Code Breaker

Codebreaker: Deduce the secret code within 10 (or 12) guesses. Codemaker: Create a code that stumps the guesser. Codebreaker wins by matching the exact code within the guess limit. Codemaker wins if the guesser fails to crack the code.

The codemaker secretly arranges 4 colored pegs from 6 available colors (duplicates allowed). The guesser has a decoding board with rows for guesses and small holes for feedback pegs.

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.

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.

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.