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VOYOG

RULES & PRACTICE

How to Play Mastermind

Play Mastermind ↗

Game guide · VOYOG

Making your first moves in Mastermind

Use the controls beside the game rather than guessing the rules. Deduce a hidden four-colour code within ten guesses, using exact and misplaced feedback. The game area remains available above the explanation. 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.

Practice beyond the first move

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.

The objective of a 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.

Step by step

  1. The computer chooses four positions from six colours; repeated colours are allowed.
  2. Select a code position and then choose a colour. Fill all four positions.
  3. Check guess records your attempt. Exact means correct colour and position; misplaced means correct colour in another position.
  4. Each secret peg can match only one guess peg. Use the feedback to narrow the next guess.
  5. Find all four exact positions to win. After ten unsuccessful guesses the secret code is revealed.

Making selections and moves

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. 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. Try the rule on the board, then read the next instruction.

Pay attention to this rule

Keep the goal in view while choosing a move. Four misplaced matches do not mean four exact positions. Also, repeated colours must not be counted more times than they appear in the secret. Try the rule on the board, then read the next instruction.

Read these answers for extra help

For this game, what is the aim of Mastermind?

Deduce a hidden four-colour code within ten guesses, using exact and misplaced feedback. Use the labelled controls for your next action.

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 worked example offers another way to follow the rule.

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. Keep the current game state in view while applying this rule.

For this game, 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. You can start a new round from the game controls.

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 game is played locally in your browser.

How many people can play here?

Solo. This is local browser play, not internet matchmaking. Keep the current game state in view while applying this rule.

When I start, can the secret repeat a colour?

Yes. Any of the six colours can appear more than once. The instructions above use these same rules.

What does misplaced mean?

The guessed colour appears in the secret but not at that position, after exact matches have been accounted for. The game is played locally in your browser.

On this page, are colour numbers part of the rules?

They are labels for accessibility; the number and its colour refer to the same peg choice. A new round resets the current game.

During a round, can I see the answer?

The answer is shown when you solve the code or use all ten guesses. The game is played locally in your browser.

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