What is Code Brain?
It is a iPhone game app implementing the classic Master Mind code guessing game. One player chooses a secret "code" consisting of a sequence of four colors and the other player tries to guess this code based on certain clues from the code maker.
What sets Code Brain apart?
What sets Code Brain apart?
- A straightforward interface that concentrates on the essentials of the game, rather than trying to simulate the physical game board version.
- The ability to guess codes you make, as well as creating codes for you to guess. Can you learn from the machine's strategy to improve your own play?
- A "give clues" mode to help you give proper clues to the machine (or to another human). Correct clues are vital to game play, but it is easy to slip up when manually evaluating a guess. This feature eliminates that problem.
Basic Rules of the Game
Traditional Master Mind is played using colored pegs on a special game board. The board has several rows with eight holes each; four of these holes are used by the code breaker to submit guesses, and the other four are used by the code maker to supply clues. In addition, there are four code pegs (that are hidden from the code breaker's view) where the code maker constructs the code. Game play is as follows: the code maker inserts pegs (chosen from six available colors) in the code pegs. The code breaker then inserts four pegs in the first row, which indicate their initial guess. Next, the code maker inserts white and black pegs in the four adjacent holes, according to these rules:
Traditional Master Mind is played using colored pegs on a special game board. The board has several rows with eight holes each; four of these holes are used by the code breaker to submit guesses, and the other four are used by the code maker to supply clues. In addition, there are four code pegs (that are hidden from the code breaker's view) where the code maker constructs the code. Game play is as follows: the code maker inserts pegs (chosen from six available colors) in the code pegs. The code breaker then inserts four pegs in the first row, which indicate their initial guess. Next, the code maker inserts white and black pegs in the four adjacent holes, according to these rules:
- one black peg is awarded for each guess peg that is the same color as the corresponding code peg. For instance, if the code pegs were "red green yellow green" and the guess was "red yellow green red" then one black peg would be given.
- one white peg is awarded for each color that the remaining unmatched pegs in the code and guess have in common. For instance, for the previous example, two white pegs would be given, since both sets of unmatched pegs contain the colors yellow and green. Note that although there are two green pegs in the code, only one white peg is awarded for matching the color green.
Using the App
This app has four main screens, that are accessed by the tab bar at the bottom of the screen.
- "Get Started" - (shown above) provides a collection of help screens that appear when you tap the large red, green and blue dots. These help screens show "mock ups" of the other main screens, with descriptive captions that appear when you hold your finger on various interface elements.
- "Break Codes" - allows you to play against the the machine as code breaker. It randomly generates a code, and provides clues each time you submit a guess.
- "Make Codes" - you make up a code, and give the machine a clue each time it guesses. It will never take more than six guesses to find the right code. Since you need never enter the code, you know it is not peeking!
- "Give Clues" - automates the code maker's task of determining the number of black and white pegs to award. Enter the true code and the guess, and it tells you the number of exact matches (black pegs) and color matches (white pegs). Although the rules for giving clues are simple, it is easy to slip up and unintentionally "cheat" by giving misleading clues. Using this feature helps prevent such mistakes.