Bulls and Cows
Bulls and Cows is an old pencil-and-paper code game turned into a tidy browser puzzle. The computer hides a code of four shapes, and you work it out guess by guess from small peg clues.
This version is one of Christopher Müller's PaperGames, his free, open collection of classic pen games. He chose six plain black-and-white shapes over colors, which keeps the board easy to read. The game opens in a tab with nothing to install.
How to play Bulls and Cows
The code has four slots, and the six shapes to choose from are a star, a cross, a circle, a square, a diamond and a triangle. Tap any slot to step through the shapes, fill all four, and press Submit guess.
You then get pegs. A black peg means one of your shapes is right and in the right place. Each white peg stands for a shape that belongs somewhere in the code but sits in a different slot. You are never told which slot earned which peg, and sorting that out is the real puzzle.
All your earlier guesses stay listed below the board with their pegs. Pin down the full code before you run out of tries and you win. If you fall short, the answer is revealed.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Change a slot's shape | Tab to the slot, then Enter | Click the slot | Tap the slot |
| Submit a guess | Tab to Submit guess, then Enter | Click Submit guess | Tap Submit guess |
| New code | — | Pick a level, then New game | Pick a level, then New game |
| Daily puzzle | — | Click Daily Challenge | Tap Daily Challenge |
Tips
- Spend your first two guesses on as many different shapes as you can. Between them they cover all six, which tells you which shapes matter.
- A guess with zero pegs is a gift. Every shape in it is out of the code, so you can ignore them for the rest of the round.
- Move just one shape between two guesses when you are close. If a black peg turns white, you know exactly which slot was right.
- On Medium and Hard, a shape can appear twice in the code. Do not drop a shape just because it has already scored once.
- Before you submit, check that your guess would have earned the same pegs as each earlier guess if it were the answer.
If you like Bulls and Cows, try these
Logic MinesDeduction from clues is the heart of it, with a mine grid where careful logic, not luck, keeps you safe.
Crater SpaceGuessing hidden positions from feedback works on a moon grid too, where you hunt three cloaked starships.
Questions
What is the difference between Easy, Medium and Hard?
Easy gives 12 guesses and uses four different shapes. Medium allows repeated shapes with 10 guesses, and Hard keeps repeats but cuts you to 8.
Is the Bulls and Cows daily puzzle the same for everyone?
Yes. The code is built from the date inside your browser, so all players get an identical Medium code on a given day. A new code arrives when the date rolls over in UTC time.
Does Bulls and Cows save my game?
Yes. An unfinished round waits in your browser's storage, ready for your next guess when you return on the same device.
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