Overview
Code Breaker is a code-breaking game of logic and deduction. One player creates a secret code using colored pegs, and the other player attempts to guess it within a limited number of tries, receiving feedback after each guess.
History
Code Breaker grew out of Bulls and Cows, a pencil-and-paper game of guessing a secret number from scored replies, played for well over a century. Coloured pegs on a board turned it into the familiar code-breaking game of the 1970s, now played on paper, boards and screens.
Around the world
- Bulls and Cows
Strategy
Start with a guess using 4 different colors to maximize information.
Track your guesses and feedback carefully
Elimination is key.
If you get black pegs, keep those positions and test other colors.
White pegs are valuable
You have the right colors, just wrong positions.
A good second strategy
Change one color at a time to isolate information.
As codemaker
Use duplicate colors to increase difficulty.
Variations
Mini
4 colors, 3 pegs (easier, good for children).
Super
8 colors, 5 pegs (much harder).
Numbers
Use digits 1-6 instead of colors (good for digital versions).
No duplicates
Easier variant where each color appears only once in the code.
Frequently asked questions
Codebreaker: Deduce the secret code within 10 (or 12) guesses. Codemaker: Create a code that stumps the guesser.