How to play Mastermind

Learn the rules to the board game Mastermind quickly and concisely - This visually rich video has no distractions, just the rules.

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RULES:

The object of the game is to score the most points over several rounds by figuring out the code makers hidden code. Setup: Players sit across from each other with the board in between. One player is the code maker and the other is the code breaker. Put two tiny pegs, one red and the other white, in the side scoring track, these will be used to keep score. The code breaker looks away until the code maker makes a code of colored pegs behind the secrecy screen.

Once finished, the code breaker turns around and places colored pegs into the empty row closest to him. Once the code breaker has finished the first row, the code maker must provide feedback to the code breaker as to how close his code is the hidden one.

Using the tiny red and white pegs, the code maker indicates what information is correct. For each colored peg in the right spot in the column with the hidden code, the code maker puts a red peg into the side track of the board. If the color of the peg is correct but its position isn’t, then a white peg is used. If the information is incorrect, no peg is used. The placement of the pegs on the side of the row has no indication as to which colored peg it is specifically referring to. It is the job of the code breaker to use logic and deduction to figure it out.

Once the code breaker has matched the hidden code identically, the code maker removes the secrecy screen and reveals the matching solution. Count up how many rows it took for the code breaker to solve the code, the code maker receives that many points and moves the score peg marking them up. If the code breaker cannot break the code before running out of rows, then the round ends and the code maker scores points for all the rows.

Switch rolls and play again as many times as you like, or a specific number of rounds, or until one player reaches a predetermined score. The player with the highest score at the end wins.

To make the code easier or harder to break you can modify the use of the code maker using duplicate colors or even allowing them to use blank spaces.

[michaelmeyer]

I like Mastermind a lot. Especially on mobile phone it makes fun and is varying. For example Android „SuperBrain Extreme Lite“ which has another dimension with shapes and colors is challenging. Not the best Design, but I like the idea.😊

[diaperrash]

I used to love this game as a tried playing with blank spaces that's tough

[giggs-chan]

Not a lot of physical versions exist in the USA. This game is more popular in Japan.

[Galaxyngc]

Thank you, this is the best explanation I’ve heard yet.

[Erick_GPP]

Complete, concise explanation---well done!

[flowrling]

i had a version with slide-out answer feedback, like youd slide the red out to 2 for two correct placements etc, and a separate piece for the code with dials to turn to the right colours, it was a fun game

[LaydeeLia]

I got lost at how to keep score 😕 How do you keep track on the side of the board (moving the score peg), after you've counted up the number of rows that it took to solve the code?

[addisonfung]

My Variation:
Code Breakers get 1 point for solving the code, plus one point for each unused row if they solve it.

[cyberninjarappa]

Red peg resembles "Bull", while White peg resembles "Cow".

[mathgaming]

Idk why but this reminds me of the word-guessing element of the GSN game show Lingo.

[rchibintheplaceb]

Question.. If the codemaker used 2 same colloer pegs.. The cobebrkr matchbdoes.. Is that equivakent to one peg or 2 pegs?

[masonplayz]

The FitnessGram™ Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues. The 20 meter pacer test will begin in 30 seconds. Line up at the start. The running speed starts slowly, but gets faster each minute after you hear this signal. [beep] A single lap should be completed each time you hear this sound. [ding] Remember to run in a straight line, and run as long as possible. The second time you fail to complete a lap before the sound, your test is over. The test will begin on the word start. On your mark, get ready, start.

[hungrymortar]

Can you do a video about cluedo:suspect?

[reduceco]

who else is here for Old School Runescape?

[adrieljosiasdaniels]

This game is very difficult 🤪 but looks like fun 👍

[Mysterygamer]

So WORDLE Basically STOLE this game as there is a WORD version of MASTERMIND.

[Freeman]

I am here cause there isn't any good Fallout hacker game on Android

[Kookabrah]

Who's here because of "XING: The Land Beyond"? 😄

[peterhoare]

What's Wordle?

I used to play this in the early 70s

It looked quite different

You HAD to have your brain and logic switched ON to have a hope of beating someone

Oh. And 'Battleships'. Oh and monopoly game that would seesaw all weekend

[JohnSmith-zwvp]

My wife tried this game on me years ago but it gave me a headache as the codebreaker. :( I guess I'm too stupid for this game... :(