Mastermind Game Reviews

Mastermind Game — The Strategy Game of Codemaker vs. Codebreaker — Can You Crack the Code?

I was one of those odd kids who loved logic puzzles and code breaking, so the game Mastermind was a favorite. The idea behind this two player game is simple. One person sets up colored pegs in a sequence, and the other person attempts to figure it out. Now there are 3 different kinds of Mastermind!! Check out these Mastermind Game Reviews to find out which one you’d like to play.

How to Play Mastermind

The game is played in at least two rounds. In the first round one person is the code breaker, and the other is the code maker… then in the next round they switch.

The board is set up with rows of holes. On one end, the set of four holes is covered by a shield. On the other side, there are 12 rows of 4 holes for colored pegs… and next to each row is a set of little holes for white and red clue pegs. In basic Mastermind, the code maker sets up a sequence of of four colored pegs that are hidden behind the shield. The code breaker will attempt to break the code by putting four colored pegs on the board.

The code maker gives feedback by placing the small red and white pegs into the holes next to the row. A red peg indicates correct color in the correct space. White is for correct color, but in the wrong space. It’s also possible to not get a red or white peg at all… if you didn’t get anything right.

Ultimate Mastermind

Using this feedback, the code breaker makes another guess… and another… until he/she finally guesses the correct sequence.

Then the board is rotated, and the code maker becomes the code breaker. Whoever manages to guess the code in fewer tries is the winner.

Mastermind Game Reviews

The three versions of Mastermind all play the same, they just have a different number of holes for the codes.

The basic 4 hole Mastermind game has a possibility of 1296 different sequences. Now… if you feel you want more of a challenge, there is Ultimate Mastermind! Because there are 5 holes, you now have over 59,000 possible solutions. Phew. (Isn’t math grand)

After having played the basic 4 hole Mastermind game for years, I appreciate the challenge that ultimate Mastermind presents. It’s harder, but easy isn’t always fun.

Finally, there is Mastermind Jr., perfect for getting the little kids going on puzzle solving. Although… I personally feel that the kids could learn the regular Mastermind game just fine, my kids got the junior version as a gift, and enjoyed playing it (without mom!).