Last Updated on January 15, 2026 by The Official Game Rules Team

Mastermind for Kids by Pressman is a code-breaking game where players use logic and deduction to guess a secret color sequence. Designed for young players, it features animal-shaped pegs and a simplified gameplay format, making it an engaging and educational experience.

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How to Play Mastermind for Kids

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Components

The game includes:

• A Mastermind game board with:
  • 9 rows of large holes for the jungle animals
  • 9 rows of small holes for scoring pieces
  • 3 holes for the hidden code
  • A Rocky Mountain tray to hide the code and store scoring pieces
• 72 jungle animal pieces in 6 different colors
• 15 red creature scoring pieces
• 15 white creature scoring pieces

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Objective

Guess your opponent’s secret code in the fewest number of turns.

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Setup

The younger player becomes the Codemaker first. The other player is the Codebreaker.

Place the game board between both players so the code holes face the Codemaker. Remove the Rocky Mountain tray and set it aside.

Separate the jungle animals from the red and white creature scoring pieces. Put the jungle animals into the storage area on the board and place the scoring pieces inside the Rocky Mountain tray.

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Gameplay

1. Create the Secret Code
   The Codemaker secretly places three jungle animals into the code holes using any combination of the six colors. Colors may be repeated. Once finished, place the Rocky Mountain tray over the code so it stays hidden.
2. Make a Guess
   The Codebreaker tries to guess the secret code by placing three jungle animals into the large holes on the board.
3. Give Feedback
   After each guess, the Codemaker gives clues using the red and white creature scoring pieces (see Scoring below).
4. Keep Playing
   All guessed rows stay on the board. Looking at previous guesses helps the Codebreaker figure out the correct code.

Play continues until the code is guessed.

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Scoring Rules

For Younger Players

The goal is to guess the correct colors only.

• Place one white creature piece for each jungle animal that matches a color in the secret code.
• The position does not matter.

For Older Players

The goal is to guess both color and position.

• Red creature piece: Correct color in the correct position
• White creature piece: Correct color but in the wrong position

For Expert Players

Play follows the same rules as for older players, with one added challenge:

• The Codemaker may leave one or more code spaces empty.
• Empty spaces count as an additional “color,” giving seven possible choices.
• Colors may still be repeated.

Scoring uses red and white creature pieces the same way as in the older players’ game.

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End of the Game

The winner is the player who guesses their opponent’s secret code in the fewest turns.

If you play multiple rounds, keep track of how many games each player wins. The player with the most wins is the overall winner.