CRACKED
Crack the number. Or get cracked.
5,040 possible numbers. In classic, a zero only clears about a third of them — expect a long game.
Commit a sequence. It is stored server-side and never sent to anyone.
// FIELD NOTES
How to play CRACKED
A codebreaking game where everyone hides a number and everyone guesses in the same round — so no one wins on turn order. Play the machine alone, or up to six people in a room.
- Hide a secret number of three to six digits, or have one dealt.
- Everyone guesses at once; you learn how many digits are locked.
- Crack a code in the fewest rounds; thinking time breaks ties.
Questions people ask
How do you play Bulls and Cows?
Each player hides a number and guesses the other's. Bulls are right digits in the right place; cows are right digits in the wrong place. In CRACKED that is Hot / cold mode, with Locked and Loose counts. The default Classic mode reports Locked only, which is harder.
How do you play a number guessing game with friends online?
Open a room, set the rules and share its six-character code. Two to six people can join until the host starts. Everyone guesses in the same round and fewest rounds wins. Rooms expire two hours after they are made, and no account is needed.
Can digits repeat in a code-breaking game?
Not by default, for guesses or secrets: with repeats on, a guess like 1111 tells you exactly how many 1s the code holds. At four digits, no repeats leaves 5,040 possible codes against 10,000 with them. The host can switch repeats on.
Who wins if two players crack it in the same round?
In a room, whoever used less of their own thinking time, counted from when each round opened. Against the machine, cracking it in the same round is a draw.
Can other players see my secret number?
No. In a room the server holds every secret, scores every guess itself and sends back only counts. You see your own guesses and the ones made against you. Secrets are revealed when the game ends.
Can I play against the computer?
Yes. Solo play runs in your browser against THE MACHINE at three levels: Chill, which sometimes guesses carelessly; Sharp, which always makes a guess consistent with what it knows; and Unhinged, which picks the guess with the smallest worst case.