How to Play Bulls and Cows – Rules, Pen and Paper Guide & Game Modes

Bulls and Cows is a classic number-logic puzzle where you crack a hidden 4-digit code using deduction. It is closely related to Mastermind, but uses digits instead of coloured pegs.

Play now: Daily Game · Bull Rush · Unlimited Play · ⚔️ Multiplayer

Rules · Example · Pen & paper · Strategy · Teachers & printable resources · Game modes

What are the rules of Bulls and Cows?

The aim is to guess a secret 4-digit number. In the classic version, each digit is different, so there are no repeated digits.

After each guess, you receive two pieces of feedback:

Bull — a correct digit in the correct position
Cow — a correct digit in the wrong position

You use those clues to narrow down the possibilities until you find the hidden code.

Quick version: Guess a 4-digit code with no repeated digits. Bulls are right digit, right place. Cows are right digit, wrong place. Reach 4 Bulls to win.

Example of Bulls and Cows gameplay

Secret code: 4271

Guess: 1234

Result: 1 Bull, 2 Cows

Why?

2 is in the secret code and in the correct position, so that is 1 Bull.
1 and 4 are both in the secret code, but each is in the wrong place, so that is 2 Cows.
3 is not in the code.

That is the heart of the game: every guess gives you information to reuse on the next one.

Try it now: Play the Daily Game or use Unlimited Play to practise with fresh codes.

How to play Bulls and Cows on pen and paper

Bulls and Cows started as a simple pen and paper game, and it still works beautifully that way. One player creates the secret number and the other records guesses in a table.

What you need

A sheet of paper
A pen or pencil
Two columns for feedback: Bulls and Cows

How a pen and paper game works

Player A writes down a 4-digit secret number with no repeated digits and keeps it hidden.
Player B writes a first guess on the paper.
Player A scores the guess with the number of Bulls and Cows.
Player B writes a new guess using the information gained so far.
The process repeats until the secret code is solved.

Typical paper layout

Attempt 1 — 1234 — Bulls: 1 — Cows: 2
Attempt 2 — 1427 — Bulls: 2 — Cows: 2
Attempt 3 — 4271 — Bulls: 4 — Cows: 0

Pen and paper play is great for classrooms, family games, travel, and head-to-head play because it trains structured thinking without needing any devices.

Simple Bulls and Cows strategy tips

Start with a guess that uses four different digits.
When you learn a digit is not in the code, stop using it.
When you know a digit is in the code, move it around to test the position.
Use the combination of Bulls and Cows together. A digit can be right but in the wrong place.
Keep your guesses efficient. Each guess should test an idea, not just be random.

Good players treat the game like a logic grid: every guess should eliminate possibilities.

Teachers, printable resources, and custom classroom puzzles

If you use Bulls and Cows in class, visit the Teachers’ Guide. It includes classroom setup ideas, strategy prompts, a printable tracking grid, and a direct link to Haystack, where you can build your own single-solution Bulls and Cows-style puzzles.

Download the printable tracking grid for pencil-and-paper lessons, pair work, and warm-ups.
Visit the Teachers’ Guide for curriculum links, classroom ideas, and unplugged activities.
Open Haystack to build your own custom puzzle with a single solution.

Haystack is useful for extension work, bell-ringers, LMS links, printable clue sets, or assigning different difficulty levels to different groups.

A simple teacher flow is: introduce the rules here, hand out the tracking grid, and then use Haystack to generate a custom puzzle for the class.

Ways to play at bullsandcowsgame.com

The site includes several versions of the game and closely related deduction puzzles, so players can choose between a classic daily puzzle, faster clue-based twists, open practice, and multiplayer challenges.

Daily Game

The classic Bulls and Cows experience. Everyone gets the same daily 4-digit puzzle, so you can compare results, build streaks, and share your score.

Bull Rush

A twist on the classic game. Instead of starting from scratch, you are given five clues and must deduce the daily code from those clues. It is faster, tighter, and more puzzle-like.

♾️ Unlimited Play

Practice as much as you like with fresh games. This is ideal for improving strategy, teaching new players, or just enjoying the logic without waiting for tomorrow’s daily code.

⚔️ Multiplayer

Challenge another player and test your deduction skills head-to-head. This turns Bulls and Cows into a direct duel where both logic and tempo matter.

Pico Fermi Bagels

A closely related clue game using the classic Bagels terminology: Fermi for right digit and place, Pico for right digit wrong place, and Bagels when none of the digits appear.

Lockpick

Another logic variant on the site, built for players who enjoy cracking codes and narrowing possibilities under slightly different rules and framing.

Play the Daily Bulls and Cows Game · Play Bull Rush · Play Unlimited Games · For Teachers

Why Bulls and Cows is such a good puzzle

Bulls and Cows is simple to learn but rewarding to master. It teaches deduction, elimination, pattern recognition, and disciplined guessing. That is why it has survived as a pen and paper game, a classroom activity, a programming exercise, and an online daily puzzle.

If you want the classic experience, start with the daily game. If you want a faster twist, try Bull Rush.