Game guide · 58BLOG
Your guide to Mastermind
A careful first move helps you understand the round. Deduce a hidden four-colour code within ten guesses, using exact and misplaced feedback. Start a new round when you are ready to try again. The computer chooses four positions from six colours; repeated colours are allowed.
Four positions, six colours and ten guesses, with repeated colours allowed. This is an independently coded free colour-code puzzle, not an official branded edition.
Take a closer look while playing
The example and rules describe the same game you can play above. Check guess records your attempt. Exact means correct colour and position; misplaced means correct colour in another position. Keep the goal in mind before your next move.
What the game asks you to do
Read the position before choosing your next action. Deduce a hidden four-colour code within ten guesses, using exact and misplaced feedback.
The steps to play
- The computer chooses four positions from six colours; repeated colours are allowed.
- Select a code position and then choose a colour. Fill all four positions.
- Check guess records your attempt. Exact means correct colour and position; misplaced means correct colour in another position.
- Each secret peg can match only one guess peg. Use the feedback to narrow the next guess.
- Find all four exact positions to win. After ten unsuccessful guesses the secret code is revealed.
Choosing and moving on screen
Tap one of four positions, then a labelled colour button. Numbers identify colours as well as the swatches. Press Check guess only when all slots are filled. Try the rule on the board, then read the next instruction.
A useful example
Take a moment to check the current turn. For secret 1,1,2,2 and guess 1,2,1,3, feedback is one exact and two misplaced. The extra 3 has no match. Keep the goal in mind before your next move.
Where a round can go wrong
Use the controls beside the game rather than guessing the rules. Four misplaced matches do not mean four exact positions. Also, repeated colours must not be counted more times than they appear in the secret. Keep the goal in mind before your next move.
Questions about this game
During a round, what is the aim of Mastermind?
Deduce a hidden four-colour code within ten guesses, using exact and misplaced feedback. Scores here do not represent cash or prizes.
How do the controls work?
Tap one of four positions, then a labelled colour button. Numbers identify colours as well as the swatches. Press Check guess only when all slots are filled. The instructions above use these same rules.
During a round, can you show an example?
For secret 1,1,2,2 and guess 1,2,1,3, feedback is one exact and two misplaced. The extra 3 has no match. Scores here do not represent cash or prizes.
When I start, which mistake should I avoid?
Four misplaced matches do not mean four exact positions. Also, repeated colours must not be counted more times than they appear in the secret. The game is played locally in your browser.
What rules and limits are used here?
Four positions, six colours and ten guesses, with repeated colours allowed. This is an independently coded free colour-code puzzle, not an official branded edition. The controls work with mouse or touch.
When I start, how many people can play here?
Solo. This is local browser play, not internet matchmaking. Scores here do not represent cash or prizes.
Can the secret repeat a colour?
Yes. Any of the six colours can appear more than once. You can start a new round from the game controls.
On this page, what does misplaced mean?
The guessed colour appears in the secret but not at that position, after exact matches have been accounted for. The worked example offers another way to follow the rule.
During a round, are colour numbers part of the rules?
They are labels for accessibility; the number and its colour refer to the same peg choice. The instructions above use these same rules.
When I start, can I see the answer?
The answer is shown when you solve the code or use all ten guesses. A new round resets the current game.
