Guess a secret code of four shapes and narrow it down with black and white peg clues before your tries run out.
Bulls and Cows is a logic game about cracking a secret code. Somewhere behind the board sit four slots, each holding one of six shapes. You make a guess, the game scores it with small pegs, and you use those clues to zero in on the answer before your guesses are gone.
The six shapes are a circle, square, triangle, diamond, star and cross. Using simple black-and-white symbols instead of colors keeps everything easy to read.
The goal
Match all four shapes in the correct order. Above the slots, a tally keeps track of the tries you have spent and the ones still in hand. Hit the exact code in time and you win. Fall short and the answer is revealed.
How a guess is scored
Fill the four slots by clicking or tapping each one until it shows the shape you want, then press Submit guess. Two kinds of peg come back:
- A black peg means one of your shapes is right and sits in the right slot.
- A white peg means one of your shapes belongs in the code, but somewhere else.
- No peg at all means that shape is not part of the answer.
The pegs never point to particular slots. You only learn how many of each you earned. A shape in the code can only be counted once, so repeating a shape in your guess will not collect extra pegs. Every guess stays listed below the board, which lets you compare clues side by side.
Strategy notes
Start with four different shapes. That first guess covers more ground than one with a repeat. If a guess scores no pegs at all, cross off all four of those shapes and never use them again.
From there, change only one or two slots per guess. When the peg count shifts, you know which change caused it. On Medium and Hard, remember that the code might use a shape twice, so a shape that already scored can still appear again.
Before you submit, test your guess against the list. Pretend it is the secret answer, then check that every older guess would still earn exactly the pegs it got. If not, it cannot be the answer.
Daily puzzle
The Daily Challenge gives everyone the same Medium code each day. It is calculated from the date inside your browser, so nothing is sent anywhere, and a fresh one appears tomorrow.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Change the shape in a slot | Tab to the slot, then Enter to cycle | Click the slot to cycle through the six shapes | Tap the slot to cycle through the six shapes |
| Check your guess | Tab to "Submit guess", then Enter | Click "Submit guess" | Tap "Submit guess" |
| Start a new code | — | Choose a level, then click "New game" (open "Menu" if it is hidden) | Choose a level, then tap "New game" (open "Menu" if it is hidden) |
| Play today's shared puzzle | — | Click "Daily Challenge" | Tap "Daily Challenge" |
Bulls and Cows FAQ
Can I play Bulls and Cows on a phone or Chromebook?
Yes. On a phone you tap each slot to cycle through the shapes, then tap Submit guess. On a Chromebook you can click, or use Tab and Enter to play entirely from the keyboard. The shapes are high-contrast, so they stay clear on small screens.
Does it save a game in progress?
It does. The puzzle you are working on is kept in your browser, so you can close the tab and return to the same code with your earlier guesses and clues still listed below the board.
How many guesses do I get?
That depends on the level. Easy allows 12 and uses four different shapes. Medium allows 10, and Hard allows only 8. On both Medium and Hard, a shape can show up more than once in the code.
What happens if I run out of guesses?
The round ends and the game reveals the secret code so you can see where your reasoning went wrong. Pick a level and press New game to try another one.
