Archive for category Mastermind
Mastermind: Etiquettes of the Game
Posted by oscar in Board Games, Mastermind on January 15th, 2009
Mastermind, as such, doesn’t require its players to behave in a pre-defined manner, but there are some general etiquettes which are considered to be good by most players and should therefore, be adopted in your mastermind gameplay. Shaking hands is one of the most important etiquettes that must be displayed and adhered to while starting out with a game of mastermind. This practice becomes all the more important when you are playing a formal version of the game. Formal games require you to follow formal etiquettes.
If you are playing within the family or amongst friends, then you might not need to adhere to these, but in a tournament or while playing against a stranger in the pub, shaking hands can always leave a good, warm impression in the minds of your opponent. Shaking hands also lets your opponent know your confidence levels and your willingness to play the game with him. A good warm handshake can lead to a great game and a wonderful overall experience, to say the least.
Apart from a handshake, saying “good luck” before the game is considered to be a good practice. This is contrary to the common belief with other board games since most board games are equal opportunity games and the luck factor plays a negligible role in deciding the final outcome of the game. In mastermind however, luck plays an important part in deciding if the code breaker would be able to decipher the code or not, therefore, wishing you opponent luck before the beginning of the game is a good thing to do.
Before you start on with the gameplay, it is important that the number of rounds and the number of turns per player per round are decided upon in advance. These numbers should be so decided that both the players mutually agree to them. Once decided, both the players to adhere to them, no matter what. There might be instances when it might become clear by the 7th or the 8th round that one of the players is a clear winner (if he has won more than half the games). If such cases do happen, neither of the players should make an effort of calling it a day right there; rather the full number of pre-decided rounds should be played.
Trying to peep into your opponent’s code is a grave crime and no attempt should be made in this respect, whatsoever. It is better to loose a game than to be caught cheating. In a tournament, such an effort on a player’s part can result in permanent disqualification from the tournament itself.
Finally, while playing the game, uttering nuisance can fetch you grave penalties. In case, you are playing with friends or family members and they are fine with anything you do across the table, you can do anything, but, in the case of a professional tourney, proper decorum and etiquettes needs to be followed, else you might even end up getting a lifetime ban from the tourney.
FAQs in Mastermind
Posted by oscar in Board Games, Mastermind on January 15th, 2009
There are many questions that might come to the minds of players of mastermind, no matter how long they have been playing the game for. Some questions might concern the way the game is played, while some other questions might be related to the history, establishment and manufacturing details of the game and its commercial version. In this write up, we would be exploring various aspects of the game and different questions that might be associated with these aspects.
Q. How long is the game played?
A. Ideally, the game can be played for any number of hours. The number of round to be played in the game are pre-decided, before the first round starts. Usually, an even number of rounds is suggested in
the beginning so that both the players have had equal chances of being the code maker and the code breaker respectively at the end of all the rounds.
Q. How often does a player assume the role of the code breaker and the code maker respectively?
A. Each player is required to assume both the roles for an equal number of times. The change of roles is usually done alternatively at the end of each round of the game. So, for example, if you decide to play 10 round per game, each player would have to assume both the roles for 5 times each.
Q. In how many turns can I solve the puzzle?
A. It totally depends upon your skill levels and the kind of puzzle your opponent has set for you. It also depends upon your luck and if you are able to crack one or two colors in the very first turn, then it becomes easier for you to decipher the full code in a very short number of chances. Usually, each player is given 10 or 12 chances t decipher the code. Some scientists and mathematicians have developed algorithms wherein, the best case for the number of chances needed to crack the code comes out to be as low as 4!
The worst cases in such algorithms have been computed to be around 6. Therefore, if you are perfect at deciphering the code, it should not take you more than 6 chances to break the code ideally. Practically though, 6 to 8 chances is what is required to decipher a complex puzzle. At times, you might not be bale to decipher a puzzle at all and exhaust all your chances. Therefore, the outcome really depends on how well you are able to implement the theoretical algorithms practically.
Q. Who invented mastermind?
A. It was invented by an Israeli mathematician, post office worker and telecommunications expert- Mordecai Meirowitz. The game and all the intellectual property rights associated with it were later taken over by a British firm- Invicta plastics in min 1970s, which holds all the right for the game till today.
Q. Where is it played?
A. Mastermind is popular all over the world as a logical family game, suitable for all ages. It has been derived from an ancient game called “bulls and cows” and is played in more than 80 countries at present.
Mastermind: Terms and Terminologies for the Game
Posted by oscar in Board Games, Mastermind on January 15th, 2009
Mastermind is a household name in many places of the world. There are not many particular terms or terminologies associated with the game, as such, but still, there might be some words that form the typical mastermind game jargon and need to be elucidated in some detail.
The term code maker refers to the player who chalks out the code. The code maker is one of the most important characters of the game and the outcome of the game is more or less dependent upon the code or the pattern chalked out by him. The code maker chalks out the pattern with the help of some colored pegs, which are covered with a shield such that the code maker can view the code, but not the code breaker.
The pattern refers to the sequence of colors which might have been chosen by the code maker. This is basically the puzzle that is set forward by the maker to the decoder and the code breaker is given a fixed number of chances to decode this pattern.
Colored pegs are the small balls which are used by both the code maker and the code breaker.
The code maker uses these to set up a secret code, while the code breaker uses the same set of balls to decode the puzzle. The code maker also has a different set of smaller white/black pegs, which are used by the code maker to hint (or further confuse) the decoding player, while he is unearthing the puzzle.
The shield is a cover which is provided on the game board in such a way that the puzzle laid down by the code maker is visible to him all the time, while it is totally invisible to the player unearthing the plot. This ensures that the code maker can monitor the game at every single move and supply accurate feedback to the code breaker for every move that the decoding player makes.
Code breaker is the term used to refer to the second player of the game. This player is responsible for breaking and decoding the pattern set forward by the code maker. The breaker is given a fixed number of chances in order to decipher the code and he is also supplied some feedback (in the form of white/black pegs) by the code maker. The breaker has no idea whatsoever about the pattern initially, and based on the evidence provided by the other player, the code maker is supposed to unearth the puzzle with each move of the game. Both the code breaker and the code maker reverse their roles after each game and play for a fixed number of games (this is an even, pre-decided number).
Algorithms are step by step processes which can decode the puzzle, which have been developed by some of the renowned mathematicians of modern era. A code breaker can mGames-Mastermind
Make use of such algorithms while unearthing the puzzle or even devise an algorithm or a pseudo algorithm of his own. An algorithm helps in defining the steps that should be followed by the code breaker in order to break the code within a fixed number of turns.
Mastermind: Places Where Mastermind can be Played Offline and Online
Posted by oscar in Board Games, Mastermind on January 15th, 2009
Mastermind is a great indoor game and is a great game for invoking the battle of the brains among friends. A great game to play with friends and family anywhere and at any time, Mastermind is also a popular online game. People who stay alone or are unable to find a competitor of their level to play mastermind with them often log onto online resources to find competition or play against the computer itself.
Offline, mastermind is a great game to be playing while traveling, dining or just gossiping. If you have a compatriot who is willing to play, you can use mastermind to kill time and hone your logical skills just about anywhere. Even if you do not have a player to play against, you can practice various patterns and their code breaking techniques on your own in order to use these cases while playing an actual game against an opponent.
Www.T45.com is a great online repository to play mastermind. The site offers a download-able version of the game, which you can download and play on your own computer while working offline. The game offers a human vs computer mode of gameplay while you are offline and also has the option of a human vs. human gameplay when you are connected to the internet. The game offers great visual graphics (although you wouldn’t need many while playing mastermind) and the computer offers three levels of difficulty. Therefore, you can choose the option that suits your gameplay the best and then gradually move upward towards higher levels of difficulty.
http://www.mah-jongg.ch/mastermind/ is another great online source of computer versions of the game. The level of difficulty with this station is pretty high and it offers only a human vs computer format. This site, therefore is great for those willing to play the game at an altogether high level of expertise and are ready to storm their brains for hours against the well designed computer player. The site also offers links to some other games, if you happen to get too stressed out while playing mastermind.
Another site offering great mastermind games and additional goodies is http://www.onlinegames.net/games/956/master-mind.html. You can join the site for free and the best part is that for every game you play, the admins give you one point. Once you have accumulated a specific number of points, you are entitled to getting them exchanged for goodies. The number of points and the prizes that you would be entitled to might vary from offer to offer, but the prizes are good and interesting. Besides, you get a point irrespective of whether you win or loose- just like a consolation or ‘participation’ prize.
One of the most interactive mastermind game sites that I have come across is http://www.blitzgamer.com/play_games/strategy/634/mastermind.html. The site offers a chat feature, using which, you can interact with fellow players on a real time basis. Such interactive features help in making the game more interesting and appealing to those who want something more than just serious gameplay from their games.
Mastermind: Tips for Intermediate Players
Posted by oscar in Board Games, Mastermind on January 15th, 2009
As an intermediate player of mastermind, one is expected to have developed a sound level of logical reasoning for the game. Also, the knack of ‘guessing’ the right color at the right time increases with experience and practice of the game. There are certain algorithmic strategies that have been developed by many mathematicians around the world and in this write up, we would be suggesting one such algorithmic approach to the game.
Grasping this approach might be a little difficult for beginners, but intermediate players should be able to get hold of this strategy quite easily. Beginners can also take a look at this approach and should introduce some or all aspects of this approach in their game play gradually.
This is called the “five” guess algorithm and is a well known algorithm amongst the circles of mastermind players. This algorithm was suggested by a renowned mathematician of his time- Donald Knuth, in 1977. This algorithm is developed on the fact that we can keep on decreasing the number of possible existing patterns with each move we make. Consequently, Donald was able to prove that a player can wrap off the game and guess the pattern within 5 moves, using this algorithm. The proof hasn’t been included in this write up as it is of a highly mathematical nature.
Consider that we have named all the six colors as a,b,c,d,e and f respectively. Then, as a first step, we should make the guess a-a-b-b and ‘a’ and ‘b’ can be any two colors of the game. Once the guess is made, we need to see how many pegs did we get right. After this, we would need to see how many possibilities still exist (in all, there are 1296 possible options when the game hasn’t begun) and you would notice that even if you got one or two guesses right in the first move itself, you would have reduced the number of remaining possibilities exponentially.
Work only on those possibilities that might occur in the future and eliminate the rest of the possibilities. Suppose, you know that you have eliminated the scope for ‘X’ possibilities, then you should make the next move only with the remaining 1296-X possibilities in mind to narrow down your search.
The nest step would be to calculate how many possible combinations could be further removed for each remaining guess. You should make the guess which is probable of eliminating the maximum number of remaining possibilities. Once you have made this guess, you would notice that you would again have eliminated a sizable chunk from the remaining 1296-X possibilities. Continue the algorithm by moving back to the first step until you have cracked the code.
The best case outcome of this approach has been calculated to 5 turns, but it involves a lot of calculation of the remaining and existing possible moves. A better approach to this algorithm is to use some part of it while solving the puzzle and rely on your instincts for the remaining parts of the puzzle. As an intermediate player, it should be relatively easy for you to imbibe some virtues of this algorithm in your game play.
Mastermind: Introduction for beginners
Posted by oscar in Board Games, Mastermind on January 15th, 2009
As a code breaker in the game, a player’s job is to infer the sequence and pattern of colors that might have been chosen by the other player (called the code maker). Generally, four colors are chosen by the code maker to construct a hidden ‘code’ (although, some other variants of the game might involve more or less colors to be chosen). The code breaker is given a fixed number of chances to decipher the code, failing which, some points are allotted to the code maker. Consequently, an even number of games (this even number is pre-decided) is played between the two players and the roles of being a code maker or a code breaker are often interchanged after each game. At the end of all the games, the person with the maximum number of points, is the winner.
The pegs are very important to the game play, and come in six colors- Red, Cyan, Green, Yellow, Black and White. Once a guess about the probable color is made by the code breaker, the code maker marks the particular guess with a feedback. The marks are either white or black and both of these signify things like ‘you are correct’, ‘your might be correct’ or ‘you are dead wrong’. Based on the feedback given by the code maker, the other player is expected to decipher the code within a fixed number of chances, and this number is also decided prior to the start of the game.
A black marker peg conveys the message that one of the pegs ‘guessed’ by you is present in the code, and is in the right position as well, but it doesn’t tell you which one of your pegs is the correct one. Similarly, a white marker peg suggests that one of the pegs selected by you is present in the code, but it is in the wrong position. Again, a white marker doesn’t tell you anything about the peg you might have got correct. At times, the code maker might have selected a color more than once while forming the code, and this can be more confusing to the code breaker (as no information about the correct peg is provided by the code breaker while giving a feedback).
The game is an intriguingly complex mix of luck and mathematics. You need luck to get the first couple of option right, but after that, with careful mathematical pondering and manipulation, you might be able to crack the code withing 6 moves. It is this combination of mathematical nuances and destiny, that has made the game a long standing success for Invicta plastics (the company that has all the intellectual property rights for the game).
As a beginner, you might find it somewhat difficult to get a good grasp on the game, but adequate practice and understanding of the mathematical nature of the game would keep you in good stead, as you progress further in the game- all you need is the determination to keep learning the tricks of the game and to keep experimenting with the first move strategies.
Mastermind: General Tips and Strategies
Posted by oscar in Board Games, Mastermind on January 15th, 2009
Mastermind Balls
Usually, one should start by choosing all the balls of same color. This is probabilistically the best possible way out for un-earthing the code to the largest possible extent in the first step. You can start off with choosing four reds and then assess how many are right. If you get none of them right, you should proceed with four green dots. If, suppose, you got one red correct and got a white circle in the place you had clicked, you can then you should leave the first red as it is and make the other three circles green.
If the red you had chosen was actually meant to be there itself, then the white circle would remain as it is, else it would go gray. You might encounter a situation wherein one more white circle appears after you choose three greens. This would imply that one or more greens are also in the right place. Follow the technique and keep unearthing the mysteries of the code till you are able to decode the pattern completely. This is a hit and trial method, and the room for strategic game play is very less. IF you click in the first few moves, you have the game in your pocket, else you might have to keep your fingers crossed till the very last move.
Another strategy is to keep trying the four colors until a match is found. You can then start with 2 reds and 2 greens, followed by 2 yellows and two blues and then finally (if you are not able to crack at least four spots till no), with two oranges and two purples. If you have been playing the game for some time, you should be able to extract a lot of information about the pattern by the time you complete these moves. Information about the approximate numbers of yellows, greens, blues and oranges and information about the last two colors can be inferred by a seasoned player by this time. Then, you can make a move such that 2 colors are chosen twice.
Note that this ‘couple’ of colors chosen should not be the same as the ‘couple’ chosen in the first few step. For example 2 reds with 2 purples can be chosen and then compared with the number of other colors present. Such techniques are just great for beginners, as they do not involve too deep a strategy and are good enough to decode the patterns within 8-10 moves of the game. There are some algorithms, which have been developed to get the solution within 4-6 moves, but usually, such algorithms are hard to implement in practice and keeping track of the moves in such cases can be difficult for beginners.
Rules of Mastermind
Posted by oscar in Board Games, Mastermind on January 15th, 2009
Both the players have to decide in advance as to how many games they would play in all. This should be an even number. One of the two players has to become a code maker and the other player, consequently, assumes the role of the code breaker. The code maker is then supposed to choose a sequence of four color pegs. Since duplication of colors is allowed according to the rules of the game, the code maker can even choose a pattern such that all the four colors are exactly the same. Once the pattern is chosen, the code maker places the pattern in four holes over the board. These holes are covered by a shield in such a way that the pattern is visible to the code maker and not to the code breaker.
The job of the code breaker now, is to estimate the pattern and guess it using certain algorithms (or even wild guesses). The number of turns given to the code breaker to crack the code and know the pattern varies from game to game. In some versions, the breaker might be given 12 chances, while in some other versions; only 8 or 10 chances are given to the code breaker.
The guess is made by placing a row consisting of code pegs on the decoding side of the board. It is then the job of the code maker to give a feedback about the guesses made by the code breaker to him. This is done by placing from zero to four key pegs in the holes of the row in which the guess is being made. A pre defined color (black) is placed in the hole if the key guessed is right in terms of both the color as well as the position in the row, while, if the color is correctly guessed, but the position is incorrectly guessed within the same row, a white key is placed by the code maker.
The code maker doesn’t award keys for duplicate colors until all the colors are guessed correctly. This is a confusing move for many newbies. Consider the fact that the hidden code contains a sequence w-w-b-b and the code breaker guesses w-w-w-b, then, the code maker would give a feedback of w-w-c-c- (where ‘c’ represents a colored key for wrong choice). This set up does let the code breaker know that he has guessed two whites correctly and the third black was wrong, but doesn’t require the code maker to tell the breaker about the fact that a fourth black also exists. This can baffle the code breaker at times, and features like these are the backbone of the game.
This process of guessing and giving the feedback continues until either the code is broken, or the code breaker runs out of his allotted number of chances. The Code maker scores a point for every guess made and also scores a point if the code breaker is not able to break the pattern at the very last allotted chance. At the end of the pre-decided number of game, the player having the maximum number of points wins the game.
Mastermind: History and General introduction
Posted by oscar in Board Games, Mastermind on January 15th, 2009
Mastermind
Mastermind is one of the new-gen board games. The board game that is played in most parts of the world today under the name ‘mastermind’ was invented in 1970 by Mordecai Meirowitz, an Israeli postmaster cum telecommunications expert. Some historians feel that the game has striking resemblance to the game “bull and cows”, which is about a century old. Basically, mastermind is a two player board game revolving around the concept of breaking a code.
Since the invention of the game in 1970, the rights of production and marketing of the game have been solely held by invicta Plastics. UK. The name “mastermind” is also said to have been coined by this firm itself and there are two other firms which now have the licenses of manufacturing this game in the US and Israel respectively.
Initially, Mastermind (or bulls and cows), was played with pen and pencil. Although, primarily this was a two player game, it has been modified in some cases to accommodate more players. The game is usually played by 3 or 4 digits.
The story of how Invicta plastics actually got its hands on mastermind, is also an interesting one. When Meirowitz had invented this game back in 1970s, he was unable to find a taker for it initially. He had to frequent a number of game manufacturers’ offices with his game idea, but he was rejected by most of them. It was only in 1971, at the International Game fair at Nuremberg. Invicta plastics had taken over all the intellectual rights of the game back then and under the aegis of the founder of the company (Mr. Edward Jones-Fenleigh), the company refined and further fine-tuned the game in order to make it useful for commercial purposes. The game was modified and finally released in 71-72 and was an immediate hit because of the sophisticated game-play it exhibited.
Many accolades followed for the company, almost as soon as the game had hit the markets. In the year 1973, the game was the first game ever to win the “game of the year” award. Later, the game got the design center award, followed by the Queen’s award for best exports. All this was the result of the unprecedented popularity that the game had gained within the first few months of its release. Since the inception of the game, it has sold more than 55 million copies and is popularly followed in more than 80 countries as of now. The game has gained unprecedented success amongst people of all age groups, especially the more mature lot and still continues to be a strong player in the board-games market.
The packaging of the game was also given a lot of emphasis by the marketers of the game when it was launched. The main face of the box of the game featured a stout man with mustaches in the foreground (probably of Israeli origin) and a lady in the foreground standing beside his chair (the lady is from an Asian origin, apparently). The duo have become synonymous with the game, right since the time that the game came into existence.
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