Aside from being tons of fun, group games are also a great way to keep your minds active on rainy days. One of the best classic games include the mind game, Break the Code – a simple yet brainy game that is set to get your brain juices flowing.
Features of Break the Code Game
| ★ Game Name | Break the Code |
| ★ Group size | small |
| ★ Age | teens (12+) and adults |
| ★ Type | stationary |
| ★ Skill | erudition |
| ★ Place | indoor |
| ★ Time | up to 10 – 20 min |
| ★ Preparation | yes |
| ★ Materials | printables |
The aim behind Break the Code
In Break the Code, your goal may change depending on the role you play. As the guessing player, your goal is to break the secret code that your host may have in mind. As the host, your aim will then be to create a code for your guessing players to crack.
Ideal Age and Group Sizes
Break the Code is ideally played between 2 to 5 players. For larger groups, it may be a good idea to split the players into separate teams and have multiple hosts with varying codes.
Break the Code is a great group game for anyone aged 12 and up.
What to prepare to play Break the Code
Before you can play Break the Code, you will have to prepare a set of items. Here are the materials needed to play the game:
- A set of Break the Code printouts for every guessing player.
- You can customize this by creating a table with 4 columns in it and create multiple rows to fill up an entire A4 sheet. Create 2 sections labeled Almost and Perfect next to the table. Draw 4 circles under each of these sections. Each circle will represent one of the columns in your table.
- An A4 sheet of host printouts. In this printout, you’ll have to create a table with 4 columns and have multiple rows going downwards. You can reuse this sheet for multiple hosts.
- Pencils for all the players.
- A book or something to cover the host’s printout.
How to play Break the Code: Rules and more
Once you have prepared your printouts, you will have to sit your players around the table. Pick 1 player as the host while the other players will be the guessing players.
Step 1: The game will start with the host writing 4 numbers on the host printout sheet. This code must be covered, so none of the guessing players can see them. The host can choose any number combination from 1111 to 9999.
Step 2: After the host has made their combination, the guessing players will begin the guess the code. To make the game easier, the host may include tips like noting the range of the numbers. For example, if the code is 9999, then the host may say that the code is over 9,000.
Step 3: Once the players have guessed the code, their printout will be handed to the host. The host will then shade in the circles labeled Almost or Perfect to indicate how close the guesses are to the code.
*Note: The circles should correspond to the columns. For example, the top left circle will indicate the first column, while the top right circle will indicate the second column, and so on.
Step 4: The game ends when the code is broken, and the first player to break the code wins.