Can you crack the code in time? In Decipher, you must figure out your opponent's hidden code before they figure out yours. It requires logic, deduction, and strategic cardplay.
EQUIPMENT
- Standard deck of cards
- Six counters (e.g. pennies)
SETUP
Shuffle the deck and deal three cards face down to each player. These cards are placed in a row in front of each player. Each player may examine their cards, but they must remain secret from the opposing player. Leave enough space between the two rows of cards for two additional rows of cards.
Next, deal six cards to each player. These represent the player's starting hand, and should be kept secret.
Finally, give three pennies to each player.
Each player's face down cards represent their hidden code (which will not change during the game), and it is this code that the opponent is trying to guess. The cards that will be played directly in front of these cards are called the Decipher cards: these are played by the opposing player from their hand.
The board should look something like this, with each card in a recognizable column:
- X: Face down card
- O: Empty space (Decipher cards will be played into these spaces throughout the game)
Player 1
XXX
OOO (Player 2's Decipher card piles)
OOO (Player 1's Decipher card piles)
XXX
Player 2
Randomly determine the starting player.
GAMEPLAY
Each player's turn has two phases:
- Play Decipher Cards
- Evaluate Hidden Cards
1. Play Decipher Cards
Each turn a player must play one, two, or three cards from his or her hand into the Decipher card piles directly in front of their opponent's hidden cards. These cards will cover the current face up card, after the player's first turn.
The player must start at the far left column and indicate if they will play a card or not. Before they play a card to this pile they are allowed to look through their previously played Decipher cards in that pile. Once they have played a card onto this pile, or indicated they are not going to play a card and moved to the next column, they may not look through this column's cards again until their next turn.
After playing one or more cards, the player must redraw their hand up to six cards.
Note that in the first turn (when there are no Decipher cards on the board yet) the player must play three cards from their hand, one into each slot.
2. Evaluate Hidden Cards
After the cards have been played, the non-active player must "Evaluate" their hidden cards against the current player's three face-up Decipher cards.
This evaluation is done on a column by column basis. The first hidden card is compared to the Decipher card in the same column (without revealing the hidden card). If the face up card matches the hidden card’s suit or number, the player must place one of their pennies on top of his or her face down card. This indicates the active player has scored a "hit" and is closer to deciphering the code. This process is repeated for each of the hidden cards.
Once each column has been evaluated, and the pennies have been placed on the hidden cards, the active player's turn is over. Note that the pennies remain on the hidden cards until the Decipher card in front of them changes. This way the player can always see how many "hits" they have with the currently active Decipher cards.
While the pennies indicate a player is getting closer, they will never actually reveal the exact card. Only through careful card selection and deduction will a player figure out what each hidden card is.
WINNING
At the beginning of a player's turn (before they play any cards) a player may declare they are going to "Break the Code." This immediately ends the game, and both players must now make guesses as to what their opponent's hidden cards are.
Starting with current player, they must guess what each hidden card is. This is done on a column-by-column basis, much like playing the Decipher cards.
Note: A player may look through their previously played Decipher cards for the current column they are guessing before making their guess. Once they move to the next column they may not look through any other column of cards. This rule must be strictly enforced to ensure players do not simply "count cards."
The closer the player is to the correct hidden card, the more points they receive:
- Correct Suit: 1 Point
- Correct Card Value: 2 Points
- Correct Suit and Value (exact match): 3 Points
Thus in a perfect game a player could receive 9 points if they correctly guessed each of their opponent's hidden cards' suits and values.
After the current player has made their guesses and received the appropriate points, the other player does the same. The player with the most points wins.
If the deck is exhausted before a player declared they are going to "Break the Code," the players may continue to play their hands until someone has no cards remaining. At that point the current player must end the game and begin guessing.
