What Is Commander Codex?
Commander Codex is a Magic: The Gathering guessing game created by the Archidekt team. Inspired by Wordle, it replaces letters with Commander card attributes: you have up to six guesses to identify one hidden Commander drawn from a pool based on the top 500 Commanders on EDHREC. You do not need to guess card text or build a deck. Instead, every submitted Commander becomes a comparison point. The game tells you how the hidden card differs from your guess across five categories, allowing you to narrow the possibilities step by step. Commander Codex has both a shared Daily puzzle and an Infinite mode. Daily gives players the same hidden Commander for the day, while Infinite generates another puzzle when you want to keep playing.
The Core Commander Codex Twist
Every guess produces five pieces of card information: - Color ID: compares the Commander's color identity. Green means an exact match, yellow indicates partial overlap, and gray means there is no matching color. - Mana Value (CMC): green means the mana value is correct. An up or down arrow tells you whether the hidden Commander has a higher or lower mana value than your guess. - Initial Printing: compares when the cards were first printed. The arrow tells you whether the target's first printing is newer or older than the Commander you entered. - Power + Toughness: compares the combined power and toughness value. An arrow points toward a higher or lower total when it is not an exact match. - Subtypes: compares creature subtypes such as Human, Wizard, Dragon, or Elf. Partial overlap can help identify the target's creature family even when the complete subtype line is different. The result is closer to a card-database deduction puzzle than ordinary trivia. A guess does not need to be close by name; it is useful when its attributes help eliminate a large group of Commanders.
How To Play Commander Codex
- Choose a Commander as your opening guess. Pick a card you know well, ideally one whose colors, mana value, release period, stats, and subtypes give you useful reference points.
- Read all five feedback columns. Note exact matches, partial color or subtype matches, and the direction of every numerical or chronological arrow.
- Narrow the candidate pool. If the target has a lower mana value, was printed later, shares only part of your color identity, and has higher combined power and toughness, look for a Commander satisfying all of those conditions at once.
- Submit a more targeted Commander. Use the new row to confirm or eliminate possibilities, and continue until you identify the hidden card or use all six guesses.
- Try another mode after the puzzle. Daily tracks the once-per-day challenge, while Infinite lets you immediately hunt another hidden Commander.
A Realistic Deduction Example
Suppose you guess a red-green six-mana creature and receive feedback showing: Color ID: partial match Mana Value: lower Initial Printing: newer Power + Toughness: lower Subtypes: no match You now know the hidden Commander shares at least some of the guessed colors but does not have exactly the same color identity, costs less than six mana, debuted later, has a lower combined power and toughness total, and does not share the guessed creature subtypes. Your next guess should satisfy as many of those constraints as possible. The goal is not simply to name another popular Commander; it is to choose a card that tests the remaining possibilities.
Daily Mode and Infinite Mode
Daily Mode gives everyone the same hidden Commander for that puzzle. It is the mode for streaks, guess-count statistics, and spoiler-free result sharing. Infinite Mode uses the same deduction rules but selects a new hidden Commander for another game. It is useful for practice or for players who do not want to stop after the daily puzzle. Because both modes use the same attribute system, learning how to interpret one grid immediately transfers to the other.
Tips & strategy
Look for forcing moves and checks first, and count material before committing to a line.
