Cracker

by Gary Lee

Cracker is a desktop code-cracking game. The object is to discover the hidden code randomly generated by the computer in as few attempts as possible.

Use the RISC User disc menu system, or double-click on the !Cracker icon to load the game.

Playing Cracker
Try to guess the computer's colour code by filling in the empty holes with colours. When you have made your guess, click in the blank space at the end of the row to finalise your attempt.

The computer will then mark your guess with black and white pegs. Each black peg means right colour, right place and each white peg means right colour, wrongplace. For example:

The hidden code is:  RED YEL RED BLU

And you have placed: YEL YEL GRN RED

Black pegs always take priority over white pegs and so (in the example) one black peg will be given for the YEL in the right place. No further pegs will then be placed for the remaining YEL. A single white is also given for the RED which was placed in the wrong position. Therefore the computer will mark the code with one black and one white peg.

A cheat mode is available, selectable through the icon bar menu. When this is activated, you are told how many possible combinations there are left at the end of each turn. You can also get the computer to fill in the holes for you with a possible answer by clicking at the end of an incomplete row. Double-click on the hidden code to reveal it.

Copyright  RISC User magazine 1998
