An addictive and challenging game of logic (Mastermind)

Member Name: SophieRainbow

Product:	Mastermind
Date:	28/07/09 (5 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tricky, colourful, simple to learn, quick

Disadvantages: Requires good concentration, code maker does very little

Mastermind is a simple game involving 2 players, one to create a 5-peg code and the other to guess it. There are 8 colours of peg (red, green, blue, yellow, orange, black, brown and white), allowing 59000 permutations. The code maker conceals his code in a little hood and marks the code breakers attempts using white pegs (a colour is present but in the wrong place), black pegs (a colour is correct and in the right position) or no pegs (this colour is not present).

It is quite a difficult game, requiring logic, concentration and perseverence, similarly to chess but with less forward-thought and expertise required to be good at it. It is recommended for 8 years and over, and this is suitable as the difficulty of the game can be adjusted by either playing the marks for a code in the corresponding holes (so if the code maker puts a black marking peg in the hole on the right, then the code breaker knows that their coloured peg on the right is correct) to make the game easier, or for adults not doing so.

A game of one round (where one code is made and broken) typically takes about 12 minutes if the code is found in about 7 goes, but the number of goes can vary between 4-11. This makes it a good quick coffee-table game, along with many card games, Boggle etc.

A disadvantage is that the code maker may become a bit bored, because they have less involvement in the game. This is why it is good to have time for a few rounds, taking in in turns to make and break the code.

Though simple, this is an addictive and challenging game worth having in any family games cupboard.

Summary: A good, quick coffee-table game to challenge the brain