Game guide · YDWEIXIU
Mastermind: from controls to your first round
Check the rule below as you play. 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. 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.
Build familiarity through play
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
Check the rule below as you play. 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.
Your inputs
Check the rule below as you play. 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 closer look at one example
The board gives you the information needed for the next action. 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.
A mistake to avoid
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. The game area remains available above the explanation.
Read these answers for extra help
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.
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. The worked example offers another way to follow the rule.
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. 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. The instructions above use these same rules.
When I start, 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. You can start a new round from the game controls.
During a round, can the secret repeat a colour?
Yes. Any of the six colours can appear more than once. The controls work with mouse or touch.
What does misplaced mean?
The guessed colour appears in the secret but not at that position, after exact matches have been accounted for. Scores here do not represent cash or prizes.
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. Keep the current game state in view while applying this rule.
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.
