Break the Code is a logical deduction game played with Number Tiles and Question Cards. You win if you can guess all of your opponent's tiles. Put on your thinking cap!
Components
- 20 Number Tiles
- 21 Question Cards
- 4 Game Screens
- 2 Rule Sheets
- 1 Memo Pad
- Instructions
For 2 Players
Setup
Place all of the Number Tiles face down and shuffle them. Place your Game Screen in front of you, then randomly take five tiles. Place them face up behind your screen in numerically ascending order starting from the left.
If you have two tiles with the same number, place the Red tile on the left. Once you have placed your tiles, removed the unused Number Tiles from the game.
Lastly, shuffle the Question Cards and place them in a pile face down. Draw the top six cards from the pile and place them in the center of the table.
Object of the Game
Deduce all of your opponent's tiles and correctly guess their colors and numbers in order from left to right.
Game Play
Choose a player to go first. On your turn, you may perform one of the following two actions:
Ask a Question
Choose one of the six face up Question Cards to ask your opponent. Your opponent must answer truthfully. Once you have asked the question on your chosen Question Card, remove it from the game.
You may want to take notes when asking questions. Draw the top card from the pile of Question Cards and place it face up in the middle of the table, replacing the card you chose.
Both players must answer the questions on [Shared Info] Question Cards.
Example Questions And Answers:
Where is 5? ...If your opponent has the Number Tile in question, they must tell you where it is. For example, "the second tile from the left.' If they have two of the Number Tile in question, they must tell you the location of both.
Where is 1 or 2? (Choose one) ...When asking this question, you must first choose whether to ask about 1 or 2. Your opponent answers in the same way as the example above.
Where do you have neighboring tiles of the same color? ...Suppose you were asked this question and had the following tiles: Red 0, Red 3, Blue 6, Blue 7, Red 9.
You would answer, "the first and second from the left, and the third and fourth from the left". You may also indicate their locations by pointing to the corresponding pictures on your Game Screen with your finger.
Where do you have tiles in sequential order? ...Suppose you were asked this question and had the following tiles: Red 1, Red 2, Blue 4, Red 8, Blue 9.
You would answer, "the first and second from the left, and the first and second from the right". Should you have Blue 7, Red 8, Blue 8, Red 9, indicate the 7 and 8 as well as the 8 and 9. If you have three or more sequential Number Tiles, indicate them all.
Guess your Opponent's Tiles
When you believe you know all of your opponent's tiles, you may choose to guess your opponent's tiles instead of asking a question. State the number and color of your opponent's tiles from left to right.
For example, "Red 0, Blue 2, Green 5, Red 6, Blue 6!" Your opponent answers either "Correct" if you were right, or "Wrong" if you were not. If your opponent guessed your tiles and only some were correct, do not tell them which were correct, as they can guess again on their next turn.
Should the first player correctly guess the other player's Number Tiles, the second player has one chance to guess the first player's Number Tiles. If the second player correctly guesses the first player's Number Tiles, the game ends in a tie.
If you run out of Question Cards and neither player is able to guess the other's Number Tiles, the game ends in a tie.
For 3 Players
In a 3 player game, you win by guessing all five hidden Number Tiles. As your notes become increasingly complicated, you'll need to kick your brain into overdrive!
Setup
Place all of the Number Tiles face down and shuffle them. Place your Game Screen in front of you, then randomly take five tiles. Place them face up behind your screen just as you would for a two player game.
Once you have placed your tiles, keep the five unused Number Tiles face down and place them in the center of the table. These are the hidden Number Tiles you have to guess to win.
Lastly, shuffle the Question Cards and place them in a pile face down. Draw the top six cards from the pile and place them in the center of the table next to the hidden Number Tiles.
Object of the Game
Correctly guess the colors and numbers of the five hidden Number Tiles.
Game Play
Choose a player to go first. Players take turns clockwise, starting with the first player. On your turn, choose one of the six face up Question Cards to ask your opponents, as you would in a two player game. Both of your opponents must answer the question.
Guessing the Hidden Tiles
In a three player game, you may guess the hidden Number Tiles at any time, even if it is not your turn. Announce to the other players that you will guess, and secretly write down what you think the numbers and colors of the five hidden Number Tiles are.
Taking care that none of the other players can see, check the hidden Number Tiles to see if you were right. If your written answer was correct, you may declare victory to the other players.
But be warned! You may only attempt to guess the hidden Number Tiles ONCE per game. If your written answer was even the slightest bit wrong, you lose. You may not reveal the identity of the hidden Number Tiles to the other players, and you may not ask questions for the rest of the game.
You must still answer the other players' questions. The game ends when two players have declared victory, or when there are no remaining players.
For 4 Players
A four player game is played in the same way as a three player game, except that each player has four tiles instead of five. In addition, all Question Cards are treated as [Shared Info].
Setup
Remove the following Question Cards from the game: "What is the sum of your three middle tiles?" and "[Shared Info] Is your middle tile greater than 4?" Place all of the Number Tiles face down and shuffle them.
Place your Game Screen in front of you, then randomly take four tiles. Place them face up behind your screen just as you would for a two player game. Once you have placed your tiles, keep the four unused Number Tiles face down and place them in the center of the table.
These are the hidden Number Tiles you have to guess to win. Lastly, shuffle the Question Cards and place them in a pile face down. Draw the top six cards from the pile and place them in the center of the table next to the hidden Number Tiles.
Object of the Game
Correctly guess the colors and numbers of the four hidden Number Tiles.
Game Play
Choose a player to go first. Players take turns clockwise, starting with the first player. On your turn, choose one of the six face up Question Cards to ask your opponents, as you would in a two player game.
Remember that all questions are treated as [Shared Info], so all players including yourself must answer them.
Guessing the Hidden Tiles
As in a three player game, you may guess the hidden Number Tiles at any time, even if it is not your turn. You do this in the same way as you would for a three player game. The game ends when three players have declared victory, or when there are no remaining players.
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