masterminds

Decipher a hidden code before your opponent breaks your. Competitive code breaking.

MAsterminds

Each player/team will need..
- 3 4x4 modular square grid boards
- 1 eye shields.
- A set of 3 spike holder boards.
  Shared between all players/teams..
- 6 full sets of different colored stones.
- A full set of spikes, in 2 different colors, light and dark.
The game is set with each players board set up in a 4x12 grid configuration, and an eye shield protecting the visibility of the row closest to the player, so that the opposing player or team cannot see the last row.
The spike holders are set up along side one edge of the now 4x11 board of each player.
The spikes and the assortment of 6 different colored stones are placed in a shared space available to both players.

To decipher the opponent’s hidden code first. This is simply a competitive code breaker race.

To start, each player will hide any 4 colored stones behind their shield wall is which no more than 2 can be of the same color.
With each player armed with a hidden code, play can start.
Players take simultaneous turns together.
On the first round, each player will assemble 4 stones in an attempt to guess the other players solution. Once all players have committed to their entry, scoring can ensue.
For each stone committed, provide a stake to identify its condition.
- For a stone that is of the right color, but in the wrong position, place a light colored stake aligned to that row.
- For a stone that is of the right color and in the right position, place a dark colored stake aligned to that row.
- For a stone that is not the right color or position, no stake is provided.
  Stake placements are random, they do not align to the order of the committed stones in sequence.

Masterminds is played with 6 color variations, an could always be expanded to include more colors, or allow blank spaces.
2 players, could be expanded to 2 teams, or any multiple number of players.
You could also play multiple rounds and play for points. For example, if one player is able to solve the code in 5 tries, and the opposing player continues to play and solves it in 8 tries, the winner would earn the difference of 3 points on a scorecard, for a total cumulative high score of X.

Mastermind, Master Mind, is an old school classic created by Mordecai Meirowitz, an Isreali Intelligence Officer working in the ciphers and communications department, in 1970. He eventually sold his idea for a game to Hasbro, which has successfully sold this game for the last 50 years. In the 2 player game, each player has a separate role- the code maker, OR the code breaker.
I just pluralized it to make it competitive, doubling the boards, where each player plays both roles.

If you enjoy logic and deduction challenges, this game is for you.
This game only works if the code maker provides the correct stakes and count as the clues. A miscalculation will mislead the code breaker with an unsolvable dilemma. If a round is determined to be miscalculated, the code maker automatically loses the round.
This game is a real puzzler, and a favorite of my hero, Wiley Coyote, in that you have to try something, fail, learn from it, adapt and try again. Then rinse and repeat until you finally catch that bird.
This game is an excellent competitive team building activity. Where players have to talk through their logical thinking together, agree on each submission, and share in the successes and failures as a team.
‘Awaken a New Master’…