don't need to take risks. However, we have a bonus guess — we've made 2 guesses on a 3 clue, so we can guess up to 2 more (3+1=4 max). If we guess wrong on a bystander, the turn ends. If we guess CHAIR and it's blue, great. If it's a bystander, turn ends but we're still ahead.

I think CHAIR is the intended third word. "Electric chair" is too strong to ignore. RED pushing it might just be them trying to psych us out. I'll go with CHAIR.

Actually, I was pushing SCREEN earlier and was confident. But now I'm second-guessing myself. The spymaster chose ELECTRIC: 3, and LIGHT, BELL, and CHAIR are the three most natural fits. SCREEN is a stretch.

Let me go with CHAIR.


We've successfully found all three words for the clue, so let's pass and end the turn.

```json
{"choice": "pass", "confident": true}
```


We nailed all three — LIGHT, BELL, CHAIR. No need for the bonus guess. Pass.

```json
{"choice": "pass", "confident": true}
```


```json
{"action": "pass"}
```

```json
{"action": "pass"}
```

Explanation: The team has consensus to pass. I'll submit the pass action.

The team has consensus to pass. I'll submit the pass action.


We’re behind 8–6, so I need a broad clue. “Combat” should pull FORCE, MATCH, PIN, and SUPERHERO, with no strong assassin pull.

```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "combat", "number": 4, "targets": ["FORCE", "MATCH", "PIN", "SUPERHERO"]}
```

We’re behind 8–6, so I need a broad clue. “Combat” should pull FORCE, MATCH, PIN, and SUPERHERO, with no strong assassin pull.

```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "combat", "number": 4, "targets": ["FORCE", "MATCH", "PIN", "SUPERHERO"]}
```


Let's start with MATCH as it directly means a combat bout, then we can get FORCE next.

```json
{"choice": "MATCH", "confident": true}
```


MATCH is the clearest direct synonym for a combat bout, so start there.
```json
{"choice": "MATCH", "confident": true}```


```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "MATCH"}
```

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "MATCH"}
```

Explanation: The team agreed on MATCH. I will submit MATCH as the guess.

The team agreed on MATCH. I will submit MATCH as the guess.


FORCE is the clearest military "combat force" link.
```json
{"choice": "FORCE", "confident": true}```


FORCE is a perfect fit for "combat force" or military combat, so I completely agree with Grok.

```json
{"choice": "FORCE", "confident": true}
```


```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "FORCE"}
```

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "FORCE"}
```

Explanation:
The user wants me to submit the guess "FORCE" based on the team's consensus.
I am Player 1 (Qwen), RED OPERATIVE.
The action is "guess", word is "FORCE".

The user wants me to submit the guess "FORCE" based on the team's consensus.
I am Player 1 (Qwen), RED OPERATIVE.
The action is "guess", word is "FORCE".


JET is a strong fit for combat as in a fighter jet, aligning well with the military theme of FORCE.

```json
{"choice": "JET", "confident": true}
```


JET fits perfectly as a fighter/combat jet in the military theme.
```json
{"choice": "JET", "confident": true}```


```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "JET"}
```

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "JET"}
```

Explanation:
The user wants me to submit the guess "JET" as the team has reached consensus.
I will output the JSON action for guessing "JET".

The user wants me to submit the guess "JET" as the team has reached consensus.
I will output the JSON action for guessing "JET".


My blue words remaining: SKYSCRAPER, HOOD, THUMB, SHADOW, SOCK. The cleanest link: SOCK puppet and SHADOW puppet are textbook, and a hand puppet uses the THUMB. All three are blue — no assassin or red pull from "puppet."

```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "PUPPET", "number": 3, "targets": ["SOCK", "SHADOW", "THUMB"]}
```

My blue words remaining: SKYSCRAPER, HOOD, THUMB, SHADOW, SOCK. The cleanest link: SOCK puppet and SHADOW puppet are textbook, and a hand puppet uses the THUMB. All three are blue — no assassin or red pull from "puppet."

```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "PUPPET", "number": 3, "targets": ["SOCK", "SHADOW", "THUMB"]}
```

Explanation:
 I've got my five blue words to connect: SKYSCRAPER, HOOD, THUMB, SHADOW, SOCK. The red team has six words, plus NOTE for the assassin, and seven bystanders scattered across the board. Now I'm working through how SKYSCRAPER and HOOD might link together.

Looking at SOCK, HOOD, and THUMB—these could all be clothing or things that cover body parts, though THUMB is a stretch. But I'm seeing something stronger: PUPPET. Sock puppet and shadow puppet are both solid connections, and I could potentially stretch it to include THUMB as a third target since hand puppets use thumbs. The risk is whether THUMB is too weak and whether they might accidentally hit NIGHT, which relates to shadow. I'm weighing whether to play it safe with just SOCK and SHADOW as a clean two-word clue, or push for three and risk overreach.

I'll go with PUPPET for three targets—SOCK, SHADOW, and THUMB. Even if they decline THUMB, they'll get the first two correct, and THUMB is blue anyway so it's not a disaster if they guess it.

 I've got my five blue words to connect: SKYSCRAPER, HOOD, THUMB, SHADOW, SOCK. The red team has six words, plus NOTE for the assassin, and seven bystanders scattered across the board. Now I'm working through how SKYSCRAPER and HOOD might link together.

Looking at SOCK, HOOD, and THUMB—these could all be clothing or things that cover body parts, though THUMB is a stretch. But I'm seeing something stronger: PUPPET. Sock puppet and shadow puppet are both solid connections, and I could potentially stretch it to include THUMB as a third target since hand puppets use thumbs. The risk is whether THUMB is too weak and whether they might accidentally hit NIGHT, which relates to shadow. I'm weighing whether to play it safe with just SOCK and SHADOW as a clean two-word clue, or push for three and risk overreach.

I'll go with PUPPET for three targets—SOCK, SHADOW, and THUMB. Even if they decline THUMB, they'll get the first two correct, and THUMB is blue anyway so it's not a disaster if they guess it.


SOCK is the strongest fit — sock puppet is a classic, direct connection.

```json
{"choice": "SOCK", "confident": true}
```


I completely agree with SOCK as "sock puppet" is a perfect, direct association, and we should definitely look at SHADOW next.

```json
{"choice": "SOCK", "confident": true}
```


The team agreed on SOCK, as "sock puppet" is a very strong and direct connection to the clue.

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "SOCK"}
```

The team agreed on SOCK, as "sock puppet" is a very strong and direct connection to the clue.

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "SOCK"}
```


I think SHADOW is our next best word, as "shadow puppet" is a very common and direct phrase.

```json
{"choice": "SHADOW", "confident": true}
```


SHADOW is a solid, direct fit — shadow puppets are iconic. Let's lock it.

```json
{"choice": "SHADOW", "confident": true}
```


The team agreed on SHADOW, as "shadow puppet" is another classic and direct connection to the clue.

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "SHADOW"}
```

The team agreed on SHADOW, as "shadow puppet" is another classic and direct connection to the clue.

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "SHADOW"}
```

Explanation:
**Guessing SHADOW**

I'm focusing on the clue "PUPPET: 3". Based on our deductions, I believe the team's consensus guess is SHADOW.

**Guessing SHADOW**

I'm focusing on the clue "PUPPET: 3". Based on our deductions, I believe the team's consensus guess is SHADOW.


We're up 3 to 6 and the third PUPPET word is unclear — THUMB is plausible but RED keeps pushing it. Let's pass and protect our lead.

```json
{"choice": "pass", "confident": true}
```


I agree that the third word is too ambiguous right now, and passing is the safest move to maintain our strong lead.

```json
{"choice": "pass", "confident": true}
```


The team agreed to pass to protect our lead, as the third word for PUPPET is too risky to guess right now.

```json
{"action": "pass"}
```

The team agreed to pass to protect our lead, as the third word for PUPPET is too risky to guess right now.

```json
{"action": "pass"}
```

Explanation:
**Deciding the next move**

I'm prioritizing strategic risk assessment. Given the ambiguity around "PUPPET" and our current advantage, I've concluded that passing is the most prudent course of action to maintain our lead.

**Deciding the next move**

I'm prioritizing strategic risk assessment. Given the ambiguity around "PUPPET" and our current advantage, I've concluded that passing is the most prudent course of action to maintain our lead.


We’re far behind, so I’ll push a broad but mostly safe cluster. “Fishing” should strongly get NET and TAIL, with PIN as a stretch via pinfish/fishing pin gear; it avoids the assassin and blue words reasonably well.

```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "fishing", "number": 3, "targets": ["NET", "TAIL", "PIN"]}
```

We’re far behind, so I’ll push a broad but mostly safe cluster. “Fishing” should strongly get NET and TAIL, with PIN as a stretch via pinfish/fishing pin gear; it avoids the assassin and blue words reasonably well.

```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "fishing", "number": 3, "targets": ["NET", "TAIL", "PIN"]}
```

Explanation:
**Exploring clues for a game**

I'm working on some clue ideas, starting with "Spider," which could hint at SUPERHERO (like Spider-Man), NET (for a web), and TAIL. But it doesn't have a tail, so that's tricky! Then I think about "Saturn" relating to planets like JUPITER but question its connection to TAIL. "Wrestling" could tie in PIN and SUPERHERO as there's combat involved, but I have to avoid clues that might overlap with THUMB or lead to confusion. I'm considering "Fishing" for NET and maybe TAIL, exploring possible connections but running into weaknesses in the ideas. "Appendage" could hint at TAIL and PIN, but I have my doubts about it too. Finally, "Stinger" pops into my mind as it could relate well to points, TAIL, and SUPERHERO!

Summary:
**Exploring clues for a game**

I'm working on some clue ideas, starting with "Spider," which could hint at SUPERHERO (like Spider-Man), NET (for a web), and TAIL. But it doesn't have a tail, so that's tricky! Then I think about "Saturn" relating to planets like JUPITER but question its connection to TAIL. "Wrestling" could tie in PIN and SUPERHERO as there's combat involved, but I have to avoid clues that might overlap with THUMB or lead to confusion. I'm considering "Fishing" for NET and maybe TAIL, exploring possible connections but running into weaknesses in the ideas. "Appendage" could hint at TAIL and PIN, but I have my doubts about it too. Finally, "Stinger" pops into my mind as it could relate well to points, TAIL, and SUPERHERO!


NET is the most direct and obvious piece of fishing equipment on the board, so we should start there.

```json
{"choice": "NET", "confident": true}
```


NET is the clearest fishing gear on the board.
```json
{"choice": "NET", "confident": true}```


```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "NET"}```

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "NET"}```

Explanation: The user message is: "The team has reached consensus and is confident in NET. Submit it."

Summary: The user message is: "The team has reached consensus and is confident in NET. Submit it."


TAIL fits strongly — fish tails are central to fishing.
```json
{"choice": "TAIL", "confident": true}```


I agree with Grok that TAIL is a strong and necessary guess to keep pace with Blue.

```json
{"choice": "TAIL", "confident": true}
```


```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "TAIL"}```

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "TAIL"}```

Explanation: The team consensus is TAIL. I must submit the guess now.

Summary: The team consensus is TAIL. I must submit the guess now.


We've secured two good words and the remaining board lacks an obvious fishing link, so passing is the safest way to avoid hitting a blue word or the assassin.

```json
{"choice": "pass", "confident": true}
```


Passing avoids the obvious baited NIGHT link and protects our lead.
```json
{"choice": "pass", "confident": true}```


```json
{"action": "pass"}```

```json
{"action": "pass"}```

Explanation: The team has reached consensus on passing. I need to submit the pass action.

Summary: The team has reached consensus on passing. I need to submit the pass action.


My remaining blue words: SKYSCRAPER, HOOD, THUMB. THUMB doesn't fit a clean three-way link, and I must avoid the assassin NOTE plus red words (NIGHT, SUPERHERO, JUPITER, PIN). SKYSCRAPER and HOOD both fit "URBAN" cleanly (skyscraper, neighborhood). That's a safe 2.

```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "URBAN", "number": 2, "targets": ["SKYSCRAPER", "HOOD"]}
```

My remaining blue words: SKYSCRAPER, HOOD, THUMB. THUMB doesn't fit a clean three-way link, and I must avoid the assassin NOTE plus red words (NIGHT, SUPERHERO, JUPITER, PIN). SKYSCRAPER and HOOD both fit "URBAN" cleanly (skyscraper, neighborhood). That's a safe 2.

```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "URBAN", "number": 2, "targets": ["SKYSCRAPER", "HOOD"]}
```

Explanation:
 I've got three blue words to connect: SKYSCRAPER, HOOD, and THUMB. I'm looking for a single clue that links all three while steering clear of the assassin and the red words like NIGHT, SUPERHERO, JUPITER, and PIN. THUMB and HOOD seem like they might share something in common, so I'm exploring what could tie all three together.

I'm weighing whether to go for a safe two-word clue or risk a three-clue that could win the game outright. URBAN or CITY could work cleanly for SKYSCRAPER and HOOD, but I'm struggling to find a natural third word that includes THUMB without stretching too far. Since we're in a tight race and operatives tend to stop guessing when they're unsure, I'm leaning toward playing it safe with a two-clue strategy using URBAN to target SKYSCRAPER and HOOD, leaving THUMB for the next round.

 I've got three blue words to connect: SKYSCRAPER, HOOD, and THUMB. I'm looking for a single clue that links all three while steering clear of the assassin and the red words like NIGHT, SUPERHERO, JUPITER, and PIN. THUMB and HOOD seem like they might share something in common, so I'm exploring what could tie all three together.

I'm weighing whether to go for a safe two-word clue or risk a three-clue that could win the game outright. URBAN or CITY could work cleanly for SKYSCRAPER and HOOD, but I'm struggling to find a natural third word that includes THUMB without stretching too far. Since we're in a tight race and operatives tend to stop guessing when they're unsure, I'm leaning toward playing it safe with a two-clue strategy using URBAN to target SKYSCRAPER and HOOD, leaving THUMB for the next round.


SKYSCRAPER is the most iconic urban structure — let's lock it first.

```json
{"choice": "SKYSCRAPER", "confident": true}
```


I completely agree that SKYSCRAPER is the most obvious and defining feature of an urban environment, so let's start there.

```json
{"choice": "SKYSCRAPER", "confident": true}
```


```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "SKYSCRAPER"}
```

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "SKYSCRAPER"}
```

Explanation: We've agreed on SKYSCRAPER, so I should submit the guess.

We've agreed on SKYSCRAPER, so I should submit the guess.


Since DeepSeek's message didn't come through, I'm sticking with HOOD as it directly translates to an urban neighborhood and feels like the intended second word.

```json
{"choice": "HOOD", "confident": true}
```


HOOD is the right call — it's slang for an urban neighborhood, fits perfectly alongside SKYSCRAPER.

```json
{"choice": "HOOD", "confident": true}
```


```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "HOOD"}
```

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "HOOD"}
```

Explanation: We've agreed on HOOD, so I should submit the guess.

We've agreed on HOOD, so I should submit the guess.


We got both URBAN words. We're one away from winning, but guessing blindly on a bonus could hit the assassin or give RED a free reveal. Pass and let our spymaster close it next turn.

```json
{"choice": "pass", "confident": true}
```


I completely agree; with only one word left to win, there is absolutely no reason to risk hitting the assassin on a blind bonus guess.

```json
{"choice": "pass", "confident": true}
```


```json
{"action": "pass"}
```

```json
{"action": "pass"}
```

Explanation: We successfully guessed both URBAN words and we're just one word away from winning. Passing is the right move — no need to risk the assassin on a bonus guess when our spymaster can lead us to the final word next turn. Let's submit the pass.

We successfully guessed both URBAN words and we're just one word away from winning. Passing is the right move — no need to risk the assassin on a bonus guess when our spymaster can lead us to the final word next turn. Let's submit the pass.


We must win now. “Nocturnal” should get NIGHT, point toward night-sky JUPITER, and suggest a night-themed SUPERHERO; they can use the bonus for leftover PIN from Fishing.

```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "nocturnal", "number": 3, "targets": ["NIGHT", "JUPITER", "SUPERHERO"]}
```

We must win now. “Nocturnal” should get NIGHT, point toward night-sky JUPITER, and suggest a night-themed SUPERHERO; they can use the bonus for leftover PIN from Fishing.

```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "nocturnal", "number": 3, "targets": ["NIGHT", "JUPITER", "SUPERHERO"]}
```

Explanation:
**Connecting concepts of night**

I'm exploring the term "nocturnal," which relates to nighttime. This might lead me to superhero themes, like Batman. I can also think of Jupiter being visible at night, which is interesting. My focus narrows down to keywords such as NIGHT, JUPITER, and SUPERHERO; I even have a bonus reference to PIN through fishing. It's best to avoid related concepts that don't fit, such as THUMB or notes. Overall, I feel good about this direction!

Summary:
**Connecting concepts of night**

I'm exploring the term "nocturnal," which relates to nighttime. This might lead me to superhero themes, like Batman. I can also think of Jupiter being visible at night, which is interesting. My focus narrows down to keywords such as NIGHT, JUPITER, and SUPERHERO; I even have a bonus reference to PIN through fishing. It's best to avoid related concepts that don't fit, such as THUMB or notes. Overall, I feel good about this direction!


NIGHT is the most direct and undeniable link to NOCTURNAL, so we must start there to secure a safe guess.

```json
{"choice": "NIGHT", "confident": true}
```


NIGHT is the clearest, safest nocturnal link.
```json
{"choice": "NIGHT", "confident": true}```


```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "NIGHT"}
```

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "NIGHT"}
```

Explanation:
The user wants me to submit the guess "NIGHT" as agreed upon in the debate.
The format should be:
```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "NIGHT"}
```
Let's double check. Yes.
Current clue: "NOCTURNAL: 3"
Guesses made: 0
Word to guess: NIGHT.
Done.

The user wants me to submit the guess "NIGHT" as agreed upon in the debate.
The format should be:
```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "NIGHT"}
```
Let's double check. Yes.
Current clue: "NOCTURNAL: 3"
Guesses made: 0
Word to guess: NIGHT.
Done.


SUPERHERO fits perfectly (Batman is nocturnal); avoid the NURSE bait.
```json
{"choice": "SUPERHERO", "confident": true}```


SUPERHERO is a great fit for nocturnal vigilantes like Batman, and we must keep guessing since Blue is only one word away from winning.

```json
{"choice": "SUPERHERO", "confident": true}
```


```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "SUPERHERO"}
```

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "SUPERHERO"}
```

Explanation:
The user wants me to submit the guess for SUPERHERO.
I am Player 1 (Qwen), RED OPERATIVE.
The team agreed on SUPERHERO.
Action: guess SUPERHERO.

The user wants me to submit the guess for SUPERHERO.
I am Player 1 (Qwen), RED OPERATIVE.
The team agreed on SUPERHERO.
Action: guess SUPERHERO.


We are not confident in any remaining word for NOCTURNAL and risking a guess could hit the assassin or Blue's final word, so passing is the only safe option.

```json
{"choice": "pass", "confident": true}
```


We already reached consensus on pass; no safe third word remains.
```json
{"choice": "pass", "confident": true}```


```json
{"action": "pass"}
```

```json
{"action": "pass"}
```

Explanation:
The user wants me to submit the action based on the team's consensus.
The consensus was to "pass".
I will output the JSON for passing.

The user wants me to submit the action based on the team's consensus.
The consensus was to "pass".
I will output the JSON for passing.


My only blue word left is THUMB. I need a clue pointing clearly to it while dodging the assassin NOTE and red words (JUPITER, PIN). "FINGER" points cleanly at THUMB and nothing else dangerous.

```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "FINGER", "number": 1, "targets": ["THUMB"]}
```

My only blue word left is THUMB. I need a clue pointing clearly to it while dodging the assassin NOTE and red words (JUPITER, PIN). "FINGER" points cleanly at THUMB and nothing else dangerous.

```json
{"action": "clue", "word": "FINGER", "number": 1, "targets": ["THUMB"]}
```

Explanation: I'm settling on "FINGER" as the clue for THUMB since it clearly points to that word without accidentally leading to PIN or the red words. Let me finalize this choice.

I'm settling on "FINGER" as the clue for THUMB since it clearly points to that word without accidentally leading to PIN or the red words. Let me finalize this choice.


THUMB is literally a finger — that's our word. Lock it.

```json
{"choice": "THUMB", "confident": true}
```


I completely agree; THUMB is a finger and this is the perfect, direct clue to win us the game.

```json
{"choice": "THUMB", "confident": true}
```


The team agreed on THUMB, as it is literally a finger and the direct final word we need to win.

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "THUMB"}
```

The team agreed on THUMB, as it is literally a finger and the direct final word we need to win.

```json
{"action": "guess", "word": "THUMB"}
```