Front of Hasbro's Mastermind box showing the tray, coloured code pegs and the shield — Hasbro India's Mastermind (E8269)Photo: Toycra

The Mastermind tray with rows of coloured code pegs and small key pegs beside each row — The tray, code pegs and key pegsPhoto: Toycra

Hasbro's newer Mastermind in a blue fold-up case with the code shield raised — Hasbro's newer F6423 box comes in a fold-up travel casePhoto: Toycra

Close-up of a hand placing small key pegs beside a row of coloured code pegs — Key pegs tell the codebreaker how close each guess is (newer F6423 set)Photo: Toycra

A woman and a child playing Mastermind at a round table, both laughing — A two-player puzzle for a parent and child (newer F6423 set)Photo: Toycra

Video

Two-player game · Indian edition available

Mastermind

Crack a hidden four-colour code using logic and clues

Deduction

2best with 2
10–30 minper game
Under a minuteto set up
8+years
Easy
Nonereading

The official listing, on Amazon.in

Made in India

Buy on Amazon.in

We couldn't confirm whether this listing sends the Indian or the imported box. Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery.

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The game in a nutshell

Mastermind is a two-player code-breaking game: one player hides a row of four coloured pegs, and the other works out the code from clues within a limited number of guesses. It suits logical children of 8 and up, and adults who enjoy puzzles such as Sudoku or Wordle. In India the box to buy is Hasbro India's Mastermind (item E8269), made in India with English and Hindi instructions.

Is Mastermind right for you?

Great if

Children of 8 and up who like puzzles and patterns
A parent and child: the codemaker's job is simple, so a younger player can set codes while learning how the clues work
Two people who want a short, quiet game with no luck in it
A gift for a child who has outgrown snakes and ladders

Skip it if

You need a game for three or more; it is strictly one codemaker against one codebreaker
Your family wants talk and laughter; this is a quiet game of working things out
The child dislikes maths-style reasoning; for some it will feel like homework

THE BOARDGAMES.IN TAKE

Our ratings

How hard to learnEasy

2 / 5

Luck or skillMostly skill

LuckSkill

Set-upUnder 1 min

ReadingNone

Behind the ratings

How hard to learnPlacing pegs and reading the clues takes five minutes to learn, but using every clue well takes real concentration. That puts it at 2 on our scale, a step above Connect 4.

Luck or skillOnce the first clues are in, every guess comes from reasoning rather than chance. A little luck remains: an early guess can land well or badly, and near the end you may have to pick between two codes that both fit the clues.

Player interactionAfter setting the code, the Codemaker's job is to mark each guess honestly. The Codebreaker is solving a puzzle rather than outplaying a rival, and you swap roles so both get to solve.

Set-up timeThe pegs live in the tray's storage wells, so setup is quick: open the tray, decide who is Codemaker, and set a code behind the shield.

Reading neededNo words or numbers during play, only coloured pegs. The E8269 instructions are in English and Hindi.

Difficulty uses our 1–5 scale: 1 is UNO or Connect 4, 3 is Catan, 5 is a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.

How Mastermind plays

One player is the Codemaker and the other the Codebreaker. Behind a hinged shield at one end of the plastic tray, the Codemaker secretly sets a code of four coloured pegs. In Hasbro's current rules the same colour can be used more than once.

Time to teach: about 5 minutes.
Reading and language: Play uses only coloured pegs, with no words or numbers. Hasbro India's Mastermind (item E8269) comes with instructions in English and Hindi, so a Hindi-reading grandparent can learn it from the box.

How to play Mastermind · Triple S Games

If this creator doesn’t allow embedded playback, watch on YouTube ↗.

Your turn, step by step

1
Hide
The Codemaker secretly sets a code of four coloured pegs in the holes behind the hinged shield. In Hasbro's current rules a colour can be used more than once.
2
Guess
The Codebreaker puts four pegs in the next empty row. The Codemaker answers with small key pegs: red for each peg that is the right colour in the right hole, white for each right colour in the wrong hole, nothing for a wrong colour. The key pegs don't say which peg they mean.
3
Win
Four red key pegs means the code is cracked. The Codemaker scores a point for every row used, plus a bonus if the code is never cracked. Swap roles; once you have each been Codemaker the same number of times, the higher score wins.

Read the official rules (PDF)Mastermind - instructions (Hasbro item 44220) · English (whether this file also has Hindi is not known)

The full explanation: how a game of Mastermind goes

The Codebreaker makes a guess by placing four pegs in the first row. The Codemaker answers with small key pegs beside that row: one kind for each peg that is the right colour in the right hole, and another kind for each peg that is the right colour in the wrong hole. A wrong colour gets nothing. The key pegs are not placed in order, so you know how many pegs are right but not which ones.

Each new guess goes in the next row up, using what the earlier clues showed. The Codebreaker has a fixed number of rows; Hasbro's current rulebook gives 10. When a guess earns four 'right colour, right place' pegs, the Codemaker lifts the shield and the code is cracked.

In Hasbro's scoring, the Codemaker earns one point for every row the Codebreaker uses, and 11 points if the code is never cracked. Players then swap roles. When both have played each role, the higher score wins.

There is no luck beyond the first guess. A round goes quickly once the clues start to narrow things down, and with practice players learn to choose guesses that rule out as many codes as possible.

What's in the box

1Game tray
rows of holes for guesses, built-in peg storage, a scoring line and a hinged shield that hides the secret code
96Code pegs
large coloured pegs for making codes and guesses
13Red key pegs
small pegs: right colour in the right hole
13White key pegs
small pegs: right colour in the wrong hole
1Instructions
in English and Hindi

For Hasbro India's E8269, from Indian listings: a tray with built-in peg storage, a scoring line and a hinged shield, plus instructions in English and Hindi. No listing says how many peg colours there are. Hasbro's newer F6423 box, also sold in India, has 108 code pegs, 30 key pegs and a fold-up storage case for travel.

Where to buy

Amazon.inEdition not confirmed

The official listing, on Amazon.in

We couldn't confirm whether this listing sends the Indian or the imported box. Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery.

Buy on Amazon.in

Opens Amazon.in in a new tab.

Buy Hasbro India's E8269. Indian listings give India as the country of origin and Hasbro India Toys Pvt Ltd as the manufacturer, the instructions are in English and Hindi, and it is the cheapest genuine box. Imported versions cost far more and play the same game.

How to make sure you get a genuine copyA little care before you click.

Look for the Hasbro Gaming logo and the Mastermind name. Item E8269 is the India-made box and F6423 is the newer version.
Check the label for Hasbro India Toys Pvt Ltd, Mumbai, the ISI mark with a BIS licence number, and instructions in English and Hindi (E8269).
Check the contents: a plastic tray with a hinged shield at one end, a set of large coloured code pegs, and two colours of small key pegs.
'Mastermind logic game' or 'code breaker' sets from unknown brands use the name but are not Hasbro products. They are not the original game, so look for the Hasbro Gaming logo before you buy.
Be wary of a Mastermind that costs far more than the usual price: it is probably an import, which plays the same game as Hasbro India's box.

We link to one Amazon.in listing that we've checked against the maker's own information. We don't show prices: Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery. Paid link. We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

What reviewers and players say

Mastermind has been a favourite logic game since the early 1970s, and reviewers still enjoy the tension of each guess and the satisfaction of cracking a code from clues alone. Parents like that it builds careful reasoning with nothing but coloured pegs, so it works in any language and suits a parent playing with a child of 8 or more. The complaints are that it is strictly for two, that with ten rows a practised codebreaker rarely fails, and that it is a quiet puzzle rather than a lively family game. One reviewer also found placing pegs behind the shield fiddly on a recent US edition.

What people love

The rules take about five minutes to learn and a round is quick
Very little luck: once the clues start coming, every guess is pure reasoning
No words or numbers, so it crosses languages and ages; adults enjoy it as much as children
The tray stores all the pegs neatly, and the hidden code behind the shield builds suspense

Common complaints

Strictly for two players, one setting the code and one breaking it
With ten rows, a practised codebreaker almost always cracks a four-peg code, so long sessions can feel repetitive
Small pegs behind the shield can be fiddly, and one reviewer's tray let a leaning codebreaker peek at the code

Based on 7 reviews and discussions

Review Mastermind (Board's Eye View, April 2019) · Board's Eye View
Review Mastermind Review (Jason C, April 2011) · Play Board Games
Review Mastermind! (again) (manaiaclemim, November 2016) · Tame The Board Game
Players How to solve the 'Mastermind' guessing game? (discussion thread, January 2024) · Hacker News
Reference The Mysterious Origins of Mastermind, the Codebreaking Board Game (Duncan Fyfe, March 2020) · VICE
Reference Cunning and Logic: The International Imagery of 'Mastermind' (Richard McKenna, March 2017) · We Are the Mutants
Reference Mastermind (board game) · Wikipedia

Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.

More like Mastermind

Our picks if Mastermind isn't quite right

Feature	Mastermind	Guess Who?	Battleship	Cluedo
Players	2	2	2	2–6
Best with	2	2	2	4-6
Play time	10–30 min	10–20 min	20–30 min	45–60 min
Age	8+	6+	7+	8+
Rules	Easy	Easy	Easy	Easy
Indian edition	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Why look at it	This page	Another two-player deduction classic, easier and quicker for younger children	Two players hunting for hidden positions using yes-or-no clues	Deduction for 3 to 6 players, when the family wants to play together

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Questions people ask about Mastermind

Which Mastermind box should I buy in India?

Hasbro India's Mastermind (item E8269), made in India with English and Hindi instructions. Hasbro's newer box (F6423) is the same game with a redesigned tray. Our Buy on Amazon.in button goes to the listing we've checked; make sure the brand is Hasbro.

What is the difference between Mastermind E8269 and F6423?

Both are Hasbro's Mastermind with the same idea: a four-peg secret code and coloured clue pegs. E8269 is the India-made box with English and Hindi instructions. F6423 is Hasbro's 2023 version with a redesigned tray that has a score tracker, and it costs a little more.

How many guesses do you get in Mastermind?

Hasbro's current rulebook gives the Codebreaker 10 rows. The Codemaker scores a point for each row used, plus a bonus point if the code is never cracked, and then the players swap roles.

What age is Mastermind suitable for?

Hasbro says 8 and up. The skill it asks for is keeping track of what each clue rules out, which gets easier with every round. Younger children can still join in as the Codemaker, which only means setting a code and placing the clue pegs carefully.

Game facts

Designed by: Mordecai Meirowitz
Publisher: Hasbro (first published by Invicta Plastics, UK; Goliath signed a worldwide manufacturing and distribution deal with Hasbro in 2025)
In India: Hasbro India Toys Pvt Ltd, Mumbai
First published: 1970
Players: 2
Barcode: 195166190716
Language: No reading – Play uses only coloured pegs, with no words or numbers. Hasbro India's Mastermind (item E8269) comes with instructions in English and Hindi, so a Hindi-reading grandparent can learn it from the box.

Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.

Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.