Game guide · XJBILLIARDS
Mastermind: how a round works
Read the position before choosing your next action. Deduce a hidden four-colour code within ten guesses, using exact and misplaced feedback. Try the rule on the board, then read the next instruction. The computer chooses four positions from six colours; repeated colours are allowed. Try the rule on the board, then read the next instruction.
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.
An idea for your next attempt
Use the controls beside the game rather than guessing the rules. Check guess records your attempt. Exact means correct colour and position; misplaced means correct colour in another position. Try the rule on the board, then read the next instruction.
The challenge in front of you
A careful first move helps you understand the round. Deduce a hidden four-colour code within ten guesses, using exact and misplaced feedback. Try the rule on the board, then read the next instruction.
Follow these playing steps
- 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.
Using the playing area
Keep the goal in view while choosing a move. 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. Keep the goal in mind before your next move.
Put the rules into context
Keep the goal in view while choosing a move. 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.
Check this before moving on
Take a moment to check the current turn. 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.
More answers before you play
When I start, 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.
When I start, 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. Keep the current game state in view while applying this rule.
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. The instructions above use these same rules.
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. No download or player account is required.
During a round, 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. Use the labelled controls for your next action.
How many people can play here?
Solo. This is local browser play, not internet matchmaking. The game is played locally in your browser.
For this game, can the secret repeat a colour?
Yes. Any of the six colours can appear more than once. The worked example offers another way to follow the rule.
What does misplaced mean?
The guessed colour appears in the secret but not at that position, after exact matches have been accounted for. You can start a new round from the game controls.
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. Scores here do not represent cash or prizes.
During a round, can I see the answer?
The answer is shown when you solve the code or use all ten guesses. The controls work with mouse or touch.
