Mastermind Classic vs Mastermind Challenger
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Mastermind Classic
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Mastermind is a code-breaking game for one player. It is based on Mastermind, one of the most popular logic games in history. Its rules are also closely related to the classic game Bulls and Cows, originally played with pencil and paper. This version features three difficulty levels, so the game can grow with you. You can learn how to play in less than 5 minutes. You are the code breaker, and your goal is to discover the secret combination of 4, 5, or 6 colors. After every attempt, you receive clues that help you improve your next guess: 1. Green Key Peg โ one of your pegs has the correct color and is in the correct position. 2. Highlighted key peg โ one of your pegs has the correct color, but it is in the wrong position. 3. No Key Peg โ the color does not appear in the secret code.
Mastermind Challenger
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Break the hidden code. The machine hides a line of coloured pegs. You guess. It answers with pins: a green pin for a peg of the right colour in the right place, an orange pin for the right colour in the wrong place. Which pin belongs to which peg, it will not say. That part is yours. A RUN, NOT A PUZZLE Crack the code and the next one is a level harder. Fail to crack one and the run is over, and how far you got is your score. That is what makes a single number worth a leaderboard: not how well you did on one puzzle, but how far you got before one beat you. The code grows from four pegs to eight and the palette from six colours to eight โ 360 possible codes on the first level, 16,777,216 on the last. THE BOARD โข Tap a colour to drop it on the cursor, or drag it into a particular hole โข Drag a ball along the line to move it, or onto another to swap the two โข Reuse a colour from a line you have already played, without hunting it in the picker โข A full line answers itself โข Optional: see how many codes still fit every answer on the board. Watching 1,296 fall to 4 is the whole game in one number TWO HINTS PER CODE Reveal gives away one peg and locks it. Deduce fills the line with a code that fits every answer so far โ not the secret, just one of the codes still standing, so it can still be wrong. Each hint halves what the code pays, which is what makes spending one a real choice. MADE TO BE PLAYED BY ANYONE โข Kids mode: shorter codes, fewer colours, two extra lines โข Symbols on pegs, so the code can be read without relying on colour โข English and French, switched inside the app โข Light and dark, both drawn properly ON EVERY SCREEN iPhone, iPad and Mac. Your best run follows you through iCloud and goes to a Game Center leaderboard. FREE TO TRY The first three codes are free, which is enough to crack one, reach the next level and see the whole game working. One purchase opens every level above them โ up to eight pegs from eight colours โ on all your devices. That is the only thing for sale. No ads, no consumable hints, no paid second chances: a run ends when a code beats you, which is the only reason the leaderboard means anything. No ads. No account. No data collected.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mastermind Classic at none against Mastermind Challenger's 1. Mastermind Classic also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Mastermind Challenger's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Mastermind Challenger sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Mastermind Classic asks for nothing beyond the download.
Mastermind Classic ships an update fortnightly, Mastermind Challenger every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mastermind Classic | Mastermind Challenger |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly โ better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | No โ better |
| In-app purchases | No โ better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac โ better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 โ better | 17.0 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Abdullah Alioski | Philippe GUILLAUD |
In-app purchases
Mastermind Classic
No in-app purchases
Mastermind Challenger
- All Levels$1.99
Questions
Is Mastermind Classic free?
Is Mastermind Challenger free?
Do Mastermind Classic or Mastermind Challenger have ads?
Which is updated more often, Mastermind Classic or Mastermind Challenger?
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