Game guide · CSDJJY
Play Mastermind with the rules at hand
Deduce a hidden four-colour code within ten guesses, using exact and misplaced feedback. Keep the goal in mind before your next move. The computer chooses four positions from six colours; repeated colours are allowed. Keep the goal in mind before your next move.
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.
Give this approach a try
The board gives you the information needed for the next action. 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.
The purpose of your moves
The board gives you the information needed for the next action. Deduce a hidden four-colour code within ten guesses, using exact and misplaced feedback. Keep the goal in mind before your next move.
Step by step
- 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.
The controls to know
Read the position before choosing your next action. 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.
A closer look at one example
Check the rule below as you play. 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. Start a new round when you are ready to try again.
Watch out for this
The example and rules describe the same game you can play above. 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 that come up during play
When I start, what is the aim of Mastermind?
Deduce a hidden four-colour code within ten guesses, using exact and misplaced feedback. No download or player account is required.
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 game is played locally in your browser.
For this game, 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. You can start a new round from the game controls.
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.
On this page, 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.
During a round, how many people can play here?
Solo. This is local browser play, not internet matchmaking. No download or player account is required.
For this game, can the secret repeat a colour?
Yes. Any of the six colours can appear more than once. No download or player account is required.
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.