Variations
Varying the number of colors and the number of holes results in a spectrum of Mastermind games of different levels of difficulty. Another common variation is to support different numbers of players taking on the roles of codemaker and codebreaker. The following are some examples of Mastermind games produced by Invicta, Parker Brothers, Pressman, Hasbro, and other game manufacturers:
| Game | Year | Colors | Holes | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mastermind | 1972 | 6 | 4 | Original version |
| Royale Mastermind | 1972 | 5 colors × 5 shapes | 3 | |
| Mastermind44 | 1972 | 6 | 5 | For four players |
| Grand Mastermind | 1974 | 5 colors × 5 shapes | 4 | |
| Super Mastermind (a.k.a. Deluxe Mastermind; a.k.a. Advanced Mastermind) | 1975 | 8 | 5 | |
| Word Mastermind | 1975 | 26 letters | 4 | Only valid words may be used as the pattern and guessed each turn. |
| Number Mastermind | 1976 | 6 digits | 4 | Uses numbers instead of colors. The codemaker may optionally give, as an extra clue, the sum of the digits. |
| Electronic Mastermind (Invicta) | 1977 | 10 digits | 3, 4, or 5 | Uses numbers instead of colors. Handheld electronic version. Solo or multiple players vs. the computer. Invicta branded. |
| Walt Disney Mastermind | 1978 | 5 | 3 | Uses Disney characters instead of colors |
| Mini Mastermind (a.k.a. Travel Mastermind) | 1988 | 6 | 4 | Travel-sized version; room for only six guesses |
| Mastermind Challenge | 1993 | 8 | 5 | Both players simultaneously play code maker and code breaker. |
| Parker Mastermind | 1993 | 8 | 4 | |
| Mastermind for Kids | 1996 | 6 | 3 | Animal theme |
| Mastermind Secret Search | 1997 | 26 letters | 3-6 | Valid words only; clues are provided letter-by-letter using up/down arrows for earlier/later in the alphabet. |
| Electronic Hand-Held Mastermind (Hasbro) | 1997 | 6 | 4 | Handheld electronic version. Hasbro. |
| New Mastermind | 2004 | 8 | 4 | For up to five players |
| Purble Shop (Advanced Mode) | 2006 | 5 | 5 |
The difficulty level of any of the above can be increased by treating “empty” as an additional color or decreased by requiring only that the code's colors be guessed, independent of position.
Computer and Internet versions of the game have also been made, sometimes with variations in the number and type of pieces involved and often under different names to avoid trademark infringement. Mastermind can also be played with paper and pencil. There is a numeral variety of the Mastermind in which 4-digit number is guessed.
Read more about this topic: Mastermind (board Game)
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