Skip to content
OFFPLAY
Sign in

Bulls and Cows

Guess the secret 4-digit number. Bulls are spot on, cows are close.

🧠 Logic & Brain 1 3–8 min
Loading game…

About Bulls and Cows

The classic pencil-and-paper number game, free in your browser. The computer picks a secret four-digit number with no repeated digits. Each guess scores bulls (right digit, right place) and cows (right digit, wrong place). Use the built-in notes row to rule digits in or out. Then flip it around: think of a number and watch the computer crack yours, usually in five or six guesses.

How to play Bulls and Cows

  1. Type a four-digit number with no repeated digits and press Go.
  2. Bulls are digits in the right place; cows are right digits in the wrong place.
  3. Use the notes row to mark digits as ruled out or confirmed.
  4. In CPU mode, think of a number and answer with bulls and cows. The computer guesses.

Tips and strategy

  • Try 1234 then 5678: together they tell you how many of your digits are 9 or 0.
  • Zero bulls and zero cows is great news: four digits gone at once.
  • Keep track of which digit moved when the bull count changes.

Bulls and Cows FAQ

Is Bulls and Cows the same as Mastermind?

It's the older number version. Mastermind uses colours and allows repeats; Bulls and Cows uses four different digits.

Can the number start with 0?

Yes. Any four different digits are allowed, including a leading zero.

What if I make a mistake answering the computer?

It notices when no number fits your answers. Use Undo to fix the wrong answer.

Is Bulls and Cows free to play?

Yes. Bulls and Cows is free in your browser on OFF PLAY, with nothing to download or install.

Find more logic & brain games, browse all free games or check the leaderboards.

Games like Bulls and Cows

Code Breaker game artworkSoloNew

Code Breaker

Crack the hidden colour code. Each guess tells you how close you are.

Logic & Brain 1 3–8 min
Mental Math Race game artworkSoloNew

Mental Math Race

Sums, percentages and number bonds in a 60-second race.

Math & Educational 1 2–10 min
Logic Grid Puzzle game artworkSoloNew

Logic Grid Puzzle

Read the clues, cross out the impossible, find who has what.

Logic & Brain 1 5–20 min
Sudoku game artworkSolo

Sudoku

Fresh puzzles with unique solutions, notes and four difficulty levels.

Logic & Brain 1 5–30 min
Maze Runner game artworkSolo

Maze Runner

Procedurally generated mazes. Find the exit as fast as you can.

Logic & Brain 1 1–5 min
Minesweeper game artworkSolo

Minesweeper

Classic logic sweeping with a safe first click and flag mode.

Logic & Brain 1 2–10 min
Lights Out game artworkSoloNew

Lights Out

Flip a light and its neighbours flip too. Switch the whole board off.

Logic & Brain 1 2–10 min
Nonogram game artworkSoloNew

Nonogram

Use the number clues to paint the hidden picture.

Logic & Brain 1 3–20 min