MasterMind

Welcome to MasterMind

Overview

Playing Mastermind

Sample Games

About the Authors


Overview

The object of MasterMind is to crack a hidden code consisting of 4 colored pegs.  After each guess, the computer displays clues as to how many of your pegs are correct.  You win a game by correctly guessing the order and color of the hidden pegs in 8 guesses or less to crack the code.

Playing MasterMind

Options


Playing MasterMind

Click on the area of interest for more information.


Guess box
Guess pegs

For each of the 8 guesses, there are 4 guess peg holes.  You fill in the guess peg holes by clicking on a color in the color bar and then clicking on the desired guess peg hole.

	Hint:  If you want all guess pegs to be the same color, simply click on the desired color in the color bar and then click on the guess counter number for the current guess.


Clue box

When you have finished placing the colored pegs in the guess peg holes, click anywhere in the clue box to display a clue indicating how close you are to the correct answer.

A black peg indicates that you have placed a correct color peg in the correct position.

A white peg indicates that you have place a correct color peg, but it is in the wrong position.

The clue pegs are placed in the Clue box from left to right, black pegs first, then white.

Beware!  The placement of the black and white pegs in the Clue box does not correspond with the guess pegs.  For example, one black clue peg simply means that one of your four guess pegs is the correct color in the correct guess peg hole.


Color bar

When choosing a color for your guess, simply click on a color from the color bar and then click in the desired guess peg hole to place it.

	Hint:  If you want all guess pegs to be the same color, simply click on the desired color in the color bar and then click on the guess counter number for the current guess.


Guess counter
Guess counter numbers

	These numbers represent the number of your current guess.  You can also use the guess counter to help you play MasterMind in two ways: filling all the guess peg holes with one color or fill the guess peg holes with all the colors from any previous guess.      To fill all the guess peg holes with one color, simply click on a color in the color bar and then click on the guess counter number of the current guess.    To fill the guess peg holes with the colors from a previous guess. simply click on the guess counter number of any previous guess and then click on the guess counter of the current guess.


Answer shield

The answer shield is used to hide the answer.  The answer will be revealed when you either win the game by correctly cracking the code, or guess incorrectly 8 times.


Score sheet

Click on the area of interest for more information.

The score sheet is made up of three columns.  The first column contains the player name.  The second column, the games column, indicates the total number of games played.  The third column, the average column, indicates the average number of guesses per game.  For example, if a player plays 2 games and solves one in 6 guesses and the other in 4, the average is 5.


Rename button

The Rename button allows you to change the name of the current player.  The current player is marked by a red dot to the left of the name.  When you click the Rename button, a message box appears asking if you would like to rename the player.  The message box also warns that the score will be reset to 0.

  If you choose Yes, the Rename dialog box appears.

  If you choose No, you will be returned to the game.


Clear All button

The Clear All button resets all scores to 0.  When you click the Clear All button, a warning box will appear asking if you want to reset all scores.

  If you choose Yes, all scores will be reset to 0.

  If you choose No, you will be returned to the game without any changes.


Rename dialog box

The Rename dialog box allows you to change the name of the current player.  The dialog box appears with the name of the current player in the first edit box.  To change the name of the current player, simply type the new name into the second edit box and click OK to accept the change.  The program will return you to the game with the new player name in place.


Options Menu

Click the right mouse button to activate the Options Menu.  The following options are available:

Enable sounds

Music

Scorecard

Help


Preferences
Preferences dialog box

Click on the area of interest for more information.


Show Score At Startup check box

When checked, the score sheet will appear at startup.


Play Music At Startup check box

When checked, the music specified in the MSTRMIND.INI file will play at startup.


Colored Cursor check box

When checked, the arrow cursor enlarges and changes to the currently selected color.  When you select a new color, the cursor will become the selected color and remain that color until a new color is selected.

	Hint:  The Colored Cursor option can be used in conjuction with the Peg Cursor option so that you will have a colored peg cursor.


Peg Cursor check box

When checked, the cursor becomes a peg shape.

	Hint:  The Peg Cursor option can be used in conjuction with the Colored Cursor option so that you will have a colored peg cursor.


Finalize Turn Confirmation check box

When checked, a message box will appear whenever you end your turn by clicking in the clue box asking you if you are finished with the current guess.

  Click Yes if you are sure you want to finalize your turn.

  Click No if you want to make any further changes before you finalize your turn.


Fill Row Confirmation check box

When checked, a message box will appear whenever you click on the guess counter number to fill all the guess peg holes with one color.  The message asks if you are sure you want to fill the guess peg holes with the currently selected color.

  Click Yes if you are sure you want to fill all the guess peg holes with the current color.

  Click No if you want to make any further changes before you go on.


Copy Row Confirmation check box

When checked, a message box will appear whenever you click on the guess counter of a previous guess to copy it to your current guess.  The message asks if you are sure you want to fill the current peg holes with the color of the previous guess.

  Click Yes if you are sure you want to copy the previous guess to your current guess.

  Click No if you want to make any further changes before you go on.


New Game Confirmation check box

When checked, a message box will appear when you have finished a game asking if you would like to play again.

  Click Yes if you are sure you want to play another game.

  Click No if you do not want to play another game.


Auto Copy Option check box

When checked, the color of the current guess will be copied directly into the next guess after you click in the clue box to finalize your turn.


Hilight Current Seg Option check box

When checked, an outline will appear around the current guess to hilight it.


Sound Option check box

When checked, sound effects are toggled on.


Cycle Cursor Option check box

When checked, every time you click on a guess peg hole, the colored peg inserted will cycle through the colors as shown from left to right in the color bar.


Enable sounds

Each time you click this option, sound effects are toggled on and off.

  If there is a check mark next to the Enable Sounds options, sound effects are on.

  If there is not a check mark next to the Enable Sounds option, sound effects are off.


Music

Play

If you have a specified a song in the MASTERMD.INI file, the song will play when you choose this option.  If you do not have a song specified in the MASTERMD.INI file, the Select Song dialog box appears allowing you to choose a *.mid file.

Stop

When you choose this option, the song currently playing will stop.

Select song

When you choose this option, the Select Song dialog box appears allowing you to select a *.mid file.

	Hint:  If you want music in MASTERMD.INI to always play on startup, select the Play Music At Startup option in the Preferences dialog box.


Scorecard

This option toggles the scoresheet on and off.

	Hint:  If you want the scoresheet to always appear, select the Show Score At Startup option in the Preferences dialog box.


Help

Index

This opens the help file.

Contacting Golden Frog

This option provides information about contacting Golden Frog.

About MasterMind

This option provides information about the author of MasterMind.


Sample Games

Two sample games have been provided just in case you want to see how we play MasterMind.  By looking at the peg colors for each turn and the resulting clues, you will be able to determine the strategy we used.

Sample Game #1

Sample Game #2


Sample Game #1 - Screen 1 of 6


Sample Game #1 - Screen 2 of 6


Sample Game #1 - Screen 3 of 6


Sample Game #1 - Screen 4 of 6


Sample Game #1 - Screen 5 of 6


Sample Game #1 - Screen 6 of 6

Sample Game #2


Sample Game #2 - Screen 1 of 6


Sample Game #2 - Screen 2 of 6


Sample Game #2 - Screen 3 of 6


Sample Game #2 - Screen 4 of 6


Sample Game #2 - Screen 5 of 6


Sample Game #2 - Screen 6 of 6


About the Authors

Help file authors....

This help file was written by DocWorks.  DocWorks is a Hard Hat Area production designed from only the finest ingredients by Lisa Barry and Kirsten Sutton, Documentation Engineers.  We have experience not only with help files, but also technical and non-technical manuals, web pages (design and creation), graphic design, desktop publishing, and much, much more.  (Our products have not been tested on animals.)

You can contact DocWorks at lbarry@nas.com and ksutton@nas.com.

MasterMind Author

MasterMind was written by Mike Farajian of GoldenFrog.  Mike has also created ShortCutter, The Meaning, A&A Odds Calc, among others.

You can contact Mike at goldenfrog@msn.com.