- Mastermind Classic Board Game
- MASTERMIND Rules
Mastermind Rules: On Your Way to Being an Expert
MASTERMIND® is not your ordinary board game. You will not find your thoughts wandering aimlessly as you await your opponent’s next move. This is a game that will challenge you to continually assess and then reassess your position during the game. As the codemaker, you’re calculating how you would create your next secret code, based on the guesses your opponent has made. As the codebreaker, you are facing a sea of pattern possibilities and only one will ultimately unlock the code you seek.
Mastermind Instructions
Object of the Game:
Solve your opponent’s code in fewer turns than it takes your opponent to solve your code.
Mastermind Board Game Contents:
Game board with storage area and code shield, code pegs in 6-8 different colors (depending on game edition), red and white key pegs (color may vary by edition).
Set Up:
Decide which player will be the Codemaker and which will be the Codebreaker. Also decide how many games you will play. It must be an even number to ensure both players receive an equal number of chances to win.
How to Play & Solve Mastermind
Mastermind Game Rules:
The Codemaker secretly places his code pegs in the code area, concealing them with the code shield. (Number of code pegs varies per edition. Can be anywhere from four to five.). The Codemaker can use any combination of colors, including using two or more of the same color. (Colors vary, according to edition. There can be as few as 6 different colors to choose from, or as many as eight.)
The Codebreaker places his best guess of code pegs in the first row of holes, attempting to duplicate the exact colors and positions of the secret code.
The Codemaker places key pegs in the smaller holes as follows:
A red key peg for each code peg that’s the correct color and in the correct position.
A white key peg for each code peg that’s the correct color but not in the correct position.
No key pegs indicate a color is not used in the code.
The Codemaker does not put the key pegs in any particular order. It is part of the challenge for the Codebreaker to figure out which key pegs correctly correspond to which Code Pegs. The Codebreaker should remember that one key peg corresponds to one Code Peg and a red key peg takes precedence over a white one.
Example #1:
Codemaker’s secret code: Magenta-White-Purple-Teal
Codebreaker’s attempt: White-Yellow-Purple-Orange
Codemaker’s response: 1 white key peg, 1 red key peg.
The response pegs (white, red) above indicates one correct color in the right place (purple), one correct color in the wrong place (white) and two wrong colors. The key pegs do not indicate which key code they refer to.
Example #2:
Codemaker’s secret code: Magenta-Purple-Teal-Orange
Codebreaker’s attempt: White-Yellow-Teal-Teal
Codemaker’s response: 1 red key peg.
The response (red) shows one correct color in the correct place. (Teal) Note that the Codemaker plays only one key peg even though two teal Code Pegs were played. That’s because he has only one teal Code Peg in his secret code. Note also that he plays a red key peg in preference to a white key peg.
Example#3:
Codemaker’s secret code: Purple-Purple-Yellow-Orange
Codebreaker’s attempt: Magenta-Yellow-Teal-White
Codemaker’s response: 1 white key peg
Just one (white) key peg is played for the yellow.
Example #4:
Codemaker’s secret code: Magenta-Purple-Magenta-Yellow
Codebreaker’s attempt: Teal-Magenta-Magenta-White
Codemaker’s response: 1 white key peg, 1 red key peg
The two response key pegs (white, red) are for the two (magenta) code pegs.
The Codebreaker places another set of code pegs in the second row and the Codemaker places key pegs in his second row. The pegs played in each row are left in position until the secret code is broken.
The Codebreaker keeps placing rows of code pegs and keeps getting feedback from the Codemaker until he guesses the code exactly. When this happens, the Codemaker places four red key pegs and reveals the secret code.
The Codemaker gets 1 point for each row of pegs played by the Codebreaker and players switch roles. If the Codebreaker can show that the Codemaker has given wrong information, the game is replayed and the Codebreaker gets 3 points.
If all 10 rows are used and the Code has not been broken, the game is over and the Codemaker gets 11 points (10 points + 1 bonus point). The players now switch roles.
Ending and Winning the Game
The player with the most points after playing the agreed amount of games is the winner.
FOR EXTRA CHALLENGE!
Play the same way except that the codemaker may leave one or more code peg holes empty, making the number of code pegs used in the game equivalent to seven. Think of an empty hole as being another code peg color.
Mastermind Board Game Rules!
As you become a more and more sophisticated MASTERMIND, your opponents will have no option but to up their own game in an attempt to equal your advancing level of expertise. Ultimately, who will be the unsurpassed King of MASTERMIND? We shall see. Now that you know the Mastermind board game rules, you can rule at Mastermind!
MASTERMIND Editions
Now that you know the how to play MASTERMIND, check out the challenging and exciting MASTERMIND versions:
